Kidd named head of poultry science department

Fall 2007
Volume 1 Issue 3
Kidd named head of poultry science department
MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Michael T. Kidd
has assumed duties as head of Mississippi
State University’s Department of Poultry Science.
Kidd, whose experience includes both university and industry research, suc- “Poultry is an important
ceeds
Wallace part of the Mississippi
Morgan, who re- economy, and Dr. Kidd
has a proven record of
tired in June.
teaching and research in
“We are fortusupport of the industry.”
nate to have a person with his aca— Vance Watson
Vice President, Division of
demic and indusAgriculture, Forestry and
try experience,”
Veterinary Medicine
said Vance Watson, vice president
of the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and
Veterinary Medicine. “Poultry is an important
part of the Mississippi economy, and Dr.
Kidd has a proven record of teaching and
research in support of the industry.”
An Arkansas native, Kidd earned
his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at
the University of Arkansas in poultry
science. His doctorate is from
North Carolina State University,
with a major concentration in
nutrition and a minor in im-
munology.
Kidd has been a member of the MSU poultry science faculty since 1999. His industry
experience
includes five years
as research manager and research
director with Nutri
-Quest, Inc.
In 2001, Kidd
developed and led
a conference on
nutrition research
that has become
an annual event
for key poultry
industry personnel
in Mississippi. He
also has been active in curriculum development.
“As a commodity department, we exist for
our students and to assist a highly competitive
and profitable poultry industry in our
state. We focus on educating and training our
students to become future leaders in the poultry industry,” Kidd said. “At MSU they have
opportunities to participate in research to both
support and improve the industry.”
Discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran’s status is a violation of federal and state law
and MSU policy and will not be tolerated. Discrimination based upon sexual orientation or group affiliation is a violation of MSU policy and will not be tolerated.
Page 2
Poultry Science
Remembering an esteemed professor, Dr. J. Paul Thaxton
Dr. James Paul Thaxton, Jr. passed away in his
home in Starkville on Wednesday, October 17, 2007.
Dr. Thaxton has been a professor in the Poultry Science
Department at Mississippi State University for the last 17 years.
Dr. Thaxton grew up in Starkville and
attended public schools where he excelled
in sports. He also earned the rank of Eagle Scout while in high school. Upon
graduation from high school, he was the
first student from Starkville to go to Ole
Miss on a football scholarship. He later
graduated from MSU where he was a
member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He
also earned a master’s degree at MSU,
followed by a doctorate in animal physiology from the University of Georgia.
After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Thaxton joined the
faculty at North Carolina State University where he
quickly earned the rank of professor and head of the
physiology graduate program. He was also awarded the
Poultry Science Association Research Award.
After leaving NCSU, Dr. Thaxton co-founded Embrex, Inc., the first biotechnology company devoted to
products for the poultry industry. While at Embrex, he
was the author of seven patents and received the Governor of North Carolina’s Award of Entrepreneurial Excellence. After he felt his role at Embrex had been
completed, he returned home to Starkville and joined
the faculty of the Poultry Science Department at MSU.
In his years at MSU, Dr. Thaxton earned the University Alumni Association’s Research Award and was
elected a Fellow in the Poultry Science Association, the
highest honor awarded to poultry scientists. He was also elected to the animal
welfare advisory boards of the American
Humane Society, Kentucky Fried Chicken
(YUM, Foods, Inc.) and the Federated
Animal Science Societies as a result of his
work in physiology of animal welfare. He
is also known worldwide for his expertise
in stress in birds. He trained hundreds of
students including 24 graduate students
and four postdoctoral fellows.
He was an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Starkville, the
Knights of Columbus and the Equestrian
order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, and a life
member of the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of
Jackson where he set up a trust for elementary school
education for minority students.
Dr. Thaxton was a tremendous mentor and friend to
the students and faculty of MSU, and a valued scientist
to the poultry industry around the world. His contributions to the study of poultry physiology and production
will be remembered for a very long time to come.
Memorial donations can be made to the St. Joseph
Foundation of the Catholic Foundation of Diocese of
Mississippi or to the Mississippi State University Department of Poultry Science.
