The relationship between serum lysozyme activity and reproductive performance in turkeys

Abstract

Studies were carried out in order to determine the dynamics of changes in lysozyme activity in the serum of turkey females during the laying period, and to identify the relationship between lysozyme activity and utility parameters. The experiments were carried out on 107 randomly chosen females from a maternal female strain (J-44), selected to increase egg production. Lysozyme activity was determined four times, in the 6th, 12th, 18th and 24th week of the laying period. Lysozyme activity was found to increase significantly in the 12th week, followed by a subsequent, gradual decrease. In the 18th week of the laying period, a significant negative correlation was found between lysozyme activity and the number of laid eggs and hatchabihty, and a significant positive correlation between lysozyme activity and percentage of unhatched poults. Correlation between lysozyme activity and reproductive performance in other periods was low and insignificant.

Early maternal effects and antibacterial immune factors in the eggs, nestlings and adults of the barn swallow

“…Second, we investigated variation of lysozyme activity in the eggs in relation to laying order. Thirdly, we analysed the relationship between circulating lysozyme in mothers and hatching success of the eggs, while predicting a positive relationship as observed in poultry (Melek, 1977; Krykanov, 1982;Prusinowska&Jankowski, 1996; Prusinowska et al ., 2000). Fourthly, lysozyme activity in the plasma of the nestlings at different ages was analysed in relation to lysozyme activity in their mother and laying order of their original eggs.…”

Ectoparasites, uropygial glands and hatching success in birds

“…We can exclude the possibility that hatching failure was caused by the two taxa of ectoparasites that were positively correlated with relative size of the uropygial gland (feather mites; amblyceran chewing lice), because these parasites do not typically interact with birds' eggs (Galván et al 2008;Møller and Rózsa 2005). There is extensive evidence suggesting that hatching failure in birds is caused by microorganisms including bacteria (e.g., Baggott and GraemeCook 2002;Cook et al 2003Cook et al , 2005, and that diVerences in anti-bacterial defense explain intraspeciWc variation in hatching success (Melek 1977;Krykanov 1982;Prusinowska and Jankowski 1996;Saino et al 2002). Hatching success in birds is typically around 90%, with large variation among species (Spottiswoode and Møller 2004).…”