The importance of invertebrate food to chicks of gallinaceous species

Savory, C.J.

doi:10.1079/pns19890015

Cited by 42 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 55 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Chicks of all species feed mainly on invertebrates during their first weeks of life, for then to switch, gradually, to a plant-dominated diet. High-quality animal and plant food is an important determinant of chick survival (Moss and Hanssen 1980;Savory 1989), as the precocial chicks need to grow fast to attain flying ability and to maintain body temperature independently of brooding.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat and diet of young grouse broods: resource partitioning between Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) in boreal forests

Wegge

Kastdalen²

2008

J Ornithol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We compared habitat use and diets of young Capercaillie and Black Grouse broods in a boreal forest in southeast Norway. We used pointing dogs to search for broods (N = 83) in mature ''natural'' forest types and examined the crop content of 66 chicks 1-9 weeks old. We also measured the abundance of insects in the habitats where broods were found. Although overlapping substantially in both habitat and diets, there were notable differences: Capercaillie broods were more frequently recorded in bilberry-dominated forest types, whereas Black Grouse preferentially used pine bog forest, a more open habitat with little bilberry. Capercaillie chicks ate proportionally more insects, particularly lepidopteran larvae, and insects dominated their diet for a longer period of time (until age 28-29 days) than in Black Grouse (14-15 days). After reaching their peaks, the quantity of insects in the crops declined rapidly especially in Capercaillie, and in one of 2 years this occurred at a time when insects, including larvae, were still abundant in the habitats. Among plant foods, both species ate large amounts of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and Bog Whortleberry (V. uliginosum). The main difference between species was a large proportion of both over-wintered and new, not yet ripe, berries of Cranberry (Oxycoccus quadripetalus) in Black Grouse, and a higher proportion of the forb Melampyrum sylvaticum in Capercaillie. The difference in diets reflected their differential use of habitats; the Vaccinium-preferred habitats of Capercaillie were richer in insects, particularly larvae, than the pine bog habitat preferred by Black Grouse. Because insects, especially larvae, comprised a larger proportion of the diet of Capercaillie chicks and chicks of this species need more food to sustain their rapid growth, Capercaillie is likely to be more sensitive to variation in insect food than Black Grouse. Also, by reducing the abundance of bilberry, the main host plant of larvae chick food, clearcutting forestry has negative effects on the brood habitat quality of both species.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat and diet of young grouse broods: resource partitioning between Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) in boreal forests

Wegge

Kastdalen²

2008

J Ornithol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At no time point were there significant differences in the mean feed intake, although birds on diets low in methionine might have been expected to eat more to compensate (Whitehead, 2002). It is feasible that the improved growth in birds fed diets B 1 S0.2 and B 1 F2 that coincided with the birds having access to range is due to those birds ingesting enough nutritionally valuable products from the range (such as worms, insects, seeds, grass), as seen previously in various gallinaceous species (Savory, 1989). The efficiency with which nutrients were converted to body mass (as determined by FCE values) during the 11-to 16-week period do not differ significantly, irrespective of treatment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

The effect of organic diets on the performance of pullets maintained under semi-organic conditions

Acamovic

Sandilands

Kyriazakis

et al. 2008

Animal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effects of organic diets, with or without supplements of betaine, saponin, fructo-oligosaccharide and methionine, on the health, performance and gut flora of pullets were investigated. A comparison was also made between birds fed organic diets and those fed a non-organic diet. Day-old Lohmann Tradition pullets were reared in 24 groups of 64 chicks indoors until 11 weeks, and then in 48 groups of 24 to 27 chicks with access to range until 17 weeks of age. Groups of birds were fed one of eight diets, a conventional rearing diet with supplementary amino acids, an organic basal diet, organic basal plus methionine and organic basal supplemented with one of the test ingredients. At most stages of growth the birds fed the conventional diet and those fed the basal diet with methionine performed better than those that had no supplemental methionine. Other dietary treatments had no consistently significant effect on growth, the microbial populations within the gastro-intestinal tract of the birds or the number of parasite eggs excreted. After 5 weeks with access to range, the birds that were fed three out of five diets regarded as deficient in sulphur amino acids achieved similar weights (P . 0.05) to birds that received diets adequate in sulphur amino acids. Health and welfare of birds fed organic diets was not adversely affected; however, an investigation of birds housed in larger flocks and taken into the laying phase, when physical demands on birds are greatest, is required.

show abstract

“…We cited several sources in Section I.E. (LIFE HISTORY/ECOLOGY -Brood rearing) which establish that fact (e.g., Lehmann 1941, Jones 1963, Savory 1989. This Recovery Plan is not intended to provide a detailed, stand-alone, APC management prescription for each life requisite.…”

Section: Comments and Usfws Responsementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kessler (1978) and Svedarsky (1979) recommended that APC and GPC brood cover respectively, should have sufficient canopy cover to provide shade during the summer, but be open enough at ground level to allow uninhibited chick movement. Jones (1963) noted the importance of areas dominated by forbs in supporting high insect populations, which form a large proportion of the chick's diet (Lehmann 1941, Savory 1989). Toepfer (1988) found Wisconsin GPC brood rearing habitat consisted of grass or mixed grass in the 10−39 inch (25-100 cm) range that was undisturbed during the season of use, but disturbed within the past 6-24 months.…”

Section: Nestingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild Birds, a Source of Reticuloendotheliosis Virus Infection for the Endangered Attwater's Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri)?

Ferro¹,

Morrow

Flanagan³

et al. 2017

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The importance of invertebrate food to chicks of gallinaceous species

Cited by 42 publications

References 55 publications

Habitat and diet of young grouse broods: resource partitioning between Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) in boreal forests

Habitat and diet of young grouse broods: resource partitioning between Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) in boreal forests

The effect of organic diets on the performance of pullets maintained under semi-organic conditions

Wild Birds, a Source of Reticuloendotheliosis Virus Infection for the Endangered Attwater's Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri)?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About