In meat-type birds, feather development, feeding behavior, skeletal growth, tissue accretion and fat deposition are different developmental processes all of which or combinations of which can affect heritability of RFI and also the genetic correlations among RFI parameters.
The basic underlying principle is that the isotopic composition of feathers reflects feeding ecology during moult because keratin is metabolically inert after synthesis [16].
If the bird is very young and does not have many feathers, feed every half hour.
Numerous behavioral traits, such as feeding behavior, feather pecking or stress susceptibility, are also heritable [ 21].
More recently, researchers have shown that the ratio of isotopes in feathers can provide a rough guide to where a bird has been feeding, because the feather ratios mirror those of food sources.
For example, for the avian feather lice, most groups are feeding on the same resources (the downy portions of the feathers [ 30]).
Dry matter intake tended to decrease when feather meal was fed.
The fungi found on the plumage may feed on the keratin of the outer feathers or on feather oil.
True to their name, feather lice feed primarily on feathers, secretions, dead skin and other dermal "debris" [ 9].
All birds were healthy at the time of sacrifice (feeding on their own; feathers were not fluffed; keel was not visible through feathers).
The louse body is flattened dorsoventrally with the long axis of the head horizontal, enabling it to lie close along the feathers or hairs for attachment or feeding.
