Optimising fertility in British broiler breeder flocks
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Zoology
Abstract
Resolving the mechanisms underpinning patterns of variation in fertility is one of the major outstanding challenges in Biology, and a key challenge in livestock production, where breeding for increasing efficiency of resource use has drastic knock-on effects on fertility rates. Fertility is a key determinant of profitability in commercial broiler breeder operations, and remains a considerable limiting factor in broiler productivity in the UK. Marginal (~1%) reductions in fertility cost the poultry industry millions of pounds annually, so the economic benefits of optimizing fertility are obvious. High flock fertility can also be associated with increased bird welfare. As one of the world's premier broiler breeding companies, Aviagen Ltd is a major supplier of grandparent broiler breeder stock to UK industry and globally. The Aviagen breeding program seeks to optimise a range of traits related to reproduction, health, production, environmental impact, robustness, food security, welfare, sustainability, and involves the assessment of >1,000,000 chickens annually. Key to Aviagen's balanced breeding goal is a strong focus to improve reproductive performance, by determining factors underpinning variation in fertility. Variation in broiler fertility has multiple sources: our preliminary analysis of 18 recent Aviagen broiler breeder flocks reveals significant fertility variation across different flocks, within flocks across different individuals, and within individuals as they age over time. This trend is reflected on a national scale. The European Ross 308 breeder (the major UK broiler breed supplied by Aviagen) has a 40-week target hatchability of 83%, but shows large variation in hatchability across UK flocks. While measures to improve fertility can be adopted, such as assisting flocks with replacement males, these measures are not always cost-efficient or effective. Clearly, fertility in broiler breeders has a complex, multifactorial nature, which can only be resolved by simultaneously considering multiple proximate behavioural, physiological and genetic mechanisms. Improved understanding of these correlated factors offers the opportunity for developing new selection and management tools to optimize genetic progress, bird management and thus animal balance and welfare. Key to this pluralistic approach is an understanding of the evolutionary significance of fertility-related traits, and the
way these have changed in broiler chickens through domestication and selection. Here, we propose a Stand Alone LINK research grant, which seeks to resolve the mechanisms underpinning infertility in British broiler breeder commercial stocks, which capitalizes on the synergistic combination of the expertise of TP's lab in the evolutionary ecology of chicken reproductive behaviour and fertility dynamics, and Aviagen research infrastructure and resources and extensive expertise of broiler breeder production and fertility in the UK. Three factors make this project particularly novel and robust. First, a novel automated genotyping technique recently developed by Aviagen, which enables high-throughput, real time parallel parentage assignment in pedigree broiler breeder flocks. Second, a series of quantitative tools and immune-physiological assays newly developed by TP's lab to study fertility at multiple levels, from the social structure of entire populations to in vitro molecular interactions. Third, a well-established partnership between TP and Aviagen through a CASE PhD scholarship, which is generating substantial preliminary results that inform the hypotheses and approaches proposed. We aim to harness these breakthroughs to identify the causes of variation in fertility in Aviagen broiler breeder stocks at three integrated levels: (1) social mechanisms, (2) inherent male or female factors, and (3) male*female incompatibilities.
way these have changed in broiler chickens through domestication and selection. Here, we propose a Stand Alone LINK research grant, which seeks to resolve the mechanisms underpinning infertility in British broiler breeder commercial stocks, which capitalizes on the synergistic combination of the expertise of TP's lab in the evolutionary ecology of chicken reproductive behaviour and fertility dynamics, and Aviagen research infrastructure and resources and extensive expertise of broiler breeder production and fertility in the UK. Three factors make this project particularly novel and robust. First, a novel automated genotyping technique recently developed by Aviagen, which enables high-throughput, real time parallel parentage assignment in pedigree broiler breeder flocks. Second, a series of quantitative tools and immune-physiological assays newly developed by TP's lab to study fertility at multiple levels, from the social structure of entire populations to in vitro molecular interactions. Third, a well-established partnership between TP and Aviagen through a CASE PhD scholarship, which is generating substantial preliminary results that inform the hypotheses and approaches proposed. We aim to harness these breakthroughs to identify the causes of variation in fertility in Aviagen broiler breeder stocks at three integrated levels: (1) social mechanisms, (2) inherent male or female factors, and (3) male*female incompatibilities.