Morgan inducted into poultry association hall of fame
Dr. G. Wallace Morgan, retired
professor and head of the Poultry Science Department, was inducted into
the Mississippi Poultry Hall of Fame
during the annual Mississippi Poultry
Association Convention held September 20-22, 2007 in Destin, Florida.
This prestigious award has been bestowed upon only two faculty members prior to Dr. Morgan.
Congratulations to Dr. Morgan on
his induction! Pictured, left to right,
are Mike Pepper, MPA President; Ryn
McDonald, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.; Dr.
Morgan; and Wally Taylor, MPA
Chairman.
Page 3
Poultry Science
Optimizing the performance of early nutrient
restricted offspring from young broiler breeders
By David Peebles, PhD
Professor, Poultry Science
T
he poor quality and excessive mortality of chicks
during the first 7 days of brooding are frequently
associated with smaller chicks from smaller eggs
(inherent to flocks of young breeder hens 30 weeks of
age or younger) that have been subjected to an improper
hatching process, delayed brooding, or poor brooding
management. The loss of body fat, muscular regression, and kidney damage in these chicks parallels increases in early embryo mortality between days 1 and
12 of incubation. Internal body temperature and plasma
refractive index are physiological parameters that are
indicative of the metabolic and growth rates of embryos
and chicks. These parameters are important “marker”
parameters, because when they are abnormal, they will
signal the poultry producer to the possibility of a subsequent increase in mortality. When elevated, plasma
refractive index is indicative of dehydration, while a
low internal body temperature reflects a depressed metabolism. These two specific parameters have been
shown in earlier studies to have potential value for the
prediction of later performance. However, the agedependent relationships among these and other
“marker” parameters in embryos and chicks, from
breeder flocks at 30 weeks of age or younger, are
largely unknown.
Understanding the association and predicting the
onset of changes in these parameters would allow hatchery and grower personnel to make appropriate adjustments in their management to accommodate the negative impacts of earlier environmental influences and to
optimize performance. In addition, no previous work
has addressed the influence of prolonged delays in
brooding and the impact of its duration on the relationship of these parameters to the health, viability, and
welfare of chicks. These relationships are a major concern of primary breeders, particularly those that transport chicks internationally. Industry personnel must be
knowledgeable of established parameters that are essential in defining the well-being (hydration and energy
status) of their chicks when confronted with welfare
issues.
A hatching egg is injected using laboratory-scale injector
equipment.
Our laboratory is interested in understanding the
relationships among these metabolic and growth-related
parameters across incubation and brooding, and to know
their critical levels and physiological and molecular
bases. More specifically, we further seek to establish
the time-dependent changes and relationships between
various physiological and molecular parameters in
broiler embryos (during the last week of incubation) and
in chicks (through 72 hours post-hatch) from very
young hens before, during, and after prolonged delays
in brooding. In addition to body temperature, plasma
refractive index, and other blood and visceral parameters, incubation temperature, egg temperature, incubational egg water loss, eggshell conductance, bird sex,
time of hatch, hatchability, and embryo and chick
growth and mortality are also under consideration. Trials are underway to establish the repeatability of the
results in industry settings and to provide procedures by
which to test for the various metabolic indices in both
incubating embryos and chicks for practical application.
Other research in our laboratory has extended into
the determination of the effects of the commercial egg
injection of various nutrients at transfer on the viability
(see Broiler breeders page 4)
Page 4
Poultry Science
Research focuses on proper vaccine administration techniques
N
umerous methods are currently utilized
throughout the poultry industry for the administration of vaccines. Vaccine delivery to birds
in commercial poultry houses occurs via three predominant methods: drinking water, eye drop or spray. Spray
administration often results in non-uniform application
and inconsistent response by the birds’ immune systems, however, it is desirable for both ease and cost of
application. Spray vaccination is the preferred method
for inoculating the respiratory system of poultry, but
non-uniform and inconsistent vaccine administration
can result in a “rolling reaction” within a flock which in
turn can result in longer recovery with the overall impact of decreased flock performance. Within the commercial table egg sector of the poultry industry, spray
application is considered to be the most effective delivery system for the administration of most Mycoplasma
gallisepticum (MG) vaccines, and has become increas-
Broiler breeders
(continued from page 3)
of the embryo and chick, and their effects on the various physiological factors described above. These materials would be injected in conjunction with the normal injection of the Marek’s vaccine.
