No abstract

Severe feather pecking (SFP) is a serious problem in the egg production industry with regard to animal welfare and performance. The multifactorial causes of SFP are discussed in the areas of genetics, feeding, husbandry, stable climate and management. Several studies on the influence of manipulable material on the incidence of SFP in different environments and housing systems have been performed. This review presents current knowledge on the effects of litter and additional enrichment elements on the occurrence of SFP in pullets and laying hens. Because SFP is associated with foraging and feed intake behaviour, the provision of manipulable material in the husbandry environment is an approach that is intended to reduce the occurrence of SFP by adequate exercise of these behaviours. As shown in the literature, the positive effect of enrichment and litter substrate on SFP in a low‐complexity cage environment is evident. On the other hand, consistent results have not been reported on the influence of additional enrichment material in housing systems with litter substrate, which represent the most common type of husbandry in Northwestern Europe. Thus, further research is recommended.

For broiler genotypes to be merchandized under the animal welfare label of the German Animal Welfare Federation, several animal-based welfare indicators with upper limits are listed in a criteria catalog. We compared the prevalence of animal-based welfare indicators in 4 slow-growing broiler genotypes [ Ranger Classic ( RC ), Ranger Gold ( RG ), Rowan Ranger ( RoR ), and Rambler Ranger ( RaR )] in terms of potential approval of these genotypes for a German animal welfare label program. Chicks were housed in 16 floor pens, of which 8 had access to a winter garden. With 4 replications of each genotype, animal-based welfare indicators were assessed in 160 broilers (10 broilers per pen) on fattening days ( FD ) 36 and 44. The body weight of the 4 broiler genotypes differed on both examination days in decreasing order for RC, RG, RoR, and RaR ( P < 0.001). The walking ability was within the scope of the animal welfare label in all genotypes; it was better in genotypes with a lower mean body weight and correlated positively with the body weight in RG, RoR, RaR, and in the pooled data of the 4 genotypes. Hock burns were only observed at a low severity score, with male broilers being affected more often than female broilers. A positive correlation of the development of hock burn with the weight of the broilers was observed on FD 44 when data of all genotypes were pooled. The footpads of all examined broilers were without lesions at both examinations. Skin scratches were observed in all genotypes at both examinations, and RC broilers differed on FD 36 from the other 3 genotypes by showing a higher prevalence of more severe scratches. Broilers of pens with access to a winter garden were affected by skin scratches more often than broilers without. With the exception of weight gain in 2 genotypes, the investigated indicators showed that all genotypes met the requirements of the animal welfare label.

For determination of poultry quality shortly after slaughtering, physical criteria (pH-value, conductivity, colour, juice retention) are of importance. However, they are affected by breeding, transport, cooling and the storage period. PH-values of breast meat (genetically structured material) were recorded shortly after slaughtering (15 min p.m.) and differences between breeding line and gender were found (n=5109). The pH1-values ranged from 5.50 to 6.79. Male broilers showed significantly lower pH1-values than female ones (6.02:6.10). There were also significant differences concerning breeding line and gender. Meat quality (PSE, DFD) of broilers can be recorded quickly and accurately determining the pH1-value of breast meat. Threshold ranges to be considered are ≤ 5.8 (PSE), 5.9-6.2 (standard meat properties) and ≥ 6.3 (DFD). This classification is not to be compared to the deviation of pork