Cage Housing Research Articles

Genotypic characterization of β-lactamase resistant Salmonella species isolated from different quail houses and their susceptibility to extracts of thyme and chitosan, and Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

ABSTRACT This study aimed to identify Salmonella species in two systems for quail raising (deep litter system and cages system). Determination of antibiotic susceptibility, β-lactamase resistance genes profile and susceptibility to chitosan, thyme extract and S. cerevisiae was examined. Fifteen Salmonella isolates were isolated from eighty cloacal swabs examined, with a higher incidence from those of deep litter systems than cage housing systems. Regarding the environmental samples, Salmonella was higher in the deep litter system than in cage housing. Serological identification of 27 salmonella isolates typed them into 8 Salmonella spp. including S. Tsevie, S. Infantis, S. Kentucky, S. Typhimurium, S. Larochelle, S. Molade, S. Enteritidis and S. Labadi. The profile of β-lactamase-resistance genes revealed the presence of blaTEM and blaSHV genes in S. Typhimurium and S. Infantis; blaTEM and blaCTX-M1 genes in S. Enteritidis and S. Molade, while S. Kentucky and S. Tsevie were positive for the blaCTX-M1 gene only. S. Larochelle was negative for all of them. Thyme and chitosan extract showed that S. cerevisiae had the highest inhibitory activity against the tested strains. In conclusion, farms with superior biosecurity and hygiene practices will reduce the risk of pathogens and eliminate the need for prophylactic antibiotics, thereby preventing antibiotic resistance.

Exploring the link between sedentary behavior and cognitive decline: a comprehensive study combining Mendelian randomization and animal model experiments.

The causal link between detrimental behaviors and cognitive performance remains unclear. This research seeks to investigate the causal impact of adjustable lifestyle factors on cognitive deterioration, including frequency of alcohol intake, onset of smoking, and sedentary activities like prolonged television viewing. This research combines large-scale genetic data obtained from univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization analyses with experimental findings obtained from animal models. Our findings reveal that the odds ratio (OR) for cognitive function deterioration was 0.445 (inverse variance weighted [IVW] 95% CI: 0.370 to 0.536, p < 0.001) for each standard deviation increase in television watching time. After adjustment for body mass index (BMI), number of days walked /moderate activity over 10+ min and education in Multivariable Mendelian Randomization (MVMR), only the genetic predisposition to increased television watching time remained significantly associated with worse cognitive function (OR 0.659, 95% CI: 0.452 to 0.960, p = 0.030). The other two habits had no significant effects. Sensitivity analyses have confirmed that genetic pleiotropy did not influence the results. To further explore the relationship between sedentary behavior and cognitive function, as well as the underlying mechanisms, we conducted a restricted cage housing experiment and a physical exercise training experiment in mice. The results showed that physical exercise significantly improved spatial memory, as assessed by the Morris water maze, and increased exploratory interest, as evaluated by the open field test (OFT) and the elevated plus-maze test, compared to the sedentary control group. These cognitive advantages may be mediated through mechanisms involving free radical scavenging and enhanced synaptic plasticity. Our research provides genetic evidence indicating that extended television viewing is linked to an elevated risk of cognitive decline. Additionally, experimental data from mouse models suggest that physical exercise can counteract cognitive decline and anxiety-like behaviors induced by sedentary behavior. This protective effect is likely mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent mechanisms that enhance synaptic plasticity within the hippocampus.

Longitudinal Study of Changes in Ammonia, Carbon Dioxide, Humidity and Temperature in Individually Ventilated Cages Housing Female and Male C57BL/6N Mice during Consecutive Cycles of Weekly and Bi-Weekly Cage Changes.