Technical Summary
Resolving the mechanisms underpinning variation in fertility is a key challenge in livestock production, where breeding for increasing efficiency of resource use has drastic knock-on effects on fertility rates. Fertility is a key determinant of profitability in commercial broiler breeder operations, and remains a considerable limiting factor in broiler productivity in the UK. Marginal reductions in fertility cost the poultry industry millions of pounds annually, so the economic benefits of optimizing fertility are obvious. High fertility can also reflect better bird welfare. We propose a Stand Alone LINK research grant, which seeks to understand variation in fertility in British broiler breeder flocks in partnership with Aviagen Ltd. As one of the world's premier broiler breeding companies, Aviagen Ltd is a major supplier of grandparent broiler breeder stock to UK industry and globally. Our preliminary analysis of these flocks reveals substantial fertility variation across different flocks, within flocks, and within individuals as they age over time. This trend is reflected on a national scale. The European Ross 308 breeder (the major UK broiler breed supplied by Aviagen) has target hatchability of 83% with substantial inter-flock variability. Three factors make this project novel and robust. An automated genotyping technique recently developed by Aviagen, enabling high-throughput parentage assignment of broiler breeder flocks. Quantitative tools and immuno-physiological assays developed by TP's lab to study fertility at multiple levels, from population dynamics to in vitro molecular interactions. A well-established partnership between TP and Aviagen through a CASE PhD scholarship, which is generating preliminary results that inform the hypotheses and approaches proposed. We aim to harness these assets to identify the causes of variation in fertility at three integrated levels: (1) social mechanisms, (2) male/female factors, and (3) male*female incompatibilities.
Planned Impact
Who will benefit from this research?
1) The main beneficiary of this research will be the POULTRY INDUSTRY in general, and the UK BROILER INDUSTRY in particular.
2) A related beneficiary will be DEFRA in its priority to improve the productivity and competitiveness of British food and farming businesses.
3) NGOs, learned societies and 3rd sector organisations focused on ANIMAL WELFARE (e.g. RSPCA, ASAB).
4) The GENERAL PUBLIC will also be a beneficiary of this research due to the tremendous interest in issues associated with the Food Industry, Food Safety and Animal Welfare.
How will they benefit from this research?
1-2) By ameliorating infertility problems of the broiler breeder industry the proposed research will foster global economic performance, and specifically the economic competitiveness of the British poultry industry.
3) Infertility problems are likely to be associated with poor welfare of the flock, especially through suboptimal mating behaviours, intra- and inter-sexual aggression, which can lead to severe (lethal or sublethal) consequences for members of the flock.
4) By generating new knowledge and disseminating information on the different causes of infertility and how science can help the industry develop more efficient and animal friendly ways to manage flock fertility.
1) The main beneficiary of this research will be the POULTRY INDUSTRY in general, and the UK BROILER INDUSTRY in particular.
2) A related beneficiary will be DEFRA in its priority to improve the productivity and competitiveness of British food and farming businesses.
3) NGOs, learned societies and 3rd sector organisations focused on ANIMAL WELFARE (e.g. RSPCA, ASAB).
4) The GENERAL PUBLIC will also be a beneficiary of this research due to the tremendous interest in issues associated with the Food Industry, Food Safety and Animal Welfare.
How will they benefit from this research?
1-2) By ameliorating infertility problems of the broiler breeder industry the proposed research will foster global economic performance, and specifically the economic competitiveness of the British poultry industry.
3) Infertility problems are likely to be associated with poor welfare of the flock, especially through suboptimal mating behaviours, intra- and inter-sexual aggression, which can lead to severe (lethal or sublethal) consequences for members of the flock.
4) By generating new knowledge and disseminating information on the different causes of infertility and how science can help the industry develop more efficient and animal friendly ways to manage flock fertility.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- Aviagen Group (Collaboration)
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) (Collaboration)
- Moy Park (Collaboration)
- Syracuse University (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE (Collaboration)
- Aviagen (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
Tommaso Pizzari (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
McDonald G
(2014)
Animal Social Networks
McDonald GC
(2017)
Assortment and the analysis of natural selection on social traits.
in Evolution; international journal of organic evolution
Firman RC
(2017)
Cryptic Female Choice: A General Phenomenon. A Reply to Eberhard.
in Trends in ecology & evolution
McDonald GC
(2019)
Differential female sociality is linked with the fine-scale structure of sexual interactions in replicate groups of red junglefowl, Gallus gallus.
