Avian Reproduction Research Articles

DDT and DDE Effects on Migratory Condition in White-Throated Sparrows

The onset of spring migratory condition, as measured by Zugunruhe and weight increase, was delayed at least 1 week in caged white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) fed diets containing 5 or 25 ppm technical DDT. Migratory fat stores, determined by extraction from birds sacrificed early in the migratory period, showed a dose-dependent depression which was statistically significant only at the high dose level. Late in the period there were indications of increased Zugunruhe in treated birds. In the high treatment group, this increased activity was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with the log of body concentration of DDE, a metabolite of ingested DDT. A similar experiment with birds fed DDE produced no effect early in the spring migratory period. Late in the period, Zugunruhe showed significant and dose-dependent increases. Daytime activity was not significantly altered. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 39(3):520-527 Several sublethal effects of organochlorine pesticides on avian reproduction, physiology, and behavior have been documented (see Pimentel 1971 or Stickel 1968 for recent reviews). Although physiological components important in the initiation or maintenance of migratory condition are known to be altered, there is no published information on the possible effects of pesticides on migratory behavior or physiology. These pesticide-sensitive components include gonadal hormones (Peakall 1967, 1969, 1970), adrenal hormones (Meier and Martin 1971, Newcomer 1959, Srebocan et al. 1971), storage fat (Keith 1970, Tinsley and Lowry 1972), and the thyroid (Jefferies 1969, Jefferies et al. 1971, Jefferies and French 1972). According to Wilson and Farner (1960) the thyroid does not function in normal control of the migratory cycle. However, thyroid dysfunction could affect the positive energy balance needed for storage of migratory fat. Ulfstrand et al. (1971) indicated that chemically similar pol chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) increased migratory activity of caged European robins (Erithacus rubecula) in a twonight test. This study was undertaken to determine if spring migratory condition was affected in caged white-throated sparrows fed diets treated with either technical DDT (78.9 perc nt p,p'-DDT, 21.1 percent o,p-DDT) or p,p'-DDE at 5 and 25 ppm, dry weight. The research was not designed to determine causes of a possible effect. The DDT study was conducted in spring, 1970, and the DDE study was made during the following spring. I thank E.P. Odum and C.W. Helms for their encouragement and advice and T. Richardson for assistance with statistical

Temporal Organization in Avian Reproduction

Recent studies have demonstrated that biological rhythms have important roles in avian reproduction. In the photoperiodic stimulation of the reproductive complex, there are two systems involved in the interpretation of day length. One system is entrained by the photoperiod, probably by dawn. This entrained system in turn entrains two light-sensitive phases which occur later in the day. If the photoperi od is long enough, it is present during the sensitive phases when it can induce the production of luteinzing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone. The interrenal gland appears to be a part of the entraining system inasmuch as injections of corticosterone can set a sensitive phase when light can induce gonadal development. The annual cycle of photosensitivity and photorefractoriness appeals to be controlled by the temporal relations between the daily rhythms of corticosterone and prolactin which change seasonally. When the hormonal relations of photosensitive and photorefractory birds are simulated by injections of the hormones, the appropriate conditions (photosensitivity or photorefractonness) can be produced. Seasonal changes in the hormonal relations are not direct reflections of changes in the photoperiod; they depend on more complex physiological experiences. The systems involved in egg laying and parental behavior may also have a temporal basis of biological rhythms. For example, the intensity of the pigeon cropsac response depends on the time of daily injections of prolactin relative to those of corticosterone. It is apparent that the daily rhythm constitutes the basic structuial unit in the temporal organizationtion of avian reproduction.

Induction of apparent hyperthyroidism in birds fed DDT.

