Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Guiping Wu, Zhenhui Li, Yun Zheng, Yihui Zhang, Long Liu, Daoqing Gong, Tuoyu Geng
Summary: The study found that supplementary cholamine may lower egg production by promoting hepatic lipid deposition, reducing abundances of beneficial intestinal bacteria, and decreasing microfloral biodiversity in laying hens.
Article
Ecology
Carl G. Lundblad, Courtney J. Conway
Summary: Variation in life-history strategies is crucial for understanding population dynamics and adaptation, with nest microclimate driving important trade-offs and thermal gradients often explaining observed biogeographic and seasonal patterns. Our study implies an indirect effect of climate change on reproductive success and recruitment.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jinmei Liu, Fangfang Zhang, Xuan Zhang, Wei Liang
Summary: A recent study found that some secondary cavity-nesting birds cover their eggs with nest material during their foraging period. This egg-covering behavior helps regulate nest temperature and prevent predation or parasitism. The study set up nest boxes with different treatments to test the hypothesis that egg covering prevents nest usurpation. The results showed that nest boxes with moss covering had the lowest egg predation rates, suggesting that egg-covering behavior delays the entry of competitors and accelerates the departure of encroachers from the nest.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Eleonora Nannoni, Giovanni Buonaiuto, Giovanna Martelli, Gabriele Lizzi, Giacomo Trevisani, Gloria Garavini, Luca Sardi
Summary: The laying hen industry is transitioning to alternative housing systems to address animal welfare concerns. An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of structural modifications on hen welfare and laying patterns in a commercial aviary system. The results showed that increasing freedom of movement had positive effects on feather conditions and the hens' ability to choose between aviary tiers. The study concluded that tailored structural modifications can enhance hen welfare in aviary systems.
Article
Ecology
Carl G. Lundblad, Courtney J. Conway
Summary: Burrowing owls have a tendency to lay eggs in the morning, especially the first egg. The interval between laying eggs is influenced by burrow temperature and nest attentiveness, which may be a strategy to ensure egg viability. The duration of laying interval affects hatching asynchrony.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chendi Yu, Jun Huang, Xiaoyun Ren, G. Mandela Fernandez-Grandon, Xiaowei Li, Muhammad Hafeez, Yaobin Lu
Summary: Orius strigicollis prefers to lay eggs in the seams of kidney bean pods, especially at the tips, where they can exploit support points for insertion of the ovipositor. The surface topography of the kidney bean pods significantly influences the oviposition site preferences of O. strigicollis.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Joanna Kucharska-Gaca, Marek Adamski, Jakub Biesek
Summary: This study evaluated embryonic development, analyzed blood concentrations of glucose, T3, and T4 in embryos and goslings, and assessed the structure and temperature of the eggshell. The results showed that embryo development and hormone concentrations in the blood were influenced by the age and laying period of the geese. The thickness and density of the eggshell also varied with the laying age and period. Goose age, laying age, and laying period have significant effects on embryonic development and eggshell characteristics.
Article
Ecology
Xiaodong Rao, Jialing Li, Binbin He, Hesheng Wang, Guanmian Wu, Tiantian Teng, Qingping Ling
Summary: Breeding success is crucial for avian fecundity and is limited by nest predation. Understanding nest predation and its influencing factors is important for bird population dynamics and conservation strategies. A study in two nature reserves in Hainan, China found that the breeding season of the red junglefowl occurs mainly from March to July, with a peak in April. Predation accounted for 45.4% of nest failure, with rodent, reptile, and coucal predation being the main contributors. Artificial nest experiments showed varying predation rates, suggesting the importance of considering the impacts of certain animal species on the breeding success of red junglefowl.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Louise Hedlund, Per Jensen
Summary: In commercial egg production, laying hen chicks are exposed to various stressful events during incubation, hatching, and their early life, which can impact their behavior and stress sensitivity. This study found that incubation and hatching alone can cause long-term stress effects in chickens, and further processing exacerbates these effects to some extent.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Serdar Ozlu
Summary: The storage period and prewarming temperature significantly affect the hatching time and quality of broiler eggs, with longer storage leading to slower hatching speed and higher embryonic mortality. Increasing the prewarming temperature can promote synchronous hatching of chicks.
Article
Entomology
Thomas Chouvenc, Sang-Bin Lee
Summary: Subterranean termite control methods using chitin synthesis inhibitors disrupt the molting process of workers, leading to colony collapse as workers die progressively, ultimately preventing worker replacement and aiding in colony elimination. These methods may also impact the queen's ability to lay eggs and affect egg development, resulting in colony establishment failure.
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Nahuel Marchisio, Melina Barrionuevo, Esteban Frere
Summary: The study found that hatching asynchrony had a negative effect on last-hatched chicks, but this disadvantage was mitigated by egg size dimorphism in their favor. Additionally, females in good condition invest more in second chicks, and foster fathers also invest more, leading to offspring fledging in good condition. On the contrary, for the first-hatched chicks, the body condition of the biological father was found to be an important factor for their growth.
JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Daniel Sindaye, Zaili Xiao, Chaoyu Wen, Kang Yang, Limeng Zhang, Pinfeng Liao, Fan Zhang, Zhongquan Xin, Shansong He, Shibin Ye, Dan Guo, Suqin Hang, Shehata Zeid, Baichuan Deng
Summary: This experiment evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with lysozyme on laying performance, egg quality, biochemical analysis, body immunity, and intestinal morphology. The results showed that lysozyme supplementation improved production performance, did not negatively affect egg quality or the health of laying hens, and improved intestinal morphology, immune efficiency, and nutritional digestibility.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
A. N. Zhu, K. Y. Zhang, J. P. Wang, S. P. Bai, Q. F. Zeng, H. W. Peng, X. M. Ding
Summary: NHDC, a class of natural flavonoids, has gained attention in nutrition research. This study demonstrates that dietary NHDC can improve egg production and quality for laying hens, as well as affect serum biochemistry and intestinal morphology.
Article
Fisheries
Guang Gao, Zhizhong Xiao, Guanglei Ji, Yongshuang Xiao, Daoyuan Ma, Jun Li
Summary: This study reveals the reproductive behavior of Kong skate in captivity, indicating that they mate and lay eggs at a temperature of 16.5 +/- 0.5 degrees C. The study shows that the majority of eggs contain one yolk, while the deposition of non-yolk and double-yolk eggs is random. After a certain period of incubation, a significant number of eggs failed to hatch, while an equal number of male and female skates were successfully hatched.
JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY
(2022)