in Proceedings. Biological sciences
Carleial R
(2023)
Disentangling the causes of temporal variation in the opportunity for sexual selection.
in Nature communications
Carleial R
(2020)
Dynamic phenotypic correlates of social status and mating effort in male and female red junglefowl, Gallus gallus.
in Journal of evolutionary biology
Alvarez-Fernandez, A
(2019)
Female novelty and male status dynamically modulate ejaculate expenditure and seminal fluid proteome over successive matings in red junglefowl
in Scientific Reports
Alvarez-Fernandez A
(2019)
Female novelty and male status dynamically modulate ejaculate expenditure and seminal fluid proteome over successive matings in red junglefowl.
in Scientific reports
Pizzari T
(2015)
Inclusive fitness and sexual conflict: how population structure can modulate the battle of the sexes.
in BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology
Description | This project investigated mechanisms underpinning variation in fertility in both commercial flocks and experimental flocks of red junglefowl. Most of the work on junglefowl and related theoretical studies has been published, work on commercial flocks is being written up for publication and is currently embargoed by confidentiality agreement with industrial partner. A key development of this project has been unveiling multiple lines of evidence indicating a fundamental role of social behaviour in modulating fertility and reproductive success at the levels of individual birds as well as at the level of entire flocks. This evidence comes from (1) Long-term datasets of commercial flocks, and (2) Behavioural studies of domestic and red junglefowl flocks. In junglefowl flocks, we have identified male aggression, social status and age as key factors determining the reproductive success of individual males (McDonald et al. 2017 Evolution). Male behaviour also plays an important role in determining the fertilisation success of individual mating opportunities: males exhibit a strong response to female sexual familiarity, allocating more sperm and a different set of seminal fluid proteins to sexually novel females. These responses are mediated by male social status and patterns of sperm and seminal fluid depletion (Alvarez-Fernandez et al. 2019 Sci. Reports). We have also shown that female social behaviour is an important modulator of mating rates and male fertilisation success. Older, more dominant females form social clusters within a flock which enables these females to manage mating behaviour more effectively and avoid male sexual harassment. Younger, more fecund females on the other hand attract more sexual interest by males and suffer higher levels of harassment (McDonald et al. 2019 Proc Roy Soc B). These male and female behaviours drive the structure of the mating network within a flock, which has critical repercussions for reproductive skew, fertilisation success and sexual selection (McDonald & Pizzari 2018 PNAS). A large study presenting the results of long-term datasets from commercial populations in combination with behavioural observations is in preparation and will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed international journal following embargo and confidentiality agreement with industrial partner (see below). Progress over the last year has been severely hampered by COVID-19, which has reduced the amount of quality time that members of the collaborative team (PI, Industrial partner, PDRA) have been able to dedicate to this project. |
Exploitation Route | The results of this research are currently under confidentiality agreement with the Industrial partner. We are working to disseminate these results through peer-reviewed publications (see above). Ultimately these data are expected to inform the husbandry and farming protocols of the broiler industry in order to maximise fertility. These results have informed on-going work conducted through an iCASE PhD studentship to groundproof the established patterns in commercial flocks and establish husbandry regimes to improve productivity. These results are also expected to provide a unique insight into the social mechanisms underpinning spatio-temporal dynamics of sexual selection in replicate populations. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Education Environment |
Description | This project investigated mechanisms underpinning variation in fertility in both commercial flocks and experimental flocks of red junglefowl. Most of the work on junglefowl and related theoretical studies has been published, work on commercial flocks is being written up for publication and is currently embargoed by confidentiality agreement with industrial partner. In general the results emerging from this project have revealed clear patterns and offer scope to inform husbandry practices in our industrial partner. In particular, evidence of strong behavioural drivers of fertility suggest that careful management of social competition among males and male sexual exclusivity of females can have significant consequences for flock fertility and production. Progress over the last years has been severely hampered by COVID-19, which has reduced the amount of quality time that members of the collaborative team (PI, Industrial partner, PDRA) have been able to dedicate to this project. |
First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | Changes in husbandry practices in broiler breeder flocks are being developed by Industrial partner in light of our results |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | How environmental complexity and sex ratio modulate sexual selection and sexual conflict |
Amount | £2,350 (GBP) |
Organisation | The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2021 |
End | 09/2021 |
Description | Interrogating the seminal fluid proteome to resolve the molecular basis of fertility in poultry |
Amount | £550,233 (GBP) |
Funding ID | BB/V001256/1 |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2021 |
