Do you feed your cat a food that helps with human allergies? Did you know you have chickens to thank?
While i was on facebook today I came across some studies posted by The Association of Avain Veterinarians (AAV) about how exposing chickens to Fel d1, which is one of the most common causes of cat related allergies in humans, has them produce eggs that carried antibodies of that allergen in their yolks. When those yolks were then fed back to the cats the cats experienced a reduction in that allergen. This is lovely news for cat lovers with cat related allergies. I posted one of the studies below as its pretty interesting. Also shout out to the cat who was removed from the study for being fractious lol
Also specifically we have lab strain Leghorn chickens to thank as it seems like its usually leghorns who are used for these things, which makes sense since they are very productive layers and very genetically similar. Blue and Greenie distant relatives lol (Blue bird below for people who dont know what a leghorn is)
Reduction of active Fel d1 from cats using an antiFel d1 egg IgY antibody
Background
Fel d1 is the most important allergen from cats. Fel d1 is produced primarily in saliva and spread to the haircoat during grooming and then transferred to the environment via hair and dander.
Objectives
A novel approach to reducing allergenic Fel d1 exposure was evaluated, involving binding the Fel d1 with an anti-Fel d1 polyclonal egg IgY antibody. The hypothesis was that hair from cats who had been fed foods containing anti-Fel d1 IgY would show a significant reduction in active Fel d1 (aFel d1).
Methods
Hair collected from 105 cats completing a 12-week study was evaluated for aFel d1 via ELISA. Hair was collected four times over a 2-week baseline period, then weekly during the 10 week treatment period during which cats consumed a food containing the anti-Fel d1 IgY.
Results
Baseline aFel d1 (μg/g hair) varied greatly among the cats in this study. From week 3, there was a significant reduction in mean aFel d1 with an overall average decrease of 47% by week 10, ranging from a 33–71% decrease vs baseline. Cats with the highest baseline aFel d1 showed the greatest decrease in aFel d1.
Conclusions & Clinical Implications
Feeding anti-Fel d1 IgY to cats successfully reduced Fel d1 on their haircoat with the greatest decreases observed in cats with initially high levels. Feeding a diet with anti Fel d1 IgY significantly reduced the active Fel d1 on the hair of cats.
(pictured above is my black rooster Mr.Scoot Man resting his chest of my leghorn hen Blue bird who is comfortably sleeping)
Something that never made sense to me is how some people refuse to keep roosters in with their hens when they are allowed to. Normally their reasoning is that roosters are mean,violent and “rape” (yuck dont use that word) the hens.
Sadly this is just a case of anthropomorphizing. While there are definitely some aggressive and mean roosters out there you should select polite and docile roosters for your flock instead of encouraging bad breeding and the spreading of aggressive birds. Select boys who are quiet and polite and tidbit often.These are the “good” roosters who exhibit more natural chicken behavior.
The best way to prevent overbreeding is to have a good rooster to hen ratio and to keep up maintenance on a roosters claws and spurs like you should do with all your birds.
Not only are roosters good flock protectors they influence a hens 5 Freedoms in a positive manner when handled correctly
For example Freedom From Hunger and Thirst: Hens who have access to a rooster have better feed efficiency and weights then compared to hens that dont have a rooster
A rooster will also actively prevent hen to hen aggression in flocks by putting himself in-between disputes. Roosters will also make sure other roosters aren't over mating the hens by chasing them off when a hen vocalizes her displeasure. A rooster can help a skittish and stressed hen be more confident and feel more secure. Roosters also make sure to find good nesting sites such as nest boxes and help with foraging by finding tasty morsels for their ladies. Some Roosters even preen their ladies to make sure they are clean and parasite free.
All of these behaviors influence a hens five freedoms positively but the one it impacts the most is the freedom to express normal behavior.
The red jungle fowl (chickens undomesticated wild counterpart) naturally form groups of 2–15 individuals with a slightly female biased sex ratio (more females in a group then males). These groups live within a territory defended by the dominant male, but individuals can move freely between groups (including males). Individuals living in this sort of stable hierarchy are less aggressive toward each other, eat more food, and lay more eggs than individuals who experience social disruptions. In domesticated and wild fowl roosters actively play a huge role in flock social dynamics.
To hens it is normal and natural for them constantly having cocks in their social group wanting their attention such as tidbitting and dancing. Hens making mating choices based on their encounters with roosters and running away and screaming (which is to alert the dominant male or hen) when they are grabbed by an over zealous male are a natural part of their flock dynamics. Hen can actually choose what sperm to “use” because of this.
The ability to perform reproductive behavior in social birds like chickens is incredibly important and good for welfare. It hugely increases the behavioral repertoire of hens which is incredible for enrichment.
Below is a study on roosters impact on hens
Presence of roosters in an alternative egg production system aiming at animal welfare
(Abstract)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the presence of roosters on welfare and egg production of laying hens reared in an alternative system.
Two breeding systems were established:
barn 1 - laying hens reared without roosters (4500 layers)
barn 2 - laying hens reared with roosters (4500 layers and 250 roosters)
In the poultry facilities, microclimate, egg production, mortality rate, and bird behavior were evaluated.
Microclimate analysis showed that the birds were subjected to periods of constant heat stress, except for the morning hours.
However, even under these conditions, egg production results and mortality rate were consistent with the indices (like body weight index) recommended in the Isa Brown management guide in the barn with roosters, the indices obtained were even better and were characterized by higher egg production and lower mortality rates. (Basically these birds weighed more and had higher production and lower deaths)
In addition to productivity benefits, the presence of roosters broadened the behavioral repertoire of the birds due to the introduction of reproductive behaviors. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the tolerance-reflex behavior, which is associated with the impossibility of displaying reproductive behaviors.
This alternative egg production system proved to promote animal welfare since it provides and stimulates the display of behaviors considered important for birds.
https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1516-35982017000300175&script=sci_arttext