Housing conditions are essential for ensuring animal welfare and high-quality research outcomes. In this study, we continuously monitored air quality-specifically ammonia, carbon dioxide, relative humidity, and temperature-in Individually Ventilated Cages (IVCs) housing five female or male C57BL/6N mice. The cages were cleaned either weekly or bi-weekly, and the data were collected as the mice aged from 100 to 348 days. The survival rate remained above 96%, with body weight increasing by 35-52% during the study period. The ammonia levels rose throughout the cleaning cycle, but averaged below 25 ppm. However, in the older, heavier mice with bi-weekly cage cleaning, the ammonia levels reached between 25 and 75 ppm, particularly in the males. While circadian rhythms influenced the ammonia concentration only to a small extent, the carbon dioxide levels varied between 800 and 3000 ppm, increasing by 30-50% at night and by 1000 ppm with body weight. Humidity also correlated primarily with the circadian rhythms (10% higher at night) and, to a lesser extent, with body weight, reaching ≥70% in the middle-aged mice. The temperature variations remained minimal, within a 1 °C range. We conclude that air quality assessments in IVCs should be conducted during animals' active periods, and both housing density and biomass must be considered to optimise welfare.

Efficacy of Different Fungicides against Leaf Blight of Carrot Caused by Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler

Background: Leaf blight disease is painful nerve to carrot growing farmer because it causes huge economic loss to the farmer every year. Leaf blight of carrot is seed and soil borne disease causes by Alternaria alternata. Hence management of the disease by fungicides is the best alternative. Therefore, in the present investigation, our main emphasis was to identify best fungicide for management of leaf blight of carrot. Methods: Seven fungicides were tested against leaf blight pathogen (Alternaria alternata) in lab as well as in cage house condition. The experiment was conducted at Cage house of department of Plant Pathology, COA, Jodhpur during Rabi-2020-21. Result: Among all the fungicides used in the present investigation, difenoconazole 25% inhibited the 100% mycelial growth at all the concentrations. The next best treatment was tebuconazole 50%+trifloxystrobin 25% inhibited the 99.02% mycelial growth and Minimum mycelial growth inhibition was observed in mancozeb 75% WP followed by carbendazim 12%+mancozeb 63% 61.58% and 77.70%, respectively; along with control plate was showed 100% mycelium growth. The superior treatments under in vitro carry forward in vivo condition. When applied as foliar application under cage house condition, difenoconazole 25 EC at 0.25 ml/lit (11.17%) was observed lowest disease incidence.

Examining Intercage Transmission of Chlamydia muridarum: Impact of Barrier Husbandry and Cage Sanitization.

Chlamydia muridarum (Cm) has reemerged as a prevalent bacterial contaminant of academic research mouse colonies. A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of husbandry and cage sanitization methods in preventing intercage transmission of Cm. To assess intercage transmission during cage change, a cage housing 2 Cm-free Swiss Webster (SW; Tac:SW) sentinel mice was placed randomly on each of 12 individually ventilated cage racks, housing cages with Cm-shedding mice, located in one of 2 animal holding rooms. Husbandry staff blinded to the study cages changed all cages in the animal holding rooms weekly using a microisolation cage technique. PCR testing performed at 180 d postplacement confirmed all mice remained negative for Cm. To assess the effectiveness of cage sanitization to eliminate Cm, we investigated transmission of Cm to a naive Cm-free SW and NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ (NSG) mouse cohoused for 7 d (repeated weekly for 4 wk) in cages assigned to one of 3 groups (n = 10 pairs of mice/group). Cages that previously housed 2 Cm-shedding BALB/c mice were either washed in a tunnel washer (82.2 °C [180 °F] final rinse for an average of 16 s per run; n = 10) with and without postwashing autoclaving (121 °C for 20 min; n = 10), or were untreated (bedding change only; n = 10). Pre- and postsanitization swabs of each cage were assayed for Cm by PCR. All pretreatment swabs tested positive, while posttreatment swabs from all cages (excluding bedding change) tested negative. All SW and NSG mice, irrespective of group, remained negative for Cm as determined by PCR. These findings suggest that infectious Cm does not persist in untreated cages or after mechanical washing with and without autoclaving. Collectively, these findings suggest that neither our husbandry protocols nor inadequate cage sanitization methods likely contributed to the observed prevalence of Cm in contemporary research mouse colonies.

