Restriction of day length or feed consumption of winter-hatched Broad Breasted White turkey males were evaluated for their effects on reproductive performance. Sixty-four turkey males, 18 weeks of age, were selected on the basis of conformation and body weight and randomly divided into four treatment groups. Treatments differed with respect to feeding and lighting schedules as follows: (1) full-fed; ambient light, 18-28 weeks of age; 15L/9D, 28-66 weeks of age; (2) restricted-fed, light schedule as in (1); (3) full-fed, 12L/12D, 18-66 weeks of age; and (4) full-fed; 8L/16D, 18-66 weeks of age. Individual body weights and group feed consumption were determined for each treatment. Individual males were periodically evaluated for semen quality and quantity, beginning at 32 weeks of age. Four groups, each containing 16 individually caged females, were inseminated with pooled semen from the respective male treatment groups to determine fertility during a 20-week egg production period.Restricting daily feed consumption to approximately 50% of the feed consumed by full-fed males resulted in a 30% reduction in body weight at 30 weeks of age; body weight for restrictedfed males was significantly less (P<.05) than that of full-fed males through 65 weeks of age. Regression analysis of semen volume indicated that restricted-fed males receiving 15 hours of light, and full-fed males receiving either 12 or 8 hours of light per day, produced increasing semen volumes over a 30 week collection period (from 32 to 62 weeks of age), while full-fed males receiving 15 hours of light per day exhibited a decline in semen production. Fertility of eggs from B.B.W. turkey hens, inseminated with semen from restricted-fed males was significantly (P<0.05) higher than fertility following inseminations from full-fed male groups receiving 15, 12 or 8 hours of light per day.The seasonal decline in semen quality and quantity, often experienced in turkey breeder males, was prevented through the use of the feed restriction program. Males in the restricted-fed group were also easier to handle and ejaculate than males from the full-fed groups. Restricting feed intake resulted in a 55% saving in feed consumed.

Viruses of influenza A subtype H7 can be highly pathogenic and periodically infect humans. For example, there have been numerous outbreaks of H7 in the Americas and Europe since 1996. More recently, a reassortant H7N9 has emerged among humans and birds during 2013–2014 in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. This H7N9 genome consists of genetic segments that assort with H7 and H9 viruses previously circulating in chickens and wild birds in China and ducks in Korea. Epidemic risk modellers have used agricultural, climatic and demographic data to predict that the virus will spread to northern Vietnam via poultry. To shed light on the traffic of H7 viruses in general, we examine genetic segments of influenza that have assorted with many strains of H7 viruses dating back to 1902. We focus on use cases from the United States, Italy and China. We apply a novel metric, betweenness, an associated phylogenetic visualization technique, transmission networks, and compare these with another technique, route mapping. In contrast to traditional views, our results illustrate that segments that assort with H7 viruses are spread frequently between the Americas and Eurasia. In summary, genetic segments that historically assort with H7 influenza viruses have been spread from China to: Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the UK, the US, and Vietnam.

Ninety-six Broad Breasted White female turkeys were selected as potential breeder hens on the basis of body weight and conformation at 19 weeks of age, and housed in cages. From 22 to 30 weeks, hens were provided 8 hours light per day and fed a 16% protein diet. Half the hens were full-fed and half were restricted-fed the same diet by feeding every-other-day an amount equal to 1.5 times the average consumption of the full-fed birds, based on weekly feed consumption of the full-fed group. At 30 weeks of age, hens were provided 16 hours of light per day and half the hens from each prebreeder treatment were full-fed either a 14 or an 18% protein ration for a 20 week production period.Body weights of the restricted-fed hens were significantlylower at 30 weeks of age than full-fed groups, and reached their maximum body weight at 34 weeks of age, compared to 33 weeks for full-fed hens. Days to first egg were significantly less for hens which had been full-fed from 22-30 weeks than hens restricted in feed during this period.The number of eggs per hen (20 weeks) was significantly greater (P<0.01) for hens full-fed during the 22-30 week period (88.4), compared to the previously restricted-fed hens (77.9). Feeding a 14 or an 18% protein diet from lighting through 20 weeks of production, resulted in no significant differences in total egg production, egg weight, fertility or hatchability.Luther and Waldroup (1970) fed 14.7%, 16.7% and 18.0% protein diets to laying turkeys and found no differences in reproductive performance; nor could a response to added methionine at the 14.7% or 16.7% protein at

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