Midwest Poultry Research Program

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The Midwest Poultry Research Program (MPRP) effectively addresses the priority research needs of the poultry industry in the Midwest (Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin), to help improve the sustainability, efficiency, and profitability of poultry production through integrated and collaborative research and technology transfer. With funds from NIFA, Iowa State University (ISU) and the Midwest Poultry Consortium jointly administer the MPRP through a call for applications. The Midwest Poultry Consortium then manages a competitive, peer-reviewed process and selects individual projects to receive funding after receiving applications from all eligible state universities. The Midwestern institutions have made substantial progress in poultry research over the past several years and have provided important information that has positively affected the poultry industry. Recent studies have focused on animal welfare, manure management and environmental issues, value-added product development, nutrient utilization, and food safety, and results have helped refine poultry nutritional requirements, alternative feed ingredients, space requirements, molting procedures, and management practices. Additionally, researchers have identified biomarkers for beneficial traits, mechanisms of muscle growth, and practices to reduce malodorous compounds; as well as developed new vaccines and food products. This information has increased bird welfare, producer profitability, food safety and quality, and environmental quality. In this phase of the project, efforts will continue to address issues related to holistic approach to addressing the impact of different production systems on animal welfare, indoor air quality, air emissions, microbiology and thus egg safety, energy use, and economic efficiency; nutritional values of different oil sources; modeling and determination of nutritional requirements for poultry; regulation of muscle growth; and improvement of poultry health through non-antibiotic treatment. This initiative will provide a structure to facilitate multidisciplinary research networks that enhance limited state and industry resources, and have the scope to address real-world problems. It also will develop new regional collaborative approaches in research and technology transfer involving land-grant and other universities, the federal government, and the private sector. The individual projects receiving funding were competitively selected by a panel of industry personnel and university scientists. The 11 selected individual projects will be conducted by six institutions and the Midwest Poultry Consortium. Approximately 20 scientists will direct the work conducted in the individual projects. The funded projects cover a diverse spectrum of poultry-related topics that are of socio-economic impacts to the region and scientific merits to the literature.

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APPROACH: This research program includes 11 individual projects to be conducted by six institutions (Iowa State University, The Ohio State University, University of Illinois, Purdue University, University of Minnesota, and University of Missouri) and the Midwest Poultry Consortium. A total of approximately 20 scientists will direct the work conducted in the individual projects. The projects cover a diverse spectrum of poultry-related topics that are of socio-economic impacts to the region and scientific merits to the literature. Project subjects include: 1) A Comprehensive Assessment of Aviary Laying-Hen Housing System for Egg Production in the Midwest; 2) Evaluation of Energy Values of Various Oil Sources When Fed to Poultry; 3) Regulation of Duck Breast Muscle Growth and Development; 4) Impact of Non-Antibiotic Treatments for Prevention of Coccidiosis on Gut Inflammation and Integrity in Broilers; 5) Does Formulation on a Digestible Basis for Amino Acids Make Productive and Economical Sense for Laying Hens 6) Osteoporosis in Egg Laying Strains of Chickens: Early Pre-Pubertal Exposure to Mechanical Loading; 7) Further Evaluation of a New Precision-Fed Chick Assay for Determining Amino Acid Digestibility and Metabolizable Energy of Feed Ingredients for Poultry; 8) Fractionated Clostridium Septicum Antigens for Turkey Clostridial Dermatitis Vaccines; 9) Studies on Pathogenesis and Immunity to Turkey Clostridial Dermatitis; 10) Modeling Amino Acid Requirements for Turkeys; 11) 2010 Outreach Project for Midwest Poultry Research Program. There will also be activities to review and set priorities for future research and outreach.