May captive populations of Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) act as genetic reservoirs in Argentina?
The Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) is a characteristic bird of the Argentine Pampas. Despite the increasing farming interest of this ratite, their natural populations are progressively decreasing in size and range. The object of this study was to evaluate the status of captive populations as potential genetic reservoirs. Using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeats as molecular markers, […]
Advances in the electrical stunning and bleeding of ostriches
The stunning of ostriches (Struthio camelus) has traditionally been carried out with hand-held tongs whilst birds are held in a restraining area by applying pressure normally from behind by gently pushing on the tail feathers. The area is often a V-shaped structure, high enough that the stunning operator is not kicked. After stunning, the birds […]
Influence of the rearing system on yolk corticosterone concentration in captive Greater Rheas (Rhea americana)
Many environmental conditions elevate plasma corticosterone in laying birds, leading to elevated hormone accumulation in the egg. We investigated whether maternal yolk corticosterone levels in Greater Rheas differ between fresh eggs collected from an intensive (IRS) and a semi-extensive (SRS) rearing system. After HPLC validation, yolk corticosterone was measured using a corticosterone 125I radio-immunoassay kit. […]