Plymouth Rock Research Articles

The Effects of Strain and Caponisation on Carcass and Meat Traits of Cockerels Aged Twenty Weeks

Abstract The analysis of slaughter yield and meat quality was performed on a total number of 96 birds from four medium-heavy weight pedigree strains. Based on their strain, cockerels were divided into the following groups: group I - strain N88 (originating from New Hampshire), group II - strain R55 (Rhode Island Red), group III - strain S11 (Sussex) and group IV - strain P55 (Plymouth Rock). Each group consisted of 24 birds. At 12 weeks of age, half of the cockerels from each group was caponised. In total, 48 birds were caponised (12 birds in each strain). Based on the strain, capons were then divided into groups V (N88), VI (R55), VII (S11) and VIII (P55). It was noted that the strain and caponisation had influence on differences in such traits as the weight of eviscerated carcass with neck and slaughter yield. On the other hand, it was observed that caponisation did not affect significantly the total weight, percentage share of breast and drumstick muscles in carcasses of birds from analysed strains. No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of physicochemical properties of meat. The highest content of water in breast and drumstick muscles was observed among cockerels and capons from strain N88 (groups I and V). Protein content in cockerels’ breast muscles differed depending on their strain whilst among capons (groups V-VIII) it was similar. It was also noted that capons originating from strains S11 (VII) and P55 (VIII) stood out significantly with higher fat content in breast muscles compared to cockerels from the same strain (groups III and IV). The effect of caponisation on higher fat content in drumstick muscles was confirmed in all observed groups. Capons from all strains had more fat in drumstick muscles compared to cockerels of the same origin.

Comparisons of bone properties and keel deformities between strains and housing systems in end-of-lay hens

Susceptibility of caged layers to osteoporosis and cage layer fatigue has generated interest in newer housing systems that favor increased load-bearing activities. However, high incidences of fractures incurred during lay period have been reported in these newer systems. This study is aimed at determining the housing and strain effects on bone properties: dry weight, percentage ash content, cortical density (CBD), cortical thickness (CBT), and keel bone deformities. Tibia, femur, and keel from Hy-Line Brown (HB), Hy-Line Silver Brown (SB), and Barred Plymouth Rock (BR) hens housed in conventional cages (CC), cage-free (CF), and cage-free with range (outdoor access; R) were studied. At 78 wk, 60 hens from each strain and housing system combination were euthanized and bones were excised for analysis. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) was used to measure CBD and CBT in each bone. Three-dimensional images of keels were generated from software using QCT scans to analyze the deformities. Tibiae CBT was greater (P < 0.01) in BR compared to other two strains. Between housing systems, CBT was greater (P < 0.05) for mid and distal tibia of R and CF compared to CC. Tibiae and femoral cortex were denser (P < 0.05) in BR compared to HB and SB. There was no effect of housing system for femur CBD, but CBD was greater (P < 0.05) for middle and distal tibia of birds housed in R compared to CC. CBD for keel bone was greater (P < 0.05) in CF and R birds compared to CC birds. The housing system did not influence the dry bone weight and ash percentage of tibiae and femur. Each housing system was associated with high prevalence (>90%) of keel deformities and the housing and genotype influenced the type of deformity. These findings indicate that range and cage-free housing may have beneficial impact on tibia and keel bone integrity compared to conventional cages but the improvement may not be sufficient to prevent fractures or deformities of keel.

The Effect of Hen Breeds on the Egg Response to the Non Destructive Impact

The paper deals with the evaluation of the effect of hen breed on the egg response to the non-destructive impact. The eggs of four hen breeds (Leghorn White, Rhode Island Red, Bar Plymouth Rock and Sussex Light) were tested. An experimental system was set up to generate the impact force, measure the response wave signal, and analyse the frequency spectrum in the three direction of loading (sharp end, equator, blunt end). The egg dynamic resonance frequency was obtained through the analysis of the dynamically measured frequency response of an egg excited by light impact of a bar. The results showed that the dominant frequency was significantly affected by the hen bread and not significantly affected by excitation velocity. The dominant frequency enables to estimate the eggshell strength under quasi static compression.