The US Broiler Industry produces 8 billion or
more broilers per year. Therefore, understanding and
alleviating early chick mortality by as little as 0.25 %
could result in a realized annual savings of over $5
million in chick costs to the industry. Much greater
benefits in subsequent broiler performance, however,
may be realized. Therefore, such measures as described in our research could significantly increase
profits to the commercial broiler industry that exceed
$20 million per year.
ingly popular for the administration of Newcastle disease virus and infectious bronchitis virus vaccines.
Vaccine delivery systems significantly influence the
outcome of vaccination. While improper vaccine administration is the most common reason for vaccine and
vaccination program failure, procedures for the reconstitution/dilution of vaccines for dispersal can also be an
important factor in vaccine effectiveness. Essentially,
all poultry vaccines, whether administered via drinking
water, eye drop or spray, utilize water as both the means
of vaccine reconstitution and as the delivery medium.
Water characteristics such as pH, tonicity/osmolarity
(mineral content), temperature and source (well, municipal or distilled) may impact vaccine effectiveness.
Other important factors to consider are spray nozzles,
nozzle spray pattern, delivery pressure, the possibility
of vaccine suspension/stratification in the vaccinator
reservoir and the time from vaccine reconstitution/
dilution to final vaccine dispersal to the chicken.
Several recent research projects at the USDA-ARS
Poultry Research Unit at Mississippi State have been
conducted to study many of these factors affecting vaccine administration in commercial poultry operations.
One such experiment focused on the relationship between live MG vaccine viability and the factors of water
temperature and time. Experiments were conducted
with 3 commercially available MG vaccines: F strain,
6/85 strain and ts-11 strain. All 3 vaccines were reconstituted in distilled water at 3 temperatures (39°, 72°
and 90°F). Survival of the live MG vaccines was assessed after initial reconstitution (0 minutes) and at 15,
30 and 60 minutes post reconstitution. Results indicated that the 6/85 strain MG vaccine remained consistently viable over all time period periods at all 3 temperatures tested. The F strain vaccine viability was
most quickly reduced with 90°F water compared to 39
and 72°F water, with significantly reduced viability immediately after initial reconstitution. A similar trend
was observed with the ts-11 stain vaccine at 90°F, but
not until 15 minutes after mixing. Viability of the ts-11
stain continued to be significantly reduced at 30 and 60
minutes after mixing at 90°F. Overall, the data from
this study suggests that distilled water used to reconstitute and dilute live MG vaccines should be relatively
cool to maintain and prolong the viability of the organisms.
Researchers have also evaluated additives that can
be used to adjust the pH and tonicity/osmolarity of water used to reconstitute vaccines. One such product
(see Vaccine techniques page 6)
Poultry Science
Page 5
Happenings
The Poultry Science Department hosted a tailgating party for faculty, students, alumni, industry
friends and family during the MSU Homecoming
Oct. 6. More than 75 people enjoyed chicken fajitas
provided by the department. The department has
celebrated homecoming for many years at the poultry building. This is the first year festivities have
been held near the football stadium in the Junction,
allowing the group to enjoy the outdoors and be
closer to the other pre-game festivities.
A new building was opened at the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition in Moultrie, Georgia on Oct. 16.
This building is a
model commercial
broiler house complete with feeding,
drinking, lighting and
ventilation equipment. Several university poultry departments from across
the southeast United
States, including
Mississippi State
University, provided
educational seminars.
Dr. Craig Coufal
from MSU presented
information on innovations in the poultry
industry and the value of poultry litter as a fertilizer.
The Sunbelt Ag Expo is the largest agricultural
tradeshow in North America and celebrated its 30th
anniversary this year.
Students, faculty, staff and their families gathered for the annual Poultry Science Club Fall Function Nov. 8 at
the MAFES Conference Center. The Poultry Science Club along with their advisor Dr. Craig Coufal organized
the event, and Dr. Tim Chamblee prepared the barbecue.
