• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.6-10
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• 2005

Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) obtained from chicken as the immunization host brings several advantages to antibody production, such as improved yield, lower cost, longer stability and higher specificity than mammalian immunoglobulin. In the present study, we attempted to produce IgY against a sialic acid-binding lectin, Maackia fauriei agglutinin (MFA), from egg yolk of white Leghorn hens. For the isolation of IgY from egg yolk, we applied a water dilution method. The weekly yield of IgY was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, with a final yield of anti-MFA IgY from total IgY of approximately $1\%$. The yielded IgY were used to prepare IgY-affinity column conjugated with CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B, which resulted in the lectin being successfully purified in a single step from Maackia fauriei. This purified lectin exhibited the same hemagglutination activity as lectin purified using conventional purification methods.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.414-420
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• 2011

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of the combined stressor induced by high stocking density with feed restriction on immunological parameters such as leukocyte differential counts and cytokine expression in laying hens. A total of forty White Leghorn laying hens were randomly allotted into the control (12 kg of body weight/$m^2$) and the stress (44 kg of body weight/$m^2$) groups, and then birds of the stress group were given 75% of voluntary intake of the control birds for 12-d on a daily basis. There was a significant decrease in body weight without affecting the relative weights of the liver and spleen after 12-d of the combined stressor. In hematological values, no significant difference in leukocyte differential counts including heterophils (H), lymphocytes (L), monocytes and H:L ratio was observed between the two groups. In cytokines, hepatic lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (LITNF-${\alpha}$) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression levels in the stress group were significantly (p<0.05) higher compared with those in the control group. However, the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-6 in the liver were not affected by the combined stressor. Splenic LITNF-${\alpha}$ expression in the combined stressor group was significantly (p<0.05) up-regulated compared with that in the control birds. However, the combined stressor did not affect splenic IL-4, IL-6 and iNOS expression. In conclusion, the combined stressor caused by high stocking density with feed restriction enhanced some pro-inflammatory cytokines including LITNF-${\alpha}$ and iNOS in lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs of birds, suggesting that altered cytokine expression to given stressors can be another parameter that can be used in assessing stress responses of birds.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2019

In this study, viability, growth performance and egg production performance were investigated to determine the productive characteristics of 12 Korean domestic chicken varieties which have been collected and conserved for over 25 years in National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Korea. The 1,134 hens were tested and their production traits including survival rate, body weight, age at first egg laying, hen-day and hen-housed egg production, egg weight, and egg quality were measured. Survival rate was the highest in Korean Rhode-D and Korean Native Chicken (KNC) White and the lowest in Korean Cornish Brown (92.2% and 54.3%, respectively). Body weights from 4 to 50 wks were consistently high in the order of Korean Cornish, Korean Rhode, KNC, Korean Ogye, and Korean Leghorn breeds. There was no significant difference in weight between varieties within a breed. Age at first egg laying was the shortest in Korean Leghorn, while it was the longest in Korean Cornish. The hen-day egg production from $1^{st}$ egg to 57 wks was the highest in Korean Leghorn-K, and the lowest in Korean Cornish Brown. Egg weight was the heaviest in Korean Leghorn-F and the lightest in KNC White. The Haugh unit was the highest in Korean Rhode-C and the lowest in Korean Ogye. Taken together, these results suggest that it is desirable that the Korean Cornish variety is improved as the Korean meat breed because of its excellent growth ability, the Korean Leghorn variety is improved as the Korean layer breed because of its good laying performance, and the Korean Rhode and KNC varieties are improved as strong viable breeds because of their good survival rate.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.391-398
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• 2009