Difference in fatty acid composition and related nutritional indices of meat between two lines of slow-growing chickens slaughtered at different ages

Abstract. The fatty acid profile and the related indices of the nutritional quality of breast and thigh muscles were studied in two lines of chickens – La Belle (LB) and White Plymouth Rock (WPR) – slaughtered at the age of 9 and 18 weeks. The fatty acid profile was more affected by the age than the line of the birds; however, the influence of both differed between the breast and thigh. The content of total saturated fatty acids (SFAs) increased in the thigh (P &lt; 0.01), while that of the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) decreased with age in both muscles (P &lt; 0.001). This corresponded to the significant decrease in C18:1 in the older chickens and the lower desaturase activity (P &lt; 0.001). The contents of C20:4n-6, C22:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 and the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in breast were higher (P &lt; 0.001) at the age of 18 weeks. A similar pattern in the individual and total PUFA was observed in the thighs. The effect of line was more visible in the breast, leading to a lower C14:0 content and C20:5n-3 and a higher C18:0 content in the WPR chickens (P &lt; 0.001), corresponding to the higher elongase and thioesterase indices in these birds. Both atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI) indices were lowered, while the ratio of hypocholesterolemic ∕ hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (h ∕ H) and polyunsaturated ∕ saturated fatty acids (P ∕ S) increased in the breast of the birds at 18 weeks. In breast and thigh meat, the ratio of n-6 ∕ n-3 PUFA decreased in the older chickens (P &lt; 0.001).

Composition of meat in La Belle and White Plymouth Rock chickens, slaughtered at different age

Composition of meat in La Belle and White Plymouth Rock chickens, slaughtered at different age

Immigration Forum Comment: Foreign Relations and Migration

In the fall of 2015, a great debate began taking shape internationally and in the United States over how to reconcile foreign-policy interests, national security concerns, and a response to a profound refugee crisis emerging in Europe as a result of the conflict in Syria. World leaders vacillated, demagogues pontificated, and social media memes employed bad historical analogies to shame fellow citizens into action. Despite the sudden urgency, the arguments blasting from twenty-four-hour news stations and ill-drawn cartoons depicting seventeenth-century pilgrims as forlorn refugees given safe harbor by Native Americans at Plymouth Rock did not represent a new line of thinking in the longer history of international migration management. The public is once again debating how to balance humanitarianism against fear, and which sentiment should play the greater role in governing the decision to admit new migrants. As the papers in this forum ably show, policies, procedures, and perspectives on migration have always had an international-relations component that can trump the local concerns that often dominate domestic debates.

Automated behavioural response assessment to a feeding event in two heritage chicken breeds

Video was recorded for three consecutive days for two pens each of two breeds of heritage chickens, Rhode Island Red (RIR) and Barred Plymouth Rock (BPR) (34 birds/pen), before and following a feeding event. The feeding event occurred when a technician entered the pen to refill the food trough at 08:00 daily. Changes in overall activity were assessed using a software-based automated quantitative method, and changes in mobility, resting, comfort and feeding behaviour were scored manually. With the software method, activity was determined for 30min pre- and post-feeding event, and was defined as the percent pixel change of the total arena per 30s (a change in one pixel indicated a change in the use of an area of ∼0.69cm2). Video recordings were also scan-sampled by a human observer every 30s for 15min pre- and post-feeding event, and behaviours were scored according to an ethogram. The ethogram data tended to support the findings of the automated analysis. Activity levels increased before and were at their highest following the feeding event. Breed differences were apparent, as BPR were more active but reduced activity faster than RIR. Resting, ground pecking and comfort behaviour were decreased post-feeding event for both breeds. Feather pecking was more prominent in RIR, but did not differ before or after the feeding event. In this study we have shown that an automated, software-based behavioural assessment method can be applied to chickens, and it is capable of detecting subtle changes in activity. In future, use of such an automated method has application in production systems in its ability to serve as an early warning system of health concerns by finding deviations from baseline activity.

Very Virulent Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Produces More-Severe Disease and Lesions in Specific-Pathogen-Free (SPF) Leghorns Than in SPF Broiler Chickens.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is an important pathogen of chickens causing negative economic impacts in poultry industries worldwide. IBDV has a variable range of virulence, with very virulent (vvIBDV) strains being responsible for the greatest losses from mortality and decreased performance. Previous vvIBDV studies using conventional broilers reported resistance to lethal effects and decreased performance as compared to specific-pathogen-free (SPF) layers, but the potential contribution of the conventional vs. SPF status to resistance has not been examined. In this study we compared differences in the acute pathologic effects of infection by the California rA strain of vvIBDV for SPF white leghorn egg-laying chickens and SPF white Plymouth Rock broiler chickens over a 7-day experimental period. Based on the clinical signs and mortality observed, as well as on themore-severe pathologic changes in lymphoid tissues and kidneys, white leghorns were shown to be more susceptible to thedeleterious effects of vvIBDV infection than were white Plymouth Rocks. This study provides important information on theimpact of chicken breed on susceptibility to vvIBDV and the absence of impact from conventional vs. SPF status on the outcome.

