June 30, 2011

Iowa to examine heat stress in poultry

"Iowa is a leading egg producing state. Here, the combination of high temperatures and humidity occurs regularly, causing heat stress. This is also a problem in other areas around the world where chicken production is increasing", researcher Susan Lamont of Iowa State University said.

"Most animals used for food production are really performing at a very high level," she said. "They are pushed pretty hard in regards to their physiological performance, so if a different stress is added to them it will be an issue for their health as well as productivity."
 

Using lines of chickens from Iowa State's poultry genetics programme, the scientists will produce experimental populations of chickens and monitor their performance under controlled heat stress conditions. The researchers will investigate the effect of genetics to determine the birds' physiological response to heat stress at different ages.

In cooperation with Hy-Line scientists, the project will assess commercial hens' physiological responses to heat stress, including feed efficiency, egg production and egg quality. The researchers also will work with the University of Liverpool to investigate diverse kinds of chickens native to Africa for genetic signatures that may be related to their reactions to heat.
 

Work at the University of Delaware will focus on broiler chickens that are raised for meat. North Carolina State researchers will examine the role of epigenetics, a relatively new field that studies genetic impact that is the result of conditioning of the parents. Together these studies will give a comprehensive picture of the role genes play in the chicken's response to heat stress.