End | 11/2024 |
Description | PhD Scholarship to study fertility in fowl populations |
Amount | £60,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2019 |
End | 09/2023 |
Description | Seminal fluid proteomics of commercial turkey populations |
Amount | £66,349 (GBP) |
Organisation | Aviagen Group |
Sector | Private |
Country | United States |
Start | 02/2019 |
End | 08/2020 |
Description | cNPQ Scholarship |
Amount | £43,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Brazil |
Start | 09/2015 |
End | 09/2018 |
Description | follow-on PDRA employment |
Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Aviagen Group |
Sector | Private |
Country | United States |
Start | 06/2017 |
End | 07/2018 |
Description | iCASE Industrial DTP Scholarship |
Amount | £60,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2017 |
End | 09/2021 |
Title | Red junglefowl blood and spleen samples |
Description | Uncoagulated blood samples and spleen samples collected post-mortem. |
Type Of Material | Biological samples |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Initiation of a collaboration with Prof. Jim Kaufman (Cambridge University and Edinburgh University) for PCR-NGS typing the Major Histocompatibility Complex of individual birds. |
Title | red junglefowl semen samples |
Description | Collection of several hundreds of samples comprising centrifuged seminal fluid obtained from natural matings of a study population of red junglefowl |
Type Of Material | Biological samples |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Initiation of collaboration with Syracuse University to characterise seminal fluid proteomics |
Title | Data from: Dynamic phenotypic correlates of social status and mating effort in male and female red junglefowl, Gallus gallus |
Description | Despite widespread evidence that mating and intra-sexual competition are costly, relatively little is known about how these costs dynamically change male and female phenotypes. Here, we test multiple hypotheses addressing this question in replicate flocks of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus). First, we test the inter-relationships between social status, comb size (a fleshy ornament) and body mass at the onset of a mating trial. While comb size covaried positively with body mass across individuals of both sexes, comb size was positively related to social status in females but not in males. Second, we test for changes within individuals in body mass and comb size throughout the mating trial. Both body mass and comb size declined at the end of a trial in both sexes, suggesting that mating effort and exposure to the opposite sex are generally costly. Males lost more body mass if they: i) were socially subordinate, ii) were chased by other males, or iii) mated frequently, indicating that subordinate status and mating are independently costly. Conversely, females lost more body mass if they were exposed to a higher frequency of coerced matings, suggesting costs associated with male sexual harassment and female resistance, although costs of mating per se could not be completely ruled out. Neither competitive nor mating interactions predicted comb size change in either sex. Collectively, these results support the notion that sex-specific costs associated with social status and mating effort result in differential, sex-specific dynamics of phenotypic change. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.tm8038t |
Title | Data from: Pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection favor aggressive, young males in polyandrous groups of red junglefowl |
Description | A challenge in evolutionary biology is to understand the operation of sexual selection on males in polyandrous groups, where sexual selection occurs before and after mating. Here, we combine fine-grained behavioural information (>41,000 interactions) with molecular parentage data to study sexual selection in replicated, age-structured groups of polyandrous red junglefowl, Gallus gallus. Male reproductive success was determined by the number of females mated (precopulatory sexual selection) and his paternity share, which was driven by the polyandry of his female partners (postcopulatory sexual selection). Pre- and postcopulatory components of male reproductive success covaried positively; males with high mating success also had high paternity share. Two male phenotypes affected male pre- and postcopulatory performance: average aggressiveness towards rival males and age. Aggressive males mated with more females and more often with individual females, resulting in higher sexual exclusivity. Younger males mated with more females and more often with individual females, suffering less intense sperm competition than older males. Older males had a lower paternity share even allowing for their limited sexual exclusivity, indicating they may produce less competitive ejaculates. These results indicate that - in these populations - postcopulatory sexual selection reinforces precopulatory sexual selection, consistently promoting younger and more aggressive males. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.8pd38 |
Title | Data from: Temporal dynamics of competitive fertilization in social groups of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) shed new light on avian sperm competition |