MHC variability in heritage breeds of chickens

The chicken Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is very strongly associated with disease resistance and thus is a very important region of the chicken genome. Historically, MHC (B locus) has been identified by the use of serology with haplotype specific alloantisera. These antisera can be difficult to produce and frequently cross-react with multiple haplotypes and hence their application is generally limited to inbred and MHC-defined lines. As a consequence, very little information about MHC variability in heritage chicken breeds is available. DNA-based methods are now available for examining MHC variability in these previously uncharacterized populations. A high density SNP panel consisting of 101 SNP that span a 230,000 bp region of the chicken MHC was used to examine MHC variability in 17 heritage populations of chickens from five universities from Canada and the United States. The breeds included 6 heritage broiler lines, 3 Barred Plymouth Rock, 2 New Hampshire and one each of Rhode Island Red, Light Sussex, White Leghorn, Dark Brown Leghorn, and 2 synthetic lines. These heritage breeds contained from one to 11 haplotypes per line. A total of 52 unique MHC haplotypes were found with only 10 of them identical to serologically defined haplotypes. Furthermore, nine MHC recombinants with their respective parental haplotypes were identified. This survey confirms the value of these non-commercially utilized lines in maintaining genetic diversity. The identification of multiple MHC haplotypes and novel MHC recombinants indicates that diversity is being generated and maintained within these heritage populations.

Effect of Chrysactinia mexicana Gray Extract on Laying Hens Organs Challenged with Salmonella typhimurium

Introduction: Backyard poultry production systems are a very important source of meat and egg protein especially for children in rural areas. Aim: Evaluate the biocide effect of Chrysactinia mexicana Gray extract on laying hens organs challenged with Salmonella typhimurium. Study Design: In vitro and in vivo testing. Original Research Article Garcia-Lopez et al.; JALSI, 5(1): 1-8, 2016; Article no.JALSI.24672 2 Methodology: Two trials were conducted. In the first trial an in vitro experiment was performed with different solvents: aqueous, methylene chloride, ethanol and hexane for the plant extraction. Bactericide effect was determined. The second trial was an in vivo experiment 24 Plymouth Rock Barred hens, 21 weeks old (6 hens/treatment) were used with the following treatments: T1 control, no challenge and no plant extract; T2 control with challenge; T3 challenge and ethanol extract of C. mexicana and; T4 challenge and antibiotic. Colony Forming Units (CFU) of S. typhimurium in gizzard, ceca, crop and duodenum contents was measured. Results: Bactericide assessment of C. mexicana with different solvent extracts resulted effective against S. typhimurium on concentrations between 20 and 25 mg/ml of extract. Ethanol extract has higher bactericide activity. Feed intake, total weight gain and final body weight was higher for T1 among the other treatments. Treatment 2 had the lowest trait performance. T3 and T4 had similar feed intake, total weight gain and final body weight response. The control group had lower CFU for crop, gizzard, ceca and duodenum compared with the other treatments. The highest content of CFU for all four organs was for the T2. The treatment challenged with S. typhimurium and C. mexicana extract had lower CFU for the organs than T2. Treatment challenged and with antibiotic showed better CFU counts than T3. Conclusion: C. mexicana extract had a beneficial effect both in vitro and in vivo trials.

Effects of the origin and caponisation on carcass and meat traits in cockerels and capons aged 18 weeks

The aim of the present research was to evaluate the effect of the origin and caponisation on selected slaughter traits and quality indicators of meat in cockerels and capons of strains N88 (New Hampshire), R55 (Rhode Island Red), S11 (Sussex), and P55 (Plymouth Rock). The slaughter yield, breast muscle weight, percentage share of muscles in total in the carcasses, and fatness in general did not differ between the cockerels and capons within the evaluated strains. The trait that mostly distinguished cockerels from capons of strain N88 was the weight of leg muscles. Similarly, the fat content of carcasses expressed with the weight and percentage share of the skin with subcutaneous fat and abdominal fat did not differ between the evaluated groups of cockerels and capons. However, the weight of the leg muscles varied depending on the origin of cockerels and capons. As for the physiochemical properties of meat as well as its chemical composition, no significant differences were recorded in 18-week-old birds. The only obvious effect of the origin and caponisation was found on varied contents of fat in breast muscles in cockerels of strains N88 and P55, and capons of strain P55.