IN an experiment designed to examine the effects of DDT on avian reproduction, 102 Bengalese finches, Lonchura striata, were given pp′DDT diets for 6 weeks before pairing. Another forty-two birds were maintained as controls. The DDT diets were continued after pairing and the breeding success of each pair recorded for correlation with the pp′DDT intake. These results will be reported elsewhere. After fledging their first brood (about 9 weeks after pairing) the adults were killed and dissected. Twenty pairs, however, were allowed to lay a second clutch which was removed and the eggshells examined. Ratcliffe1 has reported a recent decrease in the weight of eggshells of the peregrine Falco peregrinus and sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, and suggested that pp′DDT may disturb the calcium metabolism of birds. My experiments provided a possible test for this theory.

Thyroid in avian reproduction

Annual gonadal size and activity cycles of the nonmigratory Indian finches, viz: Lal Munia ( Estrilda amandava) and Spotted Munia ( Uroloncha punctulata), run parallel with the body weight cycles and are inversely related with the thyroid activity cycles. Gonads are developed when thyroid activity is low and are reduced when it is high. Further, severe hypothyroidism (thyroidectomy) induces gonadal recrudescence to full development, which is then maintained; and hyperthyroidism ( l-thyroxine) at low levels reduces the weight, and at moderately high levels the activity also, of the gonads of adult normal and thyroidectomized birds during the breeding phase. It is suggested that changes in thyroid activity influence the output of the gonad-stimulating hormones from the adenohypophysis, which in turn regulate the annual and body weight cycles of Lal and Spotted Munia.

The Effects of Biotin Deficiency Upon Oviduct Growth and the Water-Soluble Oviduct Proteins of the Female Chick Treated with Gonadal Hormones

ANY information concerning the composition of the oviduct in the fowl is of value considering the importance of this organ in reproduction. As the most important function of the oviduct in the fowl is its implication in protein deposition in the egg any information on its protein composition is of interest.Mistri and Dakshinamurti (1964) have shown that protein synthesis is markedly reduced in biotin-deficient animals. They showed that this reduction in the synthesis of protein was probably the result of a decreased formation of ribonucleic acid, due to an alteration in the nature of soluble ribonucleic acid. Hertz et al. (1943, 1949) through investigations into avidin formation in the avian oviduct obtained evidence to suggest that the avidin-biotin complex might play a role in the physiology of avian reproduction. In the fowl there is a rapid increase in oviduct size just prior to lay as a result of stimulation .

Transient inhibition of avian myeloblastosis virus reproduction by amethopterin and fluorodeoxyuridine.

Avian myeloblastosis virus cannot initiate its reproduction in the presence of amethopterin or fluorodeoxyuridine. This inhibition is reversed by thymidine. Addition of either inhibitor after virus production has started does not inhibit further virus synthesis. In presence of either inhibitor, deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis is inhibited by over 90%, but ribonucleic acid synthesis is not affected. Cells resume their normal growth rate 24 hr after removal of either inhibitor.

Oviducal Irritants and Ovulation in the Domestic Fowl

A key paper in the literature on neurohumoral control of ovulation in the domestic hen is that by Huston and Nalbandov (1953). According to these authors, “the presence of an irritant, such as a loop of thread, in the magnum portion of the oviduct of laying hens, completely suppresses ovulation in the great majority of treated animals.” The irritant was thought to prevent release of sufficient LH to cause ovulation (“ovulatory peaks”), but apparently did not prevent secretion of basal amounts of LH or secretion of FSH. Confirmation and extension of this work was reported by van Tienhoven (1953).Both of the reports cited have become widely quoted in the literature on avian reproduction and neuroendocrinology, and the experiments on oviducal irritants have played a large role in the development by Nalbandov (1959) of a theory to explain the ovulation cycle in the hen. Nalbandov suggested that the presence of …

Light and other environmental factors affecting avian reproduction.

Light and other environmental factors affecting avian reproduction.