Description | Studies of birds have made a fundamental contribution to elucidating sperm competition processes, experimentally demonstrating the role of individual mechanisms in competitive fertilisation. However, the relative importance of these mechanisms and the way in which they interact under natural conditions remain largely unexplored. Here, we conduct a detailed behavioural study of freely-mating replicate groups of red junglefowl, Gallus gallus, to predict the probability that competing males fertilise individual eggs over the course of 10-day trials. Remating frequently with a female and mating last increased a male's probability of fertilisation, but only for eggs ovulated in the last days of a trial. Conversely, older males, and those mating with more polyandrous females, had consistently lower fertilisation success. Similarly, resistance to a male's mating attempts, particularly by younger females, reduced fertilisation probability. After considering these factors, male social status, partner relatedness and the estimated state of a male extragonadal sperm reserves did not predict sperm competition outcomes. These results shed new light on sperm competition dynamics in taxa such as birds, with prolonged female sperm storage and staggered fertilisations. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | http://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.cz8w9gj1d |
Title | Fertility and parentage in domestic flocks |
Description | Large long-term dataset of fine-grained fertility and parentage in domestic flocks |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | We are currently developing this information for scientific dissemination in a way compatible with confidentiality agreement with industrial partner. |
Title | Mating and reproductive success in red junglefowl |
Description | These dataset contains information on mating and sexual behaviour, reproductive success in multiple replicate flocks of red junglefowl. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | This work is in the process of being developed and disseminated in the scientific community. Some of these results are already under review for publication. |
Title | Red junglefowl reproductive microbiome |
Description | Large dataset comprising the operational taxonomic units identified through 16S sequencing of samples from different regions of the reproductive tract and ejaculates of the study population. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Collaboration with Prof Tom Bell (Imperial College) and Dr Melissa Rowe (Netherlands Institute of Ecology, NIOO) to study reproductive microbiota in bird species |
Title | sperm agglutination |
Description | These datasets contain: (a) the results of a series of experiments characterising variation in in vitro sperm agglutination to blood serum in junglefowl and domestic chickens and patterns of female sperm utilisation in vivo following insemination, including the results of experimental immunisation work; and (b) the results of immunological tests investigating the proximate mechanisms of differential sperm agglutination, e.g. through ELISA-based in vitro work. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | This information is in the process of being analysed and submitted for publication. Aspects of these data and results have been presented at workshops and conferences. |
Title | sperm allocation dataset |
Description | This dataset contains information on mating behaviour and ejaculate characteristics for natural ejaculates produced by male junglefowl under different experimental conditions. The dataset is partly published in open access (Alvarez-Fernandez et al. 2019 Sci Reports; Borziak et al. 2016 Sci Reports). More recent parts of the dataset are in the process of being analysed for future publication. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Expression of interest from academics and members of commercial poultry companies. Request of new collaborations. |
URL | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41336-5 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof Bernd Kaspers, Institut für Tierphysiologie, University of Munich, Germany |
Organisation | Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) |
Department | Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences |
Country | Germany |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This collaboration seeks to harness the power of chicken genetic knockout lines developed in Munich to establish the causal effect of antibody response in sperm agglutination. |
Collaborator Contribution | Access to knock-out birds (homozygotes and heterozygote controls) for experimental work. |
Impact | This collaboration is expected to make a key contribution to future publications. |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof Marian Dawkins (Oxford University), Aviagen and Moy Park to develop predictive assessment of flock fertility using optical flow technology |
Organisation | Aviagen Group |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Leadership and coordination of the collaboration, expertise in fertility and reproductive behaviour |
Collaborator Contribution | In addition to collaborations represented by LINK grant, iCASE studentship and seminal fluid proteomic studies, Aviagen will provide fertility data and videos of some of their flocks in order to investigate optic flow patterns of flock behaviour predictive of high or low fertility. Moy Park will provide similar data for their commercial flocks. Prof Marian Dawkins (Oxford) provides expertise on OPTICFLOCK, an optic-flow technology she has contributed to develop to study behaviour and welfare in poultry flocks. |
Impact | The collaboration is at an early stage of development, no outputs or outcomes have been generated. |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof Marian Dawkins (Oxford University), Aviagen and Moy Park to develop predictive assessment of flock fertility using optical flow technology |
Organisation | Moy Park |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Leadership and coordination of the collaboration, expertise in fertility and reproductive behaviour |
Collaborator Contribution | In addition to collaborations represented by LINK grant, iCASE studentship and seminal fluid proteomic studies, Aviagen will provide fertility data and videos of some of their flocks in order to investigate optic flow patterns of flock behaviour predictive of high or low fertility. Moy Park will provide similar data for their commercial flocks. Prof Marian Dawkins (Oxford) provides expertise on OPTICFLOCK, an optic-flow technology she has contributed to develop to study behaviour and welfare in poultry flocks. |