Page 6
Poultry Science
Poultry science student
awarded scholarship
John Bergin, senior poultry science student, accepts the Mississippi Poultry Foundation’s Grower
Advisory Committee Scholarship from MPA Chairman Wally Taylor during the Mississippi Poultry
Association Annual Convention in Destin, Fla., on
Sept. 21. John is the son of Al and Leasa Bergin of
Forest, Miss., and is a graduate of Forest High
School.
John is an active member of the Poultry Science
Club, has been a member of the MSU Poultry Judging Team and will graduate in December. After
graduation, John plans to pursue a career in the egg
industry with Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.
Upcoming Events
A continuing education credit session for CAFOpermitted poultry growers will be held Dec. 6 in
Laurel at the Dixie Electric Power Association
offices. The program starts at 9 a.m. with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Dr. Craig Coufal
will present information on air emissions from
poultry operations from 9 to 11 a.m. Dr. Sue Ann
Hubbard will discuss bird health-related topics
from 11 to noon. The event is sponsored by the
Mississippi Poultry Association with a meal
served at noon for participants.
The Southern Poultry Science Society’s International Poultry Science Forum will be held on
January 21-23, 2008 in Atlanta, Ga. Several faculty and graduate students from the MSU Poultry
Science Department will give presentations at
the meeting on recent research.
The International Poultry Exposition will be held
in Atlanta, Ga. January 23-25, 2008. This is the
largest poultry exposition in the world, and companies from around the globe will showcase the
latest in poultry production equipment, supplies
and technology. The Expo also features a college
student career program, and several students
from the MSU Poultry Science Department will
attend.
Vaccine techniques
(continued from page 4)
tested was a reformulation – based on USDA-ARS
Poultry Research Unit studies - of Spray-Vacâ, a vaccine additive, manufactured by Animal Science Products, Inc., Nacogdoches, TX. This product was found to
be effective for not only MG vaccines, but also viral
vaccines such as Newcastle and infectious bronchitis.
Spray-Vacâ can be used with distilled, municipal or
well water. This product prevents the decline of vaccine titers often seen when vaccines are diluted in chlorinated or distilled water because it helps adjust the pH
and counteracts the chlorine in the water that may kill
the vaccine organisms. It also colors the water so the
user knows for sure the water has been treated.
Additional work has studied the factor of vaccinator
delivery pressure and its relationship to nozzle size,
which affects both delivery rate and droplet size. Three
types of nozzles (coarse, medium and fine) were tested
at 40 and 60 psi to determine the droplet sizes generated
as well as “as applied” coverage and deposition. The
median droplet size ranged from 154 to 192 mm for all
combinations of nozzles and pressure, with little correlation to the nozzle classification by the nozzle manufacturer. Very few respirable droplets (<10 mm ) were
observed for any treatment. Coverage and deposition
were greatest for the “coarse” nozzle, followed by the
“medium” and “fine” nozzles. Vaccine viability appeared unaffected by any of the treatments tested. The
relative similarity of droplet sizes coupled with the disparity of coverage and deposition between nozzle types
indicated that delivery rate is of greater concern than
droplet size, especially given the negligible amount of
respirable droplets observed.
Poultry Science
Page 7
Important Biosecurity Survey Coming to Poultry Producers
The College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Mississippi State University is requesting the help of poultry producers to make sure the Mississippi poultry industry remains safe from the threat of avian influenza
(bird flu). That is why poultry producers will be receiving a short survey in the mail in the near future from the
CVM. This survey will help the Mississippi Board of
Animal Health assess the likelihood of a highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) strain entering into and/
or spreading throughout the Mississippi poultry industry. The information from this survey will help the State
Veterinarian’s office and your poultry industry develop
and improve existing surveillance and monitoring programs to help guard against the introduction of an AI
virus into our state.
Why should we be concerned about the introduction
of AI into our commercial poultry industry? A single,
confirmed isolation of even certain low pathogenic
strains of AI from one farm will be enough to prevent
exports from our state for a long period of time, and
exports are essential for our industry to remain profitable. In the event of the introduction of a HPAI strain
such as H5N1, whole houses of chickens could die very
suddenly. At the very least, infected farms will be quarantined, and the rest of the flock will be humanely destroyed. This does not even begin to address the human
health concerns that would arise from infection with this
particular AI strain. Any way you look at it, this is a
very real and serious threat.
