Dr. Tom Porter and Dr. Laura Ellestad have been awarded a five hundred thousand dollar grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for their grant proposal titled "Mechanisms affecting posthatch growth following embryonic induction of growth hormone in broiler chickens."
In this project, Dr. Porter and Dr. Ellestad will define the mechanisms regulating the chicken’s production of its own growth hormone and the effects of its own growth hormone on meat production and feed efficiency in broiler chickens. Their specific objectives are to (1) characterize effects of premature growth hormone production resulting from corticosterone injection into the incubating eggs on the growth performance of broiler chickens, (2) determine the effect of corticosterone injection on metabolic indicators, hormone levels, and gene expression in broiler chickens, and (3) identify key mechanisms within the growth hormone system of chickens. Completion of this research will lead to the identification of new information that can be used in breeding programs and the poultry industry to produce more food for the growing world’s population. This award marks 24 years of funding from the United States Department of Agriculture for Dr. Porter's research into the hormonal control of growth in broiler chickens.