芦花鸡中脂肪酸分析

为评价芦花鸡引进宁波放养后鸡肉、蛋中的脂肪酸的特点，试验以27种常见脂肪酸为标样，应用GC-MS法脂肪酸进行相对含量测定和种类分析。结果表明，芦花公鸡鸡肉含有23种脂肪酸，母鸡肉中脂肪酸25种，芦花鸡蛋含有标样定性的27种脂肪酸。鸡肉脂肪酸种类主要以不饱和脂肪酸为主，其中芦花公鸡肉不饱和脂肪酸相对含量为54.06%、母鸡肉为58.38%、鸡蛋不饱和脂肪酸含量为64.28%。所含脂肪酸中软脂酸占芦花鸡肉和鸡蛋中相对含量最高，芦花公鸡为30.23%、母鸡为29.69%、芦花鸡蛋为28.66%；芦花鸡蛋中含有人体必需的亚麻酸及亚油酸，相对含量均占15.73%。本研究为居民芦花鸡的消费提供了参考。 Ningbo stocking chicken is introduced for the evaluation of Luhua chicken, egg fatty acid test to 27 kinds of common fatty acids as the standard sample, the fatty acid by GC-MS method for determi-nation of relative content and species analysis. Results have been shown that Aloe Chicken Rooster contains 23 kinds of fatty acids, hen meat fatty acid 25, barred egg containing standard qualitative 27 kinds of fatty acids. The fatty acids of chicken were mainly unsaturated fatty acids. The relative content of unsaturated fatty acid in barred Plymouth Rock cock meat is 54.06%, hen meat 58.38, eggs 64.28%. The relative content of palmitic acid was the highestin Luhua chicken and eggs; barred Plymouth Rock cock was 30.23%, hen for 29.69%, barred egg 28.66%; barred egg contains essential linolenic acid and linoleic acid and relative contents were accounted for 15.73%. This study provides a reference for the residents consumption Luhua chicken.

Association of Chicken Fatty Acid Desaturase 1 and 2 Gene Single- Nucleotide Polymorphisms with the Fatty Acid Composition of Thigh Meat in Japanese Hinai-dori Crossbred Chickens

Hinai-jidori chicken, a cross between Hinai-dori (a breed native to Akita Prefecture, Japan) sires and Rhode Island Red dams, is a popular chicken brand in Japan. We previously reported that a high arachidonic acid (ARA) content is a characteristic feature of Hinai-jidori chicken and demonstrated that chicken meat with higher ARA contents had a much better taste perception than that with low ARA contents using Hinai-jidori and broiler chickens. To investigate the genes affecting fatty acid profiles, including ARA, in Hinai-jidori chicken, we genotyped polymorphisms of the fatty acid desaturase 1 and 2 (FADS1 and FADS2) genes and investigated their association with the fatty acid profile in Hinai-jidori meat. 5′-flanking regions, all the exons, and 3′-untranslated regions of the FADS1 and FADS2 genes in three chicken breeds, i.e., Hinai-dori, Rhode Island Red, and White Plymouth Rock, were amplified via PCR, after which their nucleotides were sequenced and SNPs were identified. Of the 71 and 46 SNPs found in the FADS1 and FADS2 genes, respectively, two SNPs were chosen from each gene, and their associations with fatty acid profiles of Hinai-jidori meat were analyzed. Hinai-jidori female chickens hatched on the same day and reared under identical environmental conditions for the same duration were used in this study. In each SNP of FADS1 and FADS2, the ARA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) compositions were significantly higher in the G than in the A allele, respectively. Moreover, an association of FADS1 and FADS2 haplotypes with the fatty acid composition was observed. For example, the ARA and DHA composition of the G-G-haplotype were significantly higher than those of the A-A-haplotype. Thus, we concluded that SNPs in the FADS1 and FADS2 gene cluster are useful to increase ARA and DHA, and can be used to develop strategies for improving the taste of Hinai-jidori chicken.