Impacts of Excreta Exposure and Age on Ileal Microbial Communities, Intestinal Permeability, and Corticosterone in Hens Housed in Enriched Colonies and Cage-Free Housing Systems

To tease apart differences between conventional cage (CC) and cage-free (CF) housing systems, this study focuses on the effects of excreta exposure and age by comparing microbial communities, intestinal permeability, and corticosterone in hens in enriched colonies (EC) and CF housing systems during early- and late-lay. Hens were randomly selected from two rooms of CF (n = 20) and EC (n = 20) at 35 and 76 weeks of age. One hour following an oral gavage of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-D), hens were euthanized, and ileal contents and blood were collected. Serum FITC-D using a fluorescent spectrophotometer and corticosterone using a commercial competitive ELISA kit were analyzed. Following DNA isolation from the ileum contents, the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced. Sequence data were filtered in Mothur v1.43.0, followed by de novo operational taxonomic unit (OTU) clustering and classifying with the SILVA SSU v138 reference database. Serum FITC-D was altered by housing type, age of hens, and the interaction between housing type and age of hens (p &lt; 0.001), with 76-week-old hens housed in EC having the highest FITC-D. Corticosterone increased with age (p = 0.023). Microbial community diversity measurements favored hens housed in the CF housing system as ileal contents tended to have increased species evenness (p = 0.008) and greater alpha diversity (p = 0.006). The majority of the over-representation of OTUs were associated with peak lay.

Juvenile/Peripubertal Exposure to Omega-3 and Environmental Enrichment Differentially Affects CORT Secretion and Adulthood Stress Coping, Sociability, and CA3 Glucocorticoid Receptor Expression in Male and Female Rats.

In adult rats, omega-3 supplementation through fish oil (FO) and environmental enrichment (EE) have shown beneficial effects on cognition and stress regulation. This study assessed sex-specific effects of FO and EE during adolescence, a period critical for brain maturation, on adulthood coping mechanisms, sociability, and glucocorticoid regulation. An amount of 64 Wistar rats [n = 32/sex; postnatal day (PND) 23] were assigned to supplementation of control soybean oil (CSO) or menhaden fish oil (FO; 0.3 mL/100 g) from PND28 to 47 and exposed to EE or regular cage (RC) housing from PND28 to 58, with their blood corticosterone (CORT) levels being assessed weekly. As adults, exposure to repeated forced swim tests (FSTs; PND90-91) enabled analysis of coping responses, while socioemotional and memory responses were evaluated using the OFT, EPM, SIT, and Y maze tests (PND92-94). Immunohistochemistry determined hippocampal CA1/CA3 glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression (PND95). CORT secretion gradually increased as the supplementation period elapsed in female rats, while changes were minimal in males. Coping strategies in the FST differed between sexes, particularly in FO-fed rats, where females and males, respectively, favoured floating and tail support to minimise energy consumption and maintain immobility. In the SIT, FO/EE promoted sociability in females, while a CSO diet favoured social recognition in males. Reduced CA3 GR-ir expression was found in FO/RC and CSO/EE rat groups, supporting stress resilience and memory consolidation. Our findings support environment and dietary conditions to exert a sex-specific impact on biobehavioural responses.

Food quality influences behavioural flexibility and cognition in wild house mice

Environmental change is frequent. To adjust and survive, animals need behavioural flexibility. Recently, cognitive flexibility has emerged as a driving force for adjusting to environmental change. Understanding how environmental factors, such as food quality, influence behavioural and/or more costly cognitive flexibility. Here, we investigate the effects of high-quality versus standard food as well as the effects of different housing conditions on both types of flexibility. Our results show that mice that experienced a poorer diet under seminatural conditions showed greater behavioural but not cognitive flexibility. For cage-housed mice, the results were less clear. However, mice fed a poorer diet performed better in innovative problem-solving, thus showing enhanced cognitive flexibility, which was not apparent in the reversal learning paradigm. The observed differences were most likely due to differences in motivation to obtain food rewards. Additionally, animals on poorer diet had lower brain volume, usually related to lower cognitive task performance at the between-species level. Thus, our study emphasises the importance of environmental conditions on behavioural flexibility at the within-species level, highlights that different test paradigms may lead to different conclusions, and finally shows that cage housing of wild animals may lead to patterns that do not necessarily reflect natural conditions.

Examining Intercage Transmission of Chlamydia muridarum : Impact of Barrier Husbandry and Cage Sanitization.