Impact | The collaboration is at an early stage of development, no outputs or outcomes have been generated. |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof Marian Dawkins (Oxford University), Aviagen and Moy Park to develop predictive assessment of flock fertility using optical flow technology |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Oxford University Innovation |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Leadership and coordination of the collaboration, expertise in fertility and reproductive behaviour |
Collaborator Contribution | In addition to collaborations represented by LINK grant, iCASE studentship and seminal fluid proteomic studies, Aviagen will provide fertility data and videos of some of their flocks in order to investigate optic flow patterns of flock behaviour predictive of high or low fertility. Moy Park will provide similar data for their commercial flocks. Prof Marian Dawkins (Oxford) provides expertise on OPTICFLOCK, an optic-flow technology she has contributed to develop to study behaviour and welfare in poultry flocks. |
Impact | The collaboration is at an early stage of development, no outputs or outcomes have been generated. |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof. Jim Kaufman (Cambridge University and Edinburgh University) for Initiation of a collaboration with Prof. Jim Kaufman (Cambridge University and Edinburgh University) for PCR-NGS typing the Major Histocompatibility Complex of the red junglefowl |
Organisation | University of Cambridge |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Contribution to coordination of the collaboration from conceptual to logistic. Provision of biological samples and biological information. |
Collaborator Contribution | Application a newly developed PCR-NGS typing approach. |
Impact | The collaboration has only just started. |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof. Steve Dorus (University of Syracuse, US), and industrial partners Aviagen and Moy Park to study seminal fluid proteomics of commercial poultry populations |
Organisation | Aviagen Group |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | This LINK grant has led to new collaborations with the two additional collaborators as well as continuing work with industrial partner Aviagen, in order to study seminal fluid proteomics associated with fertility in different commercial populations of poultry (e.g. broiler breeders and turkeys). The role of my group is to lead and coordinate the different lines of the collaboration from experimental design to data analysis, as well as conduct the sampling for broiler breeders and our own study population (red junglefowl). The work on turkeys involves Syracuse University and Aviagen, and is currently on-going. The project investigating broiler breeders and junglefowl involves primarily Syracuse University and Moy Park and has led to an application for a research grant from the BBSRC (decision pending). |
Collaborator Contribution | Aviagen which were the industrial partner in the LINK grant, now provide samples from commercial turkey populations and related biological information. Syracuse University provides expertise and training in proteomics and related bioinformatic analysis. Moy Park will provide birds from broiler breeder lines for raising and sampling at Oxford as well as providing training and relevant information on the commercial lines studied. |
Impact | This collaboration has led to a BBSRC research grant in collaboration with Dr Dorus and Moy Park ("Interrogating the seminal fluid proteome to resolve the molecular basis of fertility in poultry") |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof. Steve Dorus (University of Syracuse, US), and industrial partners Aviagen and Moy Park to study seminal fluid proteomics of commercial poultry populations |
Organisation | Moy Park |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | This LINK grant has led to new collaborations with the two additional collaborators as well as continuing work with industrial partner Aviagen, in order to study seminal fluid proteomics associated with fertility in different commercial populations of poultry (e.g. broiler breeders and turkeys). The role of my group is to lead and coordinate the different lines of the collaboration from experimental design to data analysis, as well as conduct the sampling for broiler breeders and our own study population (red junglefowl). The work on turkeys involves Syracuse University and Aviagen, and is currently on-going. The project investigating broiler breeders and junglefowl involves primarily Syracuse University and Moy Park and has led to an application for a research grant from the BBSRC (decision pending). |
Collaborator Contribution | Aviagen which were the industrial partner in the LINK grant, now provide samples from commercial turkey populations and related biological information. Syracuse University provides expertise and training in proteomics and related bioinformatic analysis. Moy Park will provide birds from broiler breeder lines for raising and sampling at Oxford as well as providing training and relevant information on the commercial lines studied. |
Impact | This collaboration has led to a BBSRC research grant in collaboration with Dr Dorus and Moy Park ("Interrogating the seminal fluid proteome to resolve the molecular basis of fertility in poultry") |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Collaboration with Prof. Steve Dorus (University of Syracuse, US), and industrial partners Aviagen and Moy Park to study seminal fluid proteomics of commercial poultry populations |