Effect of a Plant Extract in Several Traits of Plymouth Rock Barred Hens and Pullets Challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium in a Rural Village in Central Mexico

The effect of Chrysactinia mexicana Gray extract on poultry challenged with Salmonella typhimurium, was evaluated: 1) The aim of the survey was to understand the status quo of backyard poultry production in a rural area, 2). A field study with forty Plymouth Rock Barred Laying hens were used to test the effects of C. mexicana, and 3) 160 day old Plymouth Rock Barred pullets, were assigned to: T1 control; T2 control + S. typhimurium challenge; T3 control + S. typhimurium + C. mexicana; and T4 control + S. typhimurium + antibiotic. Crop, gizzard, proventriculus and duodenum colony forming units (CFU) were measured, and leukocyte and erythrocyte counts. In addition, weight gain and feed intake was measured. The liver, bursa, thymus and spleen were weighed. Results show that 75% of farmers in the community have hens. The main diseases in their fowl: respiratory 45%; diarrhea 35% and parasites 20%. 90% of farmers have no access to veterinary services. Results from the field study show differences (P 0.05) for the C. mexicana and antibiotic treatments. Leukocyte and erythrocyte counts were lower (P

Expression of lipases and lipid receptors in sperm storage tubules and possible role of fatty acids in sperm survival in the hen oviduct

The aim of this study was to determine the role of fatty acids for sperm survival in the sperm storage tubules (SSTs) of the hen oviduct. The mucosa tissues of uterovaginal junction (UVJ) of White Leghorn laying hens with or without artificial insemination using semen from Barred Plymouth Rock roosters were collected. The lipid density in the epithelium of UVJ and SST was analyzed by Sudan black B staining. The expressions of genes encoding lipid receptors and lipases were assayed by polymerase chain reaction in UVJ mucosa and SST cells isolated by laser microdissection. Fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography, and sperm were cultured with or without the identified predominant fatty acids for 24 hours to examine their effect on sperm viability. The lipid droplets were localized in the epithelium of UVJ mucosa and SSTs. The expression of genes encoding very low–density lipoprotein receptor(VLDLR), low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), and fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) were found in SST cells. Expression of genes encoding endothelial lipase (EL), lipase H (LIPH), adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were found in UVJ. In contrast, only ATGL was found in SST cells, and its expression was significantly upregulated after artificial insemination. In UVJ mucosal tissues, five fatty acids, namely myristic acid (C14), palmitic acid (C16), stearic acid (C18), oleic acid (C18:1n9), and linoleic acid (C18:2n6), were identified as predominant fatty acids. The viability of sperm cultured with 1 mM oleic acid or linoleic acid was significantly higher than the sperm in the control culture without fatty acids. These results suggest that lipids in the SST cells may be degraded by ATGL, and fatty acids including oleic acid and linoleic acid may be released into the SST lumen to support sperm survival.

An SNP in Exon 11 of Chicken 5′-AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Gamma 3 Subunit Gene was Associated with Meat Water Holding Capacity

ABSTRACTThe 5′-Adenosine-monophosphate -activated protein kinase plays a key role in regulating cellular energy homeostasis, and it was reported that nucleotide variants in the genes coding the protein were associated with meat quality. In the present study, genetic variations in the exons of gamma non-catalytic subunit genes of the protein kinase were screened among 284 White Plymouth Rock chickens from 7 families with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, and their meat quality traits including drip loss and cooked meat rate which reflect water holding capacity and serum biochemical indices were also measured, and the association between the genotypes and the traits was analyzed with a SAS GLM procedure. Our results showed that there were three G/A nucleotide variants including one in exon 6 of the gamma subunit 2 gene and two in exon 11 of the gamma subunit 3 gene, which resulted in amino acid substitutions V150I, V315 M, and A337 T, respectively. And locus V315 M was associated with water holding capacity significantly (P < 0.05). The studied polymorphic locus has the potential to be used as a genetic marker for poultry breeding work.