That is why the CVM needs your participation in
the survey. Poultry producers will receive a questionnaire in the mail about certain biosecurity related matters. Please do not throw the survey away. The questionnaire has been designed to be short and simple, as
well as easy to return by mail with prepaid postage. All
responses will be anonymous, so please answer the
questions as honestly and accurately as possible. Poultry company personnel have already participated in this
project as well. Producers do not have to participate,
but the results will only be as good as the number of
responses received.
Please help the CVM at Mississippi State University protect our industry by completing and returning
this important survey.
The basics of soil and broiler litter testing
Almost all commercial scale poultry operations in
Mississippi are required by the Mississippi Department
of Environmental Quality to have an environmental operating permit that includes a Nutrient Management
Plan (NMP). Nutrient management concerns the
amount, source, placement, form and timing of nutrient
and soil amendment applications to ensure adequate soil
fertility for plan crop production and to minimize harm
to the environment. NMPs account for the nutrients
available from the soil and other sources, crop nutrient
use, soil and crop management practices, environmental
risks, and documentation of how you use the soil.
In developing an NMP, you should include sitespecific soil testing and litter analysis. Detailed instructions for soil testing are available at your MSU Extension Service office or on-line at http://msucares.com/
pubs/infosheets/is0346.pdf.
When the MSU Extension Service Soil Testing
Laboratory analyzes your samples, you will receive fertility recommendations for each soil sample, according
to the crops you indicated on the form that goes with
your samples. You will also receive nutrient levels, pH,
and lime requirements. The forms and soil sample
boxes are available from your county Extension office.
The cost is $6 per sample. Normal turnaround time is 4
to 7 working days once the laboratory receives the samples.
For litter testing, the same principles as in soil testing apply, except samples are taken in the chicken
house instead of the field. Divide the house into five
equal sections. Take a sample from three places across
the house in each section. Do not include the underlying
soil in the samples. Blend the fifteen samples, place a
subsample in a plastic bag, and submit the subsample
for analysis to the Mississippi Chemical Laboratory.
Submission forms are available at county Extension
offices or from the State Chemical Laboratory. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium analysis is $50 per sample. Usual turnaround time is 7 to 10 working days.
Commercial laboratories are also available for soil
and litter sample analysis. Additional information is
also available on Extension Information Sheet 1614,
available from county Extension offices or msucares.com.
Poultry Science
Page 8
Department Head’s Corner
By Dr. Michael Kidd
Head and Professor
Poultry Science Department
This semester has been a difficult one with the loss
of Dr. J. Paul Thaxton. I can not thank you enough for
your prayers and support through this difficult time.
Yvonne has been overwhelmed with your kindness and
generosity. Although we can never replace Dr. Thaxton,
we have been blessed to have him as a part of this department and influencing so many young men and
women. Currently, Dr. Chris McDaniel is filling in by
teaching anatomy this semester and will teach physiology next semester. We are in the planning stages regarding future direction and how we can best educate
students and serve the poultry industry with new faculty.
We have three graduating seniors this fall: Jody
Ishee from Stringer, Shane Patterson from Philadelphia,
and John Bergin from Forest. All three seniors are exploring opportunities in the poultry industry.
We are stepping up our recruiting efforts. We have
sent faculty and students to numerous high schools
around the state to discuss opportunities in poultry. On
Department of Poultry Science
Mississippi State University
Hill Poultry Science Building
MS 9665
Mississippi State, MS 39762
September 19th Jones Junior College brought 44 students from the Agricultural Science Department to Mississippi State University. The purpose of the trip was to
introduce the students to Mississippi State University
and discuss major options in Poultry Science. This trip
was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Poultry and
Egg Association. Please inform us of opportunities as
we would welcome a speaking engagement at interested
high schools or civic organizations.
For more information, contact:
Michael Kidd, PhD
Head and Professor
662-325-3416
[email protected]
Craig Coufal, PhD
Assistant Extension Professor
662-325-2853
[email protected]
www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry