Project Number: 3602-32000-009-20
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 27, 2012
End Date: Jul 30, 2015

Objective:
The overall objective of our current program is to identify husbandry and environmental factors that challenge animal welfare and develop sustainable alternatives that safeguard animal welfare and productivity. The specific objectives of this project are to examine the cellular and mechanisms of heat stress on farm animals' well-being, respectively in laying hens and dairy cows. Identify if supplement of antioxidants, such as agrado and beta-glucan, are a useful method for reducing heat stress associated damage in the farm animal industry, and develop biomarkers for evaluating husbandry practices used in the farm animal industry.

Approach:
180 Hy-line W-36 hens at 30 weeks of age will be used in the study. The hens will be randomly divided into three groups: control (20 °C+/-1°C), heat stressed (37°C+/-1°C) and heat stressed + Agrodo Plus at 0.05% (60 hens/group). The hens will be randomly housed in pair within the group. Heat stress will be started one week after the treatments started. Samples (brain, blood and organs) will be collected at 24 hours (acute) and 10 days (chronic) following heat stress. Chickens’ behavior will be recorded and analyzed for the whole time. Tissue samples will be analyzed using HPLC, RT-PCR, Flow cytometry, and histological staining, respectively. Behavior, immunity, neuroendocrine function, and production will be compared among the treatments. The goal of the study is to develop a treatment for preventing and reducing heat stress response in farm animals.