The Effect of the Length of Daily Light Periods on the Volume and Fertilizing Capacity of Semen From Male Chickens

MOST the research reported on photoperiodism as related to avian reproduction has been concerned either with testis changes in wild birds or with egg production in domestic fowl. The male domestic fowl has received relatively little attention. The effects of varying the length of daily light periods on spermatogenesis and changes in testis size have been reviewed by numerous investigators including Lamoreux (1943a), Amoroso and Marshall (1960) and Romanoff (1960). Lamoreux also reported results of experiments showing the effect of the amount of daily light on semen production in White Leghorn and concluded that 12 hours or more of daily light were required to effectively stimulate semen production. He did not determine the effect of daily light periods on the fertilizing capacity of semen produced. Bonadonna and Pozzi (1955) observed that cocks “steadily kept in the dark,” as well as males kept under continuous illumination, produced smaller semen volumes than…

CALCIUM METABOLISM AND AVIAN REPRODUCTION

Biological ReviewsVolume 36, Issue 3 p. 321-359 CALCIUM METABOLISM AND AVIAN REPRODUCTION K. SIMKISS, K. SIMKISS Department of Zoology, Queen Mary College, University of LondonSearch for more papers by this author K. SIMKISS, K. SIMKISS Department of Zoology, Queen Mary College, University of LondonSearch for more papers by this author First published: August 1961 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.1961.tb01292.xCitations: 237AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume36, Issue3August 1961Pages 321-359 RelatedInformation

Techniques for Identifying Fertile Hens’ Eggs

KOSIN (1944) has described techniques for determining the fertility of unincubated hens’ eggs by examination either (a) with the naked eye, or (b) microscopically, after fixation and staining with alum cochineal. If these techniques are sufficiently accurate, they should be of great value to people working in the field of avian reproduction, provided that chicks are not desired from the eggs under test. With these methods it is not necessary to operate incubators, and, perhaps more important, the fertility of a group of eggs can be determined on the day they are laid, which results in a considerable saving of time. In studies of fertility undertaken at Cornell University, the saving in time and in eggs was thought to be sufficient to warrant further investigation of the utility of these techniques.The accuracy of the macroscopic technique has been investigated by Kosin (1945a). When 182 eggs that had been judged .

The Influence of Intensity of Egg Production Upon Infertility in the Domestic Fowl

INTRODUCTIONThe eggs produced by breeding flocks of apparently normal hens under systems of good management include various proportions which are infertile, the number sometimes ranging as high as 30 percent (15)2 of the total incubated. With small numbers of birds or under adverse conditions much larger proportions of the eggs laid may be infertile. The causes of much, perhaps most, of this infertility remain unknown and additional knowledge concerning their control is essential to an adequate understanding of avian reproduction and to the diminution of such economic losses as now result from the incubation of infertile eggs.The objects of the present experiment were (1) to determine whether degree of infertility is influenced by the intensity of egg production in the fowl, and (2) to stud y the bases for such a relationship if it exists.MATERIALS AND METHODSDuring the 5-year period, 1935 to 1939, more than 1,200 .

Mating Behavior and the Social Hierarchy in Small Flocks of White Leghorns

Mating Behavior and the Social Hierarchy in Small Flocks of White Leghorns

Effect of Soybean Oil Meal on Avian Reproduction.

In studies of the iodine requirements of poultry a simple type of goitrogenic ration has been used at this Station. This has consisted essentially of ground yellow corn, dried brewers' yeast residuals, soybean oil meal, steamed bone meal, salt and vitamin D oil. This has supported fairly good growth and feathering and has allowed the production of severe goiter when feedstuffs selected for low iodine content were used. The goitrogenic effect has been readily overcome by the addition of iodine to the ration. However, it was found that both production and reproduction on this ration were poor, even when sufficient iodine was present to prevent goiter. In order to study the iodine requirements of laying birds, it was necessary to correct this difficulty. Experience had shown that the replacement of part of the soybean oil meal with casein in the type of ration just mentioned would permit excellent growth. Accordingly, a number of single-comb White Leghorn pullets, reared on the goitrogenic type of ration, were divided into 3 pens at time of sexual maturity and were fed rations containing different proportions of casein and soybean oil meal. The protein, vitamin, calcium and phosphorus content of these rations were approximately the same. Oat groats were also added at the 15% level in pens 2 and 3. Pertinent data are given in Table I. It is obvious from the data in Table I that reproductive performance in period A improved as the soybean oil meal was replaced with casein and oat groats. Nevertheless the results were not satisfactory. Hence in period B the amount of soybean oil meal was reduced to 6% in pens 1 and 2. Pen 3 was retained as control on the same level of soybean oil meal as in period A.