Organisation | Syracuse University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | This LINK grant has led to new collaborations with the two additional collaborators as well as continuing work with industrial partner Aviagen, in order to study seminal fluid proteomics associated with fertility in different commercial populations of poultry (e.g. broiler breeders and turkeys). The role of my group is to lead and coordinate the different lines of the collaboration from experimental design to data analysis, as well as conduct the sampling for broiler breeders and our own study population (red junglefowl). The work on turkeys involves Syracuse University and Aviagen, and is currently on-going. The project investigating broiler breeders and junglefowl involves primarily Syracuse University and Moy Park and has led to an application for a research grant from the BBSRC (decision pending). |
Collaborator Contribution | Aviagen which were the industrial partner in the LINK grant, now provide samples from commercial turkey populations and related biological information. Syracuse University provides expertise and training in proteomics and related bioinformatic analysis. Moy Park will provide birds from broiler breeder lines for raising and sampling at Oxford as well as providing training and relevant information on the commercial lines studied. |
Impact | This collaboration has led to a BBSRC research grant in collaboration with Dr Dorus and Moy Park ("Interrogating the seminal fluid proteome to resolve the molecular basis of fertility in poultry") |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | A feature article for Open Access Government on scientific approaches for precision management of fertility in poultry farming |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | The feature article entitled 'Improving poultry production through precision fertility management' outlined modern approaches to improve fertility and productivity in commercial poultry flocks. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/improving-poultry-production-precision-fertility-management/399... |
Description | Feature article in the open access 'Impact' publication |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | The feature article was entitled "A novel approach to improving avian reproduction" outlined recent research developments with translational impact for the poultry industry and farming, largely based on the research tools and approaches developed through our BBSRC LINK-funded work. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319674437_Optimising_fertility_in_British_broiler_breeder_f... |
Description | GoCAS workshop on Sexual Selection and Sexual Conflict, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Workshop bringing together an international panel of experts to clarify outstanding issues in the field of sexual selection. The workshop resulted in a join publication in PeerJ. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://peerj.com/articles/7988/ |
Description | Media communication |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | My understanding is that the BBC series was well received and sparked interest in the behaviour and welfare of domestic animals Difficult to quantify impact of this contribution to the series as a whole. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
Description | Plenary speaker at LVI Symposium Poultry Scientific Symposium of Spanish Poultry Science Association - World's Poultry Science Association (AECA-WPSA) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Plenary presentation detailing the role of basic and applied research in our lab in elucidating mechanisms underpinning fertility for commercially important populations. The meeting was attended by poultry scientists, veterinarians and commercial companies from different countries. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://56symposiumavicultura.com/es/Inicio |
Description | Plenary talk at Graduate Symposium of the Zoology Department of Stockholm University |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | A plenary presentation of basic and applied work in our research group aimed at unravelling mechanisms underpinning fertility in poultry. The audience comprised graduate students, academic researchers, a number of donors from different countries. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Poster at the biannual Biology of Sperm conference (Sweden) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Presentation of preliminary work on sperm allocation patterns in male red junglefowl. The conference brings together researchers from different basic and applied fields related to reproductive biology. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Summer School outreach activities |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | UNIQ Summer school activity by members of the group to introduce pupils from secondary schools to our research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018,2019 |
URL | http://www.uniq.ox.ac.uk/c/biology |
Description | Talk at local primary school (S.S. Mary and John, Oxford) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | ~50 pupils and several teaching staff attended this |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | UNIQ Summer School |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Between 30 and 40 pupils attend a UNIQ Summer school at our institution every year. This includes visiting our study set up and attending presentation about our BBSRC-funded work. This sparks questions by- and discussion with the students. Some of these students have gone onto applying to study Biology at Oxford, partly as a result of these experiences. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
Description | participation in the BBC documentary Attenborough's Wonder of Eggs (BBC 2) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Our study population of red jungefowl was featured and our research on the reproductive biology of this species informed the narrative of this part of the documentary |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p062qkqy |