12 Avian Flashcards by Shoshana Gordon

Birds-Genetic Sex

Sex chromosome- 5th in chickens and 4th in pigeons, doves and sparrows
Male ZZ
Female ZW
Sex determined at ovulation
Sex linked color mutation

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Dimorphic

Visually different

Cockatiels, budgies, electus

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Monomorphic

Visually the same

Most parrots

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Male bird testes

Paired bean shaped
Dorsal to caudal end of lung and cranial margin of kidney
Tunica albuginea gives smooth apperance
Color may vary
-Cream in most**
black in cockatoos
Grey green in toucans, touracos, etc

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Birds do not have ____

accessory glands or penis

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Epidydimis-birds

Dorsomedial surface of testis

Relatively smaller than mammalian

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Ductus deferens- birds

Caudal border of testis to dorsal wall of cloaca
Zigzag apperance during breeding season
Opens into urodeum as short papilla

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Birds- phallus

No penis
Breed by cloacal touching
Oviduct everts out vent opening in female
Phallus
ratities, tinamous, anseriformes(geese and ducks)
Prolapsed phallus

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Bird semen

Storage in ductus deferens of seminal glomulus (passerines)
Spermatazoa more slender to reduce volume of ejaculate
Simple-domestic fowl and most birds
Complex- passerines

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Female system

Laying an egg to incubate externally thought to be an adaption for flight

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Determinate layers

Fixed number of eggs

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Indeterminate layers

Will increase production to replace lost eggs

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Ovary

Left side develops in most birds
exceptions- many birds of prey and kiwi
Caudal to lung
Cranial to kidney
Follicular development occurs early

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Juvenile ovary-bird

Comma shaped
Dorsoventrally flattened
Almost brain-like appearance

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Mature ovary-bird

Tapioca appearance
May be melanistic
Blue and golds
Cockatoos
Follicles grow in hieracharchial order when sexually active
After ovulation, follicle rapidly regresses, fills with hypertrophied granulosa cells filled with lipid, vessels invade, further regression
No post ovulatory CL in birds

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Oviduct- birds

Five functional parts distinguished histologically
Infindibulum
Magnum 
Isthmus
Uterus
Vagina

Infindibulum

Proximal opening which captures ovulated ovum
Fertilization occurs here
Funnel shape
Yolk membrane outer layer formed
Chalaziferous layer of albumen
Sperm may be stored here in some species

Magnum

Longest section of oviduct
3 hrs in chickens
Majority of albumen desposited

Isthmus

Two shell membranes secreted
Addition of some protein
Initiation of calcification
75 minutes in the chicken

Uterus

Shell gland
Pouch-like
Plumping of the egg-addition of water and electrolytes
Calcification of shell (Ca pulled from plasma, bone storage released)
20 hrs in chicken

Vagina

Vaginal sphincter relaxes at oviposition
Sperm nests
Tubular crypts
Sperm storage
Released at ovulation

AI in birds

Every 10 days in the chicken
Done when a hard shelled egg is not present
Deposited into everted oviduct with 1mL syringe

Egg-Germinal Disc

Whitish, circular opaque spot
In chicken, 3-4mm
Can determine fertile or infertile at oviposition
Infertile-solid spot
Fertile-blastoderm, looks like a donught

Egg-Yolk

Yolk is main source of nutrition for embryo
Yolk membranes
Albumen
Shell membranes- air cell is seperation of these two as egg cools after oviposition
Shell (testa and cuticle)-quality affects hatchability

Puberty in birds

All sorts of variety depending on breed or just individual bird

Behavioral signs

Paper shedding Nest building Hiding in dark places Territorial defense

Pair bonding

``` Regurgitation Copulation Nest seeking and building Feeding Preening Pets may attempt these behaviors with owner of favorite toy in absence of suitable mate ```

Males-puberty

Rising gonadotrophin levels stimulate testicular hypertrophy and tubule development Size of testes increases

Factors affecting Repro Status

Photoperiod- long day stimulates LH Rainfall- stimulates breeding behavior Presence of a mate- males generally become active first to obtain a suitable nesting site Vocalization- song birds have seasonal changes in testosterone secondary to photoperiod Nesting area

Osteomyelosclerosis

Ossification of the marrow in long bones of the female Occurs before laying stimulated by androgens and estrogen Medullary bone may replace up to 75% of the marrow Radiographic changes are evident

Hypercalcemia

Increased estrogen results in increased plasma calcium to provide for shell classification This is normal in laying head

Ovulation

LH surge stimulates ovulation Ovum is ovulated through split in stigma No postovulatory CL or CH

Oviposition

Egg takes 24-28 hrs to pass through the oviduct in the chicken Brown kiwi eggs remain in the uterus for 44 days Signs: straining, decreased defecation, increased fecal volume, wide based stance

Incubation

Decreased LH, increased prolactin Development of brood patch Broody behavior Prolactin stimulate production of crop milk in pigeons

Reproductive Disease of Infertility

``` Neoplasia-ovarian or testicular Chronic egg laying Ovarian cysts Prolapse of cloaca or oviductal Dystocia (egg binding) ```

Dystocia (egg binding)**

Can occur at any point in the oviduct Most common in the uterus Adhesions may occur (surgical removal) Often is due to a shelless egg in the canal Tx: Increase heat and humidity- put them in brooder Calcium Anesthesia Egg implosion Surgical removal-often will remove oviduct too