Chlamydia muridarum (Cm) has reemerged as a prevalent bacterial contaminant of academic research mouse colonies. A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of husbandry and cage sanitization methods in preventing intercage transmission of Cm. To assess intercage transmission during cage change, a cage housing 2 Cm-free Swiss Webster (Tac:SW; SW) sentinel mice was placed randomly on each of 12 individually ventilated cage racks, housing cages with Cm-shedding mice, located in 1 of 2 animal holding rooms. Husbandry staff blinded to the study cages, changed all cages in the animal holding rooms weekly using microisolator cage technique. PCR testing performed 180 days post-placement confirmed all mice remained negative for Cm. To assess the effectiveness of cage sanitization to eliminate Cm, we investigated transmission of Cm to a naïve Cm-free SW and NOD.Cg- Prkdc scid Il2rg tm1Wjl /SzJ (NSG) mouse co-housed for 7 days (repeated weekly for 4 weeks) in cages assigned to 1 of 3 groups (n=10 pairs of mice/group). Cages that previously housed 2 Cm-shedding BALB/c mice were either washed in a tunnel washer (82.2°C [180°F] final rinse for an average of 16 seconds per run; n=10) with and without post-washing autoclaving (121°C for 20 minutes; n=10), or were untreated (bedding change only; n=10). Pre- and post-sanitization swabs of each cage were assayed for Cm by PCR. All pre-treatment swabs tested positive, while post-treatment swabs from all cages (excluding bedding change) tested negative. All SW and NSG mice, irrespective of group, remained negative for Cm as determined by PCR. These findings suggest that infectious Cm does not persist in untreated cages nor after mechanical washing with and without autoclaving. Collectively, these findings suggest that neither our husbandry protocols nor inadequate cage sanitization methods likely contributed to the observed prevalence of Cm in contemporary research mouse colonies.

Cage enrichment to minimize aggression in part-time group-housed female breeding rabbits.

In most rabbit farms, breeding does kindle and nurse their kits in single-litter cages throughout their entire reproduction cycle. However, the protective behavior can lead to aggressive displays and injuries when the does are housed in groups. This study aimed to evaluate cage enrichment for reducing the agonistic behavior in part-time group-housed does. A total of eighty does with their 22-day-old kits were allocated to 20 multi-litter cages, with each cage housing four does and their litters for 10 days. Each multi-litter group was subjected to one of four treatments: alfalfa blocks as distraction material (A), wooden panels underneath the platforms (P), both alfalfa and wooden panels (AP), or no extra enrichment (controls, C). This experiment was replicated for three consecutive reproduction cycles. The skin injuries of the does and the kits were scored with a tagged visual analog scale before grouping and at one, three, six, eight, and 10 days after grouping. Computer vision techniques were used to continuously monitor rabbit activity and agonistic behavior (aggression and fleeing/chasing) during the first 24 h after grouping, specifically during light hours. During the first day in the group, 67.2% of the does and 13.4% of the kits acquired new injuries. This increased to 82.0 and 33.2%, respectively after 10 days in the group relative to the onset of grouping. The injury scores of the does increased toward the sixth day after grouping compared to the first (p < 0.001) and were highest on the tenth day for the kits (p < 0.001). On all the observation days, the number of injured does was higher in C compared to A (p = 0.04) and AP treatment (p = 0.005). There were no other treatment effects observed on the doe or kit skin injuries. Rabbit activity was highest after grouping but decreased after the first and second days (p < 0.001). The agonistic interactions between the does involved more fleeing/chasing behavior (62.0%) rather than aggression (38.0%). Although hierarchy fights are likely when unacquainted does are group-housed, the many animals that sustained injuries and the high injury scores confirm that part-time group housing for does is challenging and possibly inevitable. This study has shown that alfalfa, with or without wooden panels, can slightly reduce the number of injured does.

Individual cage housing affects feed intake and induces sex-specific effects on body weight in Japanese quails

Individual cage housing in poultry production could be a potentially stressful environment for the birds that can alter feed intake, consequently induce negative effects on performance. Previous studies used individual bird-based experiments to extract the detailed molecular, physiological, and fitness outcomes of treatments. Understanding sex-specific effects of isolation on social birds such as Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) may reveal important considerations. To understand this phenomenon, birds were kept in groups of 10 for one week and they were kept in individual cages for another week. Daily feed intake (DFI) was measured each day and body weight was measured at the beginning, middle, and end of group rearing and at the beginning and end of individual rearing. It was found that both males and females showed a reduction DFI in response to individual rearing (p&lt;0.0001). Females consumed on average 29.38% higher amount of feed than males. Additionally, females showed a pronounced reduction in body weight after isolation, while the effect on males was not significant. Similarly, females had on average 17.61% higher body weight than males. The body weight to DFI ratio was higher in males than females. The finding of this research revealed an important implication of isolation and sex differences.

Evaluation of a Novel Battery-Operated Tumbler Device for Use in the Detection of Mouse Pathogens for Rodent Health Monitoring.

The search for alternatives to live animal sentinels in rodent health monitoring programs is fundamental to the 3Rs (Reduction, Replacement, and Refinement) of animal research. We evaluated the efficacy of a novel battery-operated tumbler device that rotates soiled bedding in direct contact with sample media against the use of exhaust sample media and soiled bedding sentinel (SBS) mice. Four rodent racks were used, each with 3 test cages: a cage with a tumbler device that rotated for 10min twice a week (TUM10), a cage with a tumbler device that rotated for 60min twice a week (TUM60), and a cage housing 2 female Crl:CD1(ICR) mice. Every 2 wk, each test cage received soiled bedding collected from all cages on each respective rack. In addition to soiled bedding, the tumbler device contained various sample collection media: a contact Reemay filter (3mo-cRF) that remained in the tumbler for the duration of the study, a contact Reemay filter (1mo-cRF) that was replaced monthly, adhesive swabs (AS) that were added at every biweekly cage change, and an exhaust Reemay filter located at the exhaust outlet of the cage. All analyses were performed by direct PCR for both sample media in the animal-free methods, and fecal pellet, body swab, and oral swabs were collected from sentinel mice. Out of 16 total pathogens detected, assessment of 1mo-Crf from both TUM10 and TUM60 cages detected 84% and 79% of pathogens, respectively, while SBS samples detected only 47% of pathogens. AS in TUM60 and TUM10 cages detected the fewest pathogens (24% and 13%, respectively). These results indicate that the novel tumbler device is an effective and reliable tool for rodent health monitoring programs and a suitable replacement for live animal sentinels. In this study, 1mo-cRF in TUM10 cages detected the highest number of pathogens.

A Novel Mouse Model of Physical Inactivity to Study the Role of Mitochondria in Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disorder marked by a decline in kidney function. It is thought that a decline in mitochondrial function likely contributes to the pathogenesis of CKD, but the detailed mechanisms remain unclear. This gap in knowledge is contributed by a lack of a murine CKD model that does not rely on injury, toxin, or gene deletion to induce reduced kidney function. In humans, obesity and sedentary behavior strongly contribute to the development of CKD. The aim of the study was to employ small mouse cage (SMC) housing, a novel mouse physical inactivity model that was recently developed in our lab, and test whether it can be used to reliably induce CKD in mice. Wildtype C57BL6J mice were given standard chow or Western high-fat diet (HFD) with or without SMC intervention for 24 weeks to examine the effects of HFD and SMC on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and respiration on isolated mitochondria from kidney cortex. Although the GFR values of the HFD+SMC group trended higher than other groups, the kidney function was still considered to be normal. Neither HFD nor HFD+SMC group had developed CKD, but mitochondrial respiration of SMC+HFD (1512.64 ± 77.86 pmol·sec−1·mgprotein−1) was significantly greater than that of the HFD-only group (1307.82 ± 79.08 pmol·sec−1·mgprotein−1, p = 0.0017) or the standard chow group (1104.69 ±143.12 pmol·sec−1·mgprotein−1, p = 0.0314. One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test for multiple comparisons). Increased mitochondrial respiration may suggest a hyperfiltration-induced stress response, as commonly observed in the early stages of CKD in humans, and/or an increase in respiration to compensate for reduced effciency of oxidative phosphorylation. We interpret these data to mean that HFD and HFD+SMC are beginning to show adaptations that are in an early phase of CKD development. However, this model requires further optimization to yield the CKD phenotype. Therefore, we intend to further adapt the intervention to induce symptomatic CKD. We envision that developing preclinical models of CKD will help better elucidate its molecular mechanism and identify therapeutic targets for treating CKD in human patients. DK107397, DK127979. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

The Mineral Profile of the Keel Bone of Laying Hens in Alternative and Cage Housing Systems

The Mineral Profile of the Keel Bone of Laying Hens in Alternative and Cage Housing Systems

Condition of legs of female chicks at cage housing

Condition of legs of female chicks at cage housing

Double-decker cage reduces mount frequency and ejaculation latency, resulting in reduced weight loss in male rats after mating behavior.