The objective of the present study was to compare of the effects of four molting methods on performance of laying hens. In total, 120 White Leghorn layers (62 weeks of age) were used. The four molting methods consisted of 10 days of feeding and the first 3 days of water withdrawal (FW1, 2) followed by ad libitum access to a layer diet 1 and 2 from day 11; 28 days of restricted feeding (NFW1); 28 days without withdrawing their feed (NFW2). Egg production of postmolt decreased until $3{\sim}4$ days at FW1 and FW2 treatments and until $16{\sim}18$ days at NFW1 and NFW2. 50% recovery of egg production were 7, 6, 7 and 5 week at FW1, FW2, NFW1, and NFW2 treatments, respectively. At day 14 of postmolt, the weight of livers, hearts, and oviducts decreased at molting treatments (P<0.05). Egg quality was improved on egg weight, eggshell thickness, eggshell break strength, and Haugh unit except egg yolk color (P<0.05).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1565-1571
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• 2003

Physiological mechanisms, involved in unusual ovulatory sequences in domestic hen are remaining undefined. One hundred individually caged white leghorn birds were divided into two equal groups viz. control and treatment, and 2-bromo-$\alpha$-ergocryptine, was administered to birds in the treatment group to modulate prolactin (PRL) secretion from anterior pituitary gland. The effect of modulation of PRL concentrations on egg production, sequence length and intersequence pause length were studied by analysis of oviposition records of the birds from 24 to 72 weeks of age. The surviving 48 birds in the control and treatment groups averaged $34.58{\pm}1.7$ and $25.67{\pm}1.15$ sequences of oviposition, with a mean sequence length of $9.92{\pm}0.63$ and ${\pm}1.12$ days respectively. Most of the birds had a single characteristically long sequence during the entire reproductive cycle, which averaged $46.04{\pm}3.09$ days in the control birds and $59.33{\pm}4.44$ days in the treated birds. 2-bromo-$\alpha$-ergocriptine treatments had significantly decreased (p$\leq$0.01) the circulating concentrations of PRL compared to the birds of the control group. This resulted in a significant increase (p$\leq$0.01) in the number of laying days in birds of the treatment group with a concomitant decrease in the intersequence pause length. The decreased PRL levels during prime sequences in birds of the both groups, reveals the negative role of the circulating PRL levels on egg production with concomitant shorter intersequence pause length. Hence, modulation of PRL with dopamine agonist may enhance the reproductive efficiency of hens later in life.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.341-349
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• 2019

Objective: Internal organs indirectly affect economic performance and well-being of animals. Study of internal organs during later layer period will allow full utilization of layer hens. Hence, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify potential quantitative trait loci or genes that potentially contribute to internal organ weight. Methods: A total of 1,512 chickens originating from White Leghorn and Dongxiang Blue-Shelled chickens were genotyped using high-density Affymetrix 600 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. We conducted a GWAS, linkage disequilibrium analysis, and heritability estimated based on SNP information by using GEMMA, Haploview and GCTA software. Results: Our results displayed that internal organ weights show moderate to high (0.283 to 0.640) heritability. Variance partitioned across chromosomes and chromosome lengths had a linear relationship for liver weight and gizzard weight ($R^2=0.493$, 0.753). A total of 23 highly significant SNPs that associated with all internal organ weights were mainly located on Gallus gallus autosome (GGA) 1 and GGA4. Six SNPs on GGA2 affected heart weight. After the final analysis, five top SNPs were in or near genes 5-Hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A, general transcription factor IIF polypeptide 2, WD repeat and FYVE domain containing 2, non-SMC condensin I complex subunit G, and sonic hedgehog, which were considered as candidate genes having a pervasive role in internal organ weights. Conclusion: Our findings provide an understanding of the underlying genetic architecture of internal organs and are beneficial in the selection of chickens.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.39-53
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• 1987

