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Potential Biological Control of Poultry Lice
POTENTIAL BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF POULTRY LICE CHESTER F. M E I N E C K E
Veterinary Research Department, Nutrilite Products, Inc., 5600 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, California 90620 (Received for publication September 30, 1968)
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In an effort to establish the principle involved in Biotrol BTB 2S-W, the following materials were tested: Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6
Control-No Treatment Exotoxin (Isolated from BTB) Crystals (Isolated from BTB) Spores (Isolated from BTB) Wetting Agent Water (Control 2)
Biotrol Biotrol Biotrol
A group consisted of two Leghorn cockrels about nine weeks old with lice on each bird or SO lice per group. The application was by volume with an excess of material present. One ounce was applied to each bird in order to be consistent with the field tests in terms of volume. Dead lice were collected and recorded for 72 hours. Due to drying and the inability to demonstrate spores microscopically in group four, a retest of this group was done. To obtain the desired information, the dead lice were washed in 10% formalin, crushed on a sterile slide and cultured on nutrient agar. It was determined that spores on the slide were similar to BTB spores. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results are presented in Table 1. There is no clear explanation for some mortality in several groups treated with the crystals, wetting agent, and water. It is our opinion that the spores spread easily and contamination could very easily be involved. The loss of lice population in our colony roos-
2017
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Birmingham on May 31, 2015
Hoffman and Gingrich (1968), in a field test conducted under farm conditions showed that the organism Bacillus Thuringiensis, Berliner may be of value in controlling poultry lice. The test suggested that further work would be needed to draw the final positive conclusions. A report of a severe louse infestation in pheasant breeders gave us an opportunity to do a second field trial. One hundred and forty breeders were sprayed with an orchard sprayer containing 0.5 lbs. of Biotrol® BTB 2S-W, mfg. Nutrilite Products, Inc., per gallon of water. There was a total of 1^ gallons used so that one gallon sprayed approximately 100 birds. The louse population decreased greatly within one week, when the first check was made. Weekly checks were made thereafter for several weeks. No values were established because of difference in bird infestation and the desire of the owner to disturb these breeders as little as necessary. The condition of the flock continued to improve, the shaft louse completely disappeared, and several birds had to be examined before body lice could be found in very limited numbers. Three months later no further control was needed. The lice did not re-establish as a pest. The field results prompted laboratory studies. Several tests were conducted to establish the effect of Biotrol BTB 25-W on poultry lice. Only the body louse was used. One of the biggest problems encountered is that under laboratory conditions it is very difficult to start poultry body louse colonies on birds not affected. Therefore, tests were relatively short term.
2018
RESEARCH NOTES TABLE 1.—Control of lice Group
24 Hours 48 Hours 72 Hours
1—Control 2—Exotoxin1 3—Crystals 1 4—Spores1 5—Wetting agent 6—Water (control2) 1
0 0 5 12 2 4
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
Isolated from Biotrol BTB.
REFERENCE Hoffman, R. A., and R. E. Gingrich, 1968. Dust containing Bacillus Thuringiensis for control of chicken body, shaft and wing lice. J. Econ. Ento. 6 1 : 85-88.
THE METABOLIZABLE ENERGY OF OPAQUE-2 AND FLOURY-2 CORN FOR THE CHICK1 W. F. GIPP, 2 T. R. CLINE AND J. C. ROGLER Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana 47906 (Received for publication October 10, 1968)
Two mutant genes, Opaque-2 and Floury-2, have been shown to produce changes in the appearance and in the amino acid composition of corn endosperm (Mertz et al, 1964; Nelson et al., 1965). The superior nutritive value of Opaque-2 corn for the rat (Mertz, 1966) and pig (Cromwell et al., 1967) and the superior nutritive value of Floury-2 corn for the chick (Cromwell et al., 1968) have been demonstrated. These effects have been attributed to the altered amino acid composition of the mutant corns. It was considered desirable to compare the metab1 Contribution from the Department of Animal Sciences, Journal Paper No. 3496, Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station. 2 Present address: Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
olizable energy values of these mutant corns with that of normal corn. PROCEDURE
Two trials, each involving 112 two-week old Hubbard White Mountain male chicks randomly assigned to four experimental treatments, with seven birds assigned to each of four replications per treatment, were conducted to determine the metabolizable energy of normal, Opaque-2 and Floury-2 corns for the chick. The Opaque2 corn used in this study was developed by crossing a normal inbred, B37, with a popcorn strain homozygous for the Opaque-2 gene and then crossing the offspring produced with W64Ao2, a normal inbred in which the Opaque-2 mutation appeared spontaneously. The Opaque-2 seed pro-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Birmingham on May 31, 2015
ters suggests that very low levels of Biotrol BTB 2S-W in the environment may be somewhat effective. By the end of the test no lice could be found on any of the birds. This also suggests that BTB was about 25% effective in 24 hours and that the balance of the data is meaningless.
The second portion of the test was positive for spores from lice which died from Biotrol BTB 25-W application. There were spores on the slide similar to BTB and the culture media was overgrown in 24 hours, suggesting a rather high spore population from the crushed lice. It is concluded from data in this test that the body louse of poultry ingests BTB spores when feeding and this in some manner kills the louse. Further work is needed to verify this work and to establish the mode of action.