Rats were the first mammals to be domesticated for scientific research, and abundant physiological data are available on them. Rats are expected to continue to play an important role as experimental animals, especially with advancements such as CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Environmental enrichment aims to promote species-specific behaviors and psychological well-being. In the present study, we designed a double-decker (DD) cage, which utilizes two stacked plastic cages for rat enrichment, and investigated the influence of housing in the DD cage on rat mating behavior. The results indicated that mount frequency, total mount counts, and total ejaculation latency were significantly lower in the DD cages than in the single-decker (SD) cages. Notably, in the DD cages, the body weight loss of male rats after mating behavior was lower than that observed in the SD cage. Water consumption per day during mating behavior was also significantly lower in the DD cages, although no significant differences were observed in daily food intake during mating behavior. In addition, reproductive performance, including pregnancy rate and birth rate, did not change in the DD cages. In summary, our study demonstrated that DD cages reduce mount frequency and ejaculation latency during rat mating, resulting in decreased water consumption and weight loss in male rats. Therefore, housing in DD cages may serve as a beneficial enrichment for rats.

Influence of organic and cage housing system on egg quality in laying hens

Abstract Most of the eggs for consumption are produced in a conventional housing system although the demand for organic eggs is increasing because consumers assume better nutritional characteristics. This study was conducted to compare the quality of organic eggs and enriched cage eggs. A total of 409 organic eggs and 385 eggs from hens housed in enriched cages were directly collected from 15 different farms, located in Spain and were analyzed within 4 days after laying. The differences in quality by removing the time bias that can be caused by marketing time were thus determined. All the hens were of three different lines, 47–50 weeks old and consumed commercial feed with the same nutritional composition. The quality traits evaluated were egg weight (EW g), egg shape index (SI), shell thickness (ST), shell percentage (SP), Haugh units (HU), dense albumen percentage (DAP), total albumen percentage (TAP), yolk color (YC), yolk percentage (YP), Roche scale (RS), moisture (M), ash content (AC), total protein (TP), total yolk carotenoids (TYC), total fat (TF), saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFA). Estimates of differences were obtained by generalized least squares using housing system, genetic line and their interaction as factors. Significant differences were observed for EW (65.3 vs 62.9), SI (77.60 vs 76.10), HU (83.60 vs 81.80), TAP (66.5 vs 64.17), YC (3.11 vs 1.89), RS (11.79 vs 9.48), TP (9.99 vs 8.55), TYC (4.188 vs 2.650), SFA (32.20 vs 30.00) and MFA (53.40 vs 44.20) in favor of the enriched cage system. In the organic system, the quality parameters that had higher and significant values were ST (0.34 vs 0.32), SP (10.52 vs 9.41), YP (25.20 vs 24.30), AC (1.12 vs 0.93) and PFA (26.00 vs 14.00). Significant interactions between the housing system and the hen line followed the same pattern observed for fixed effects. Organic eggs were lighter, less rounded with better shell quality and therefore showed lower Haugh unit values and a lower albumen percentage. Total protein, total fat, and lipid profile were within the usual average values for commercial eggs, although the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for consumers, was higher in organic eggs.

Effects of housing systems and laying phases on external and internal egg quality characteristics of indigenous guinea fowl hens.