A total of 1,440 White Leghorn pullets hatched in summer and winter, aged 20 to 72 weeks were fed 9 rations differing in dietary protein (13, 15 and 17%) and energy (2,500, 2,700 and 2,900 kcal/kg) levels for a period of 52 weeks in order to evaluate the optimum dietary energy and protein levels for laying hens. As metabolizable energy level increased from 2,500 to 2,900 kcal/kg of feed egg production, daily feed and protein intake and egg shell quality decreased, but reverse was true for the daily energy intake, energy requirement and feed cost per kg egg, body weight gain, nutrients utilizability and abdominal fat accumulation, Egg weight, viability and egg yolk Pigmentation were not affected by the dietary energy level. On the other hand, as dietary protein level increased from 13 to 17%, egg production, egg weight, daily protein intake, protein requirement per kg egg and body weight gain icreased, but daily feed and energy intake, feed and energy requirement per kg egg, egg yolk pigmentation and dry matter utilizability decreased, and no significant difference in the feed cost per kg egg, viability and egg shell quality was observed among dietary protein levels. However: the hens fed 15% and 17% Protein diets did not show significant differences in egg production, egg weight and body weight gain. For the entire laying period of 52 weeks, metabolizable energy level of 2,500 kcal/kg of feed and 15% dietary protein level were considered to be adequate to support the optimum productivity.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 1986

The Calorimetric experiment was made firstly to measure the difference in energy metabolisms of laying hens among their three different laying periods, secondly to estimate the energy requirements of the layers on their respective laying periods. The laying period was divided into three chronological periods of 25-40, 41-55, and 56-69 weeks old of laying hens, which are refered to as period I, II, and III respectively. 1) The fasting heat production (FHP) of laying hen on the three laying periods were 81.5 Kcal/kg$\^$0.75/ for period I, 72.3 Kcal/kg$\^$0.75/ for perod II, and 97.5 Kcal/kg$\^$0.75/ for perod III. The marked increase in FHP was found in period m, while there was a small difference in FHP between period I and II. The present study have observed among the birds in period in the high degree of plumage defectiveness, and this condition of bird might have accounted for the increase in FHP. 2) The regression equation between ME intake and energy retention (ER) were calculated, and the equations indicated that, for the period I, II, and III, the ME requirements for maintenance (MEm) were 123, 111, and 131 Kcal/kg$\^$0.75/ respectively, and that the Net Availabilities of Metabolizable energy (NAME) were 76, 79, and 74 percent respectively. For the whole laying period measured, MEm was 119 Kcal/kg$\^$0.75/ and NAME was 79 percent. There was a tendancy of higher MEm, and lower NAME during Period III, comparing with period I and II.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.1307-1316
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• 2016

This study was to execute the random arrangement of total 120 heads (10 heads per treatment plot ${\times}$ 3 repeats ${\times}$ 4 treatment plots) for four breeds [Blue arakana commercial Fowl (BC), Yeonsan silky fowl (YS), Korean native fowl (KN), White leghorn fowl (WL)] with the initiation of laying hens at 32 weeks old in order to comparatively analyze egg quality and composition by sorts of laying hens. In case of evaluation of the quality of eggs, this study has shown that BC had higher degree of Haugh unit coefficient (82.82) and in case cholesterol content of eggs, BC had significantly low content as 317.55mg/100g, but YS had rather higher content as 381.30mg/100g. Furthermore, this study has found out that BC had significantly low Oleic acid (C18:1n9) and WL had higher Amino acid content by breeds than those of other breeds (p<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.139-147
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• 1989

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary energy levels and protein feeding systems on the performance of laying hens. Total 960 White Leghorn pullets were alloted in 10 treatments consisted of 1 metabolizable energy levels (2,900 and 2,600 kcal/kg) and 5 protein feeding systems (17-17-15%, 17-15-13%, 15-15-15%15-15-13% and 15-13-13% in phase I, II and/or III, respectively) from 20 to 80 weeks or age. As metabolizable energy level increased from 2,600 to 2.900 kcal/kg of diet, e99 Productions in phase I and II were not different but decreased in phase III. Egg weight was not different, but daily feed intake and viability were decreased in phase I, II and III. Feed conversions in phase I and II were improved but in phase III it was not different. On the other hand, as dietary Protein level increased from 13 to 17%, egg production and egg weight were increased, and feed conversion was improved , but daily feed intake and viability were not affected by the dietary protein level. For the laying period of 60 weeks, metabolizable energy level of 2,600 kcal/kg of diet and 17, 15 and 13% dietary protein levels in phase I, II and III, respectively, were considered to be adequate to support the optimum productivity.