Nests and Broods in Whipsnade Bird Sanctuary in two successive years

SUMMARY.The record of nests in the Whipsnade Bird Sanctuary in 1936 and 1937 shows that the latter year was less favourable to avian reproduction.This is manifested in number of species nesting (20 as against 21); reduction of total number of nests (about 11 per cent.); and of nests in nest‐boxes (17‐5 per cent.).For the three abundant species of which complete records were taken (Starling, Great and Blue Tits, taken together), it was manifested in reduction in the number of nests where eggs were laid (11‐8 per cent.) and those in which eggs hatched (6‐5 per cent.); in reduction of mean size of clutch (2–4 per cent.); of mean number of young hatched per brood (8‐7 per cent.); and of mean number of young fledged per brood (14‐4 per cent.). The Blue Tit showed the greatest decrease in 1937.The only change in conditions was a reduction in the amount of underbrush; this, however, could not be responsible for most of the decreases noted.Records by Mr. Kendrick of Blue Tits in the Birmingham area indicate that there also 1937 was less favourable to avian reproduction than 1936.

Studies in the Nutrition of the Chick: An Attempt to Simplify the Successful Diet

DURING the past number of years this laboratory has been engaged in the study of dietary constituents as they affect the various stages of avian development and reproduction. Work of this nature must be executed on a scientific basis if the results obtained are to bear more than a superficial interpretation. If feeding experiments are to be placed on such a basis, negative control diets which contain adequate amounts of all nutrients except that under observation are essential. These diets are difficult and often impossible to compound owing to the complex nature of all known rations which will produce successful growth or reproduction in the bird. At the present time a limited number of factors may be studied with some hope for interpretation of the experimental results. However, the majority of nutritional problems must either be disregarded or their solution conditionally explained due to our ignorance of the fundamental food .

Field Studies and Physiology : a Correlation in the Field of Avian Reproduction

ELIOT HOWARD,1 in his classical field studies on the behaviour of the warblers, buntings, and other passerine birds, has. pointed out that whereas the male has what we may call two phases of sexual behaviour—neuter and full male—the female has three; for she passes from the neuter phase of winter to full femaleness by way of a partly-sexed phase. During this intermediate phase she seeks out the company of a male, appears interested in various of his advances, and may construct the outer shell of one or several nests. But it is not until the fully-sexed phase that she will solicit or permit coition, or will construct a lining for a nest. The fully-sexed phase begins about 3–6 days before the first egg is laid.

The Effect of Corpus Luteum Substance Upon Ovulation in the Fowl.

It has been shown by Loeb2 that one function of the well developed corpus luteum in the mammalian reproductive cycle is to inhibit ovulation. This fact appears to be firmly established for mammals by his observations and experiments. Ruge's3 observations seem also essentially to confirm this result. This suggestion was also made earlier by Prenant4 and Sandes and Skrobansky.5In connection with die series of studies in progress in this laboratory on the physiology of avian reproduction it seemed a matter of considerable interest to determine whether an extract of mammalian corpus luteum substance would exercise a similar inhibitory action on ovulation in a bird, where, of course, there is normally nothing connected with the ovary which is either morphologically or physiologically homologous to the corpus luteum of the mammalian ovary. The experiments here reported were undertaken for the purpose of throwing light upon this question.In the complete paper …