The study investigated the effect of housing system and laying phases on the internal and external qualities of guinea fowl eggs laid in three different housing systems. The trial involved the use of 117, 34-wk-old guinea fowl hens which were assigned to three housing types, which were battery cages, deep litter, and deep litter housing systems with free runs, which had the same dimensions as deep litter houses but with free run and open-air space to allow the birds to have free access to soil and exhibit natural behavior. The laying phases of the birds were partitioned into three (36 to 40, 41 to 45, and 46 to 50wk of age). The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using a 2×3 factorial design. The findings demonstrated that both housing type and laying period significantly influenced egg quality parameters, with deep litter housing exhibiting higher egg weight, egg breadth, and shell surface area. Battery cage housing had thicker shells and a higher percentage of shell weight than total egg weight. As the birds aged, most parameters increased, while shell thickness decreased. The interaction between housing type and laying period played a crucial role, with egg weight, breadth, and egg shape index increasing as the birds aged. The shell thickness decreased as the laying period progressed across all housing systems. During the 40 to 45wk period of lay, they exhibited the highest albumen height, haugh unit, and % yolk weight. The study's findings highlight how the interaction between the housing system and the laying period impacted the internal quality of guinea fowl eggs.

Sociotechnical characterization of quail farming in the autonomous district of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

The present study was conducted among 100 poultry farmers through a formal survey from July to December 2021 in the autonomous district of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire). With no information on quail farming organization, the objective was to understand the social and technical characteristics. It appears that the municipality of Bingerville has a significantly higher difference than the other municipalities (p &lt; 0.05), unlike Marcory, which has the lowest rate of farms. Quail farming consists of 8% nationals and 92% non-nationals, with 89.8% men and 10.2% women, of which those in the age group of 30 to 45 years account for 65.31% (p &lt; 0.01). The age groups of 45 years and above, and 20 to 30 years represent 18.37% and 10.20%, respectively. Among the 98% educated quail farmers, 48.98% have a higher education level, 38.78% have a secondary level, and 10.20% have a primary level. As for quail farming experience, 71.43% have less than 3 years, 14.29% have between 3 and 6 years, and over 6 years. Furthermore, the farms are of mono-specific type (14.29%) and plurispecific type (85.71%) with cage housing (72.45%) and floor housing (27.55%). The quails, originating from hatcheries (8.16%) or purchased (91.84%), are managed in single flocks (85.71%) or multiple flocks (14.29%) for the purpose of reproduction (97.96%) or meat production (14.29%). Quail farming is practiced by all populations with diversified techniques in the district.

ANTIBODY TITERS AGAINST NEWCASTLE DISEASE AND INFECTIOUS BRONCHITIS VIRUSES IN BROILER BREEDERS RAISED UNDERFLOOR VERSUS CAGE SYSTEM

The experiment was evaluated to find out the serum antibody titer of broiler breeders raised under different rearing systems (cage vs. floor) against Newcastle disease virus and infectious bronchitis disease virus. Two hundred and forty-day-old broiler breeders were equally divided into six groups Floor (V+CH), (V+Not CH) and (Not V+CH) and cage (V+CH), (V+Not CH), and (Not V+CH). Birds were vaccinated with Mukteswar, La Sota, and Massachusetts M41 in 1st week, 3rd week, and 4th week. Blood /serum samples were collected at 42 days of age. Collected data were analyzed by using a complete randomized design. The geometric mean titer (GMT) for Newcastle disease virus (NDV) of broiler breeders reared under floor versus cage housing system was measured by using the hem agglutination inhibition test and the defensive potentiality of vaccines was measured by determining the survivability rate of chickens by challenge infection. Birds vaccinated and virus-challenged showed a protective antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus in both housing systems. Significantly higher GMT was recorded for the non-vaccinated group having virus-challenged in cage female (9.76 ±0.34) and floor female (9.94 ±0.23). Protective antibody titer was calculated for broiler breeders who were regularly vaccinated. There were no significant differences (P≥0.05) observed in the cage versus floor housing system. Higher serum antibody titer in caged females (9.22±0.36) and floor (8.98±0.32) was calculated due to infection challenges. Morbidity and mortality were significantly affected by the cage and floor-rearing system. Frequencies of diseased birds and mortality were found higher on the floor compared to cages in the non-vaccinated group. Despite the regular vaccination sick female broiler breeders were found higher compared to cage broiler breeders. In the non-vaccinated group floor reared birds have a higher percentage of morbidity and mortality compared to cages. In conclusion cage and floor-rearing systems have no adverse effect on serum antibody titer and survivability of broiler breeders.