12 Avian

Question 1

Birds-Genetic Sex

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Dimorphic

Answer 2

Visually different

Cockatiels, budgies, electus

Question 3

Monomorphic

Answer 3

Visually the same

Most parrots

Question 4

Male bird testes

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Birds do not have ____

Answer 5

accessory glands or penis

Question 6

Epidydimis-birds

Answer 6

Dorsomedial surface of testis

Relatively smaller than mammalian

Question 7

Ductus deferens- birds

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Birds- phallus

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Bird semen

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Female system

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Determinate layers

Answer 11

Fixed number of eggs

Question 12

Indeterminate layers

Answer 12

Will increase production to replace lost eggs

Question 13

Ovary

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Juvenile ovary-bird

Answer 14

Comma shaped
Dorsoventrally flattened
Almost brain-like appearance

Question 15

Mature ovary-bird

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Oviduct- birds

Answer 16

Five functional parts distinguished histologically
Infindibulum
Magnum 
Isthmus
Uterus
Vagina

Question 17

Infindibulum

Answer 17

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

Question 18

Magnum

Answer 18

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

Question 19

Isthmus

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Uterus

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Vagina

Answer 21

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

Question 22

AI in birds

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Egg-Germinal Disc

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Egg-Yolk

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Puberty in birds

Answer 25

All sorts of variety depending on breed or just individual bird

Question 26

Behavioral signs

Answer 26

Paper shedding
Nest building
Hiding in dark places
Territorial defense

Question 27

Pair bonding

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Males-puberty

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Factors affecting Repro Status

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Osteomyelosclerosis

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Hypercalcemia

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Ovulation

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Oviposition

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Incubation

Answer 34

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

Question 35

Reproductive Disease of Infertility

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Dystocia (egg binding)**

Answer 36

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