Genetic parameters for egg production traits in purebred and hybrid chicken in a tropical environment

Genetic parameters were estimated for 5 economically important egg production traits using records collected over 9 years in chickens reared under tropical conditions in Thailand. The data were from two purebred lines and two hybrid lines of layer parent stocks.The two purebred lines were Rhode Island Red (RIR) and White Plymouth Rock (WPR) and the hybrid lines were formed by crossing a commercial brown egg laying strain to Rhode Island Red (RC) and White Plymouth Rock (WC), respectively.Five egg production traits were analysed, including age at first egg (AFE), body weight at first egg (BWT), egg weight at first egg (EWFE), number of eggs from the first 17 weeks of lay (EN) and average egg weight over the 17th week of lay (EW).Fixed effects of year and hatch within year were significant for all 5 traits and were included in the model.Maternal genetic and permanent environmental effects of the dam were not significant, except for EN and EW in RIR and BWT and EW in WPR.Estimated heritability of AFE, BWT, EWFE, EN and EW were 0.45, 0.50, 0.29, 0.19 and 0.43 in RIR; 0.44, 0.38, 0.33, 0.20 and 0.38 in WPR; 0.37, 0.41, 0.38, 0.18 and 0.36 in RC; and 0.46, 0.53, 0.36, 0.38 and 0.45 in WC lines, respectively.The EN was negatively correlated with other traits, except for BWT in RC and AFE and BWT in WC.It was concluded that selection for increased EN will reduce other egg production traits in purebred and hybrid chicken and therefore EN needs to be combined with other egg production traits in a multi-trait selection index to improve all traits optimally according to a defined breeding objective.

MspI-polymorphism in fourth intron of the growth hormone gene in chicken populations of different breeds: Analysis of the causes of additional restriction pattern origin

The MspI-polymorphism in the fourth intron of the growth hormone gene in populations of White Plymouth Rock, Poltava Clay, Rhode Island Red and Borkovskaya Barvistaya chicken breeds was studied. It is shown that in all examined chicken populations the growth hormone gene is polymorphic. It was found that the presence of "additional" phenotype (restriction pattern) is not associated with duplication of the growth hormone gene. The possibility of formation of heteroduplex DNA of two different types in the course of amplification of heterozygous samples B/C, containing the site 'CCGG', which leads to formation the additional DNA fragment which do not contain the site 'CCGG', was described. The nucleotide sequences of alleles A, B, C and "additional" fragment is described. Frequencies of alleles A, B and C in chicken population of White Plymouth Rock breed were 0.56; 0.16 and 0.28; Poltava Clay--0.10; 0.07 and 0.83; Rhode Island Red--0.27; 0.31 and 0.42; Borkovskaya Barvistaya--0.75; 0.08 and 0.17 respectively.

The Plymouth Rock of the American West: Remembering, Forgetting, and Becoming American in Utah

This paper examines how Utah’s 1947 This Is The Place Monument functioned in two contradictory ways: First, it confirmed the Mormon narrative of their entry into the Salt Lake Valley as a mythic narrative about a chosen people entering into their promised land. Second, it reinforced Mormonism as one among many traditions participating in the civil religion of Utah and the American West. In its exploration of these contradictory impulses, the paper examines the intersections of historical memory and the creation of sacred space.

Book Review: Peter Gardella: American Civil Religion: What Americans Hold Sacred

The idea that nationalism and national history can rise to the level of sacred significance has been around since the 1960s when Robert Bellah named it ‘‘civil religion.’’ In his new book, Peter Gardella adds needed richness and detail to Bellah’s concept by systematically describing the monuments, artifacts, texts, songs, images, and places that actually constitute civil religion in the United States. In its particularities, the book is largely oriented toward history and description, although the goal in view is always to add texture to this classic concept in the study of religion. The first chapter introduces the concept of civil religion, mentions several examples of civil religion in the US, and briefly uses the history of (what came to be known as) the Liberty Bell to outline seven phases of America’s civil religion. Those phases are the colonial (or primal) phase, the revolutionary (or classical) phase, the national (or continental) phase, the sacrificial phase (during the Civil War era), the imperial phase (from reconstruction through World War I), the global phase (from the 1930s through the war in Vietnam), and finally a multicultural phase. From there, Gardella presents the elements of American civil religion in a series of 32 short chapters. The topics covered are quite exhaustive, ranging from Jamestown and Plymouth Rock and even the very word ‘‘America’’ to Disney Parks and the 9/11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan. Five patriotic songs each receive their own chapters, as do the flag, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Washington Monument, Arlington National Cemetery, and the speeches of MLK