Poultry nutritionist joins Arkansas poultry science faculty

By Jessica Wesson
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Poultry science nutritionist Benjamin Parsons plans to bring his passion to the poultry science department and Center of Excellence for Poultry Science through research.

NUTRITION — Poultry nutrition researcher Benjamin Parsons joined the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science in January. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Jessica Wesson)

Parsons joined the University of Arkansas System’s Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and the poultry science department as an assistant professor in January. In his new role, Parsons carries out research through the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Parsons will also teach through the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. The Division of Agriculture, with the Bumpers College, provides the traditional land-grant triad of teaching, outreach and research.

“We are very excited to have Ben join the department as a tenure-track assistant professor working in the research focus area of poultry nutrition,” said David Caldwell, poultry science department head and director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science. “Our department has made very impactful advances in this field, and we are thrilled to have Ben join us and develop a program that I am certain will be of tremendous value to our industry stakeholders.”

Parsons’ research program will focus on the evaluation of nutrient availability in feedstuffs by determining its digestibility, retention and bioavailability. Bioavailability is the amount of a nutrient that is absorbed in the intestine, transported and used for metabolic functions within the body. He also plans to investigate the ability of feed additives to improve nutrient digestibility and study the effect of dietary components on intestinal secretions and nutrient losses. Parsons said that poultry nutrition research is vital for producers to be able to address industry challenges.

“This research is important for improving the precision by which we feed poultry, to ensure that their nutrient requirements are met and that optimal performance is achieved, while also minimizing the amount of inputs needed per unit of product produced,” Parsons said. “I also want to identify ways in which we can improve the quality of feedstuffs that we need for poultry and increase the availability of nutrients within the diet, while also minimizing wastage of nutrients.”

Parsons received a Ph.D. in poultry science from the University of Arkansas. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“I’m excited and honored to join the department as a faculty member and do my part to ensure the success of our students and the poultry industry as a whole,” Parsons said. “We have a truly great group of faculty, staff and students, as well as a rich history.”

Caldwell noted that Parsons will also assume responsibility for teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in poultry nutrition that are fundamental to the department’s academic program.

“Ben’s background and training make him a perfect fit for this position, and we couldn’t be happier about having him join our faculty,” Caldwell said.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Poultry science grad students earn awards for research presentations at international meeting

By Jessica Wesson
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Poultry vaccine research using a technique similar to allergy testing in humans and a project to discern the digestibility of phosphorus from meat and bone have earned two student scientists recognition at the International Poultry Scientific Forum.

CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE — Chrysta Beck holds her Certificate of Excellence award at the International Poultry Scientific Forum in Atlanta. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

Chrysta Beck and Jay Hampton, poultry science graduate students in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, were honored for sharing their research during the annual meeting Jan. 30-Feb. 1 in Atlanta.

Beck presented her research on the immune responses of chickens to Salmonella vaccine injections and received the Certificate of Excellence in the “Physiology, Endocrinology and Reproduction: Layers, Breeders” category by the Southern Poultry Science Society. Hampton’s mineral digestibility research presentation was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Research Presentation in the “Metabolism and Nutrition Category.”

Fighting Salmonella

“Poultry products are major contributors to human salmonellosis cases, and effective management of Salmonella during pre- and post-harvest is necessary to reduce human foodborne illness,” Beck said.

With a decline in the use of antibiotics in broilers, Salmonella vaccination programs are increasingly important, she said. According to a study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, the use of antibiotics in broilers decreased from 90 percent in 2013 to zero percent in 2021.

While vaccination programs are largely successful, some may contribute to liver damage in poultry.

“Insight into the physiological responses to these vaccinations are necessary to improve the development and optimization of safe Salmonella vaccines that can enhance bird performance and quality of life,” Beck said.

To assess those responses, Beck injected dead Salmonella bacteria into skin tissues that produce feathers. This allowed her to determine local immune responses over time for a single animal.

“This method is similar to allergy skin tests and patch tests that are used in human medicine,” she said.

Her current study was conducted using Light-brown Leghorn pullet chickens and her next study will look at inflammatory responses to a commercial Salmonella vaccination in the liver, spleen and cecal tonsils, as well as the gut bacteria of White Leghorns.

While earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Mississippi State University, Beck worked in a microbiology lab that studied the application of probiotics in broiler hatching eggs. She learned that bacteria-based vaccinations could shape the performance of a chick, which intrigued her.

“Because of this I wanted to be more competent in understanding the complexities of the avian immune system and how it connected to bird well-being and performance,” Beck said.

Gisela Erf, professor of poultry science, supervised Beck’s work. Erf conducts research for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture through its research arm, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

“I reached out to Dr. Erf, and she graciously welcomed me into her lab to grow in this field of research.”

Phosphorous Digestibility

OUTSTANDING RESEARCH — Jay Hampton, center, holds his award for Outstanding Graduate Student Research on phosphorus digestibility. Also pictured are Kyle Teague, left, and Benjamin Parsons.

Hampton’s research gauges how well poultry can digest the important mineral phosphorus.

“Traditionally, phosphorus is supplied in broiler diets through inorganic rock phosphates; however, recent publications estimate that these sources are dwindling,” Hampton said. “To this end, there is a need to establish phosphorus digestibility values from meat and bone meals as literature on these sources are limited — especially sourced from U.S. producers.”

The factors driving digestibility are unknown, and Hampton’s goal is to find the relationships between meat and bones and their characteristics.

Accurate values are important to poultry nutritionists “so phosphorus is adequately supplied as it is important for bird performance, health and maintaining animal welfare standards,” Hampton said.

“Meat and bone meals provide adequate levels of phosphorus and can be obtained from U.S. producers.”

Hampton’s research was supervised by Sam Rochell, associate professor of poultry nutrition at Auburn University and former assistant professor of poultry nutrition for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Michael Kidd, professor of poultry nutrition for the University of Arkansas System, also assisted with the research.

“I would like to thank Dr. Rochell for all the help and guidance during graduate school,” Hampton said. “I also cannot say thank you enough to my fellow lab mates and Dr. Mike Kidd’s lab for helping collect samples during a hectic time. My current research will hopefully provide more insight into meat and bone meal digestibility values, and I am excited to present at future conferences.”

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.