Veterinary Research Department, Nutrilite Products, Inc., 5600 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, California 90620 (Received for publication September 30, 1968)
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In an effort to establish the principle involved in Biotrol BTB 2S-W, the following materials were tested: Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6
Control-No Treatment Exotoxin (Isolated from BTB) Crystals (Isolated from BTB) Spores (Isolated from BTB) Wetting Agent Water (Control 2)
Biotrol Biotrol Biotrol
A group consisted of two Leghorn cockrels about nine weeks old with lice on each bird or SO lice per group. The application was by volume with an excess of material present. One ounce was applied to each bird in order to be consistent with the field tests in terms of volume. Dead lice were collected and recorded for 72 hours. Due to drying and the inability to demonstrate spores microscopically in group four, a retest of this group was done. To obtain the desired information, the dead lice were washed in 10% formalin, crushed on a sterile slide and cultured on nutrient agar. It was determined that spores on the slide were similar to BTB spores. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results are presented in Table 1. There is no clear explanation for some mortality in several groups treated with the crystals, wetting agent, and water. It is our opinion that the spores spread easily and contamination could very easily be involved. The loss of lice population in our colony roos-
2017
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Birmingham on May 31, 2015
Hoffman and Gingrich (1968), in a field test conducted under farm conditions showed that the organism Bacillus Thuringiensis, Berliner may be of value in controlling poultry lice. The test suggested that further work would be needed to draw the final positive conclusions. A report of a severe louse infestation in pheasant breeders gave us an opportunity to do a second field trial. One hundred and forty breeders were sprayed with an orchard sprayer containing 0.5 lbs. of Biotrol® BTB 2S-W, mfg. Nutrilite Products, Inc., per gallon of water. There was a total of 1^ gallons used so that one gallon sprayed approximately 100 birds. The louse population decreased greatly within one week, when the first check was made. Weekly checks were made thereafter for several weeks. No values were established because of difference in bird infestation and the desire of the owner to disturb these breeders as little as necessary. The condition of the flock continued to improve, the shaft louse completely disappeared, and several birds had to be examined before body lice could be found in very limited numbers. Three months later no further control was needed. The lice did not re-establish as a pest. The field results prompted laboratory studies. Several tests were conducted to establish the effect of Biotrol BTB 25-W on poultry lice. Only the body louse was used. One of the biggest problems encountered is that under laboratory conditions it is very difficult to start poultry body louse colonies on birds not affected. Therefore, tests were relatively short term.
2018
RESEARCH NOTES TABLE 1.—Control of lice Group
24 Hours 48 Hours 72 Hours
1—Control 2—Exotoxin1 3—Crystals 1 4—Spores1 5—Wetting agent 6—Water (control2) 1
0 0 5 12 2 4
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
Isolated from Biotrol BTB.
REFERENCE Hoffman, R. A., and R. E. Gingrich, 1968. Dust containing Bacillus Thuringiensis for control of chicken body, shaft and wing lice. J. Econ. Ento. 6 1 : 85-88.
THE METABOLIZABLE ENERGY OF OPAQUE-2 AND FLOURY-2 CORN FOR THE CHICK1 W. F. GIPP, 2 T. R. CLINE AND J. C. ROGLER Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana 47906 (Received for publication October 10, 1968)
Two mutant genes, Opaque-2 and Floury-2, have been shown to produce changes in the appearance and in the amino acid composition of corn endosperm (Mertz et al, 1964; Nelson et al., 1965). The superior nutritive value of Opaque-2 corn for the rat (Mertz, 1966) and pig (Cromwell et al., 1967) and the superior nutritive value of Floury-2 corn for the chick (Cromwell et al., 1968) have been demonstrated. These effects have been attributed to the altered amino acid composition of the mutant corns. It was considered desirable to compare the metab1 Contribution from the Department of Animal Sciences, Journal Paper No. 3496, Purdue University Agricultural Experiment Station. 2 Present address: Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
olizable energy values of these mutant corns with that of normal corn. PROCEDURE
Two trials, each involving 112 two-week old Hubbard White Mountain male chicks randomly assigned to four experimental treatments, with seven birds assigned to each of four replications per treatment, were conducted to determine the metabolizable energy of normal, Opaque-2 and Floury-2 corns for the chick. The Opaque2 corn used in this study was developed by crossing a normal inbred, B37, with a popcorn strain homozygous for the Opaque-2 gene and then crossing the offspring produced with W64Ao2, a normal inbred in which the Opaque-2 mutation appeared spontaneously. The Opaque-2 seed pro-
Downloaded from http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/ at University of Birmingham on May 31, 2015
ters suggests that very low levels of Biotrol BTB 2S-W in the environment may be somewhat effective. By the end of the test no lice could be found on any of the birds. This also suggests that BTB was about 25% effective in 24 hours and that the balance of the data is meaningless.
The second portion of the test was positive for spores from lice which died from Biotrol BTB 25-W application. There were spores on the slide similar to BTB and the culture media was overgrown in 24 hours, suggesting a rather high spore population from the crushed lice. It is concluded from data in this test that the body louse of poultry ingests BTB spores when feeding and this in some manner kills the louse. Further work is needed to verify this work and to establish the mode of action.