Effect of different pasture species on welfare and behavior of slow-growing broiler chickens in free-range production system

Bashir, Nadia; Şekeroğlu, Ahmet; Tainika, Brian; Gür, Fatih Mehmet; Duman, Mustafa; Şentürk, Yunus Emre

doi:10.1007/s11250-023-03616-1

Trop Anim Health Prod

2023

DOI: 10.1007/s11250-023-03616-1

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Effect of different pasture species on welfare and behavior of slow-growing broiler chickens in free-range production system

Nadia Bashir

Ahmet Şekeroğlu

Brian Tainika

et al.

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2024

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Cited by 2 publications

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The potential of pumice as a litter material and its influence on growth performance, carcass parameters, litter quality traits, behavior, and welfare in broiler chickens

Duman,

Şekeroğlu,

Tainika

2024

Trop Anim Health Prod

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This study evaluated the possibilities of pumice (light stones) as litter material in broiler production. Experimental treatments included wood shavings (WS), acidic pumice (AP), and basic pumice (BP) alone, and in combination; wood shaving + acidic pumice (WSAP) and wood shaving + basic pumice (WSBP) in a ratio of 1:1. Two trials were performed, one in summer, and the other in winter. Each trial involved 750 mixed-sex Ross (308) broilers. Also, there were 15 replicate pens with 50 broilers and a stocking density of 12.5 birds/m2 for each pen at the beginning of each trial. Performance, litter quality, carcass parameters, body and leg abnormalities, body temperature, fear and stress responses, proportional asymmetry, and some behavior expressions were investigated. The litter treatment influenced the final live body weight, litter moisture, ammonia concentration, footpad dermatitis, hock burn, breast blister, hot carcass yield, heart, liver, spleen, abdominal fat, wing and neck ratio, breast and back cleanliness, and the expression of dust bathing and foraging behaviors (P < 0.01; P < 0.05). Furthermore, there was a seasonal effect on live body weight, feed conversion ratio, livability, litter pH, 42-day litter moisture, hot carcass yield, back cleanliness, footpad dermatitis, hock burn, footpad temperature, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and expression of pecking behavior (P < 0.01; P < 0.05). It is suggested that acidic pumice stone alone or in a mixture with wood shavings could be used as a reliable litter material, alternative to wood shavings.

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The potential of pumice as a litter material and its influence on growth performance, carcass parameters, litter quality traits, behavior, and welfare in broiler chickens

Duman,

Şekeroğlu,

Tainika

2024

Trop Anim Health Prod

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Organic medium‐growing chickens fed live black soldier fly larvae: A welfare improvement study

Bongiorno,

Gariglio,

Zambotto

et al. 2024

Animal Physiology Nutrition

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The overall beneficial effect of live black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) on the welfare of broiler chickens, turkeys, and laying hens has already been discussed in the literature. However, scant information is available regarding the benefits of feeding live BSFL to medium‐growing chicken hybrids reared under organic/free‐range conditions, and whose welfare is frequently cited as being inadequate. The aim of this research was to advance our knowledge of this topic. To this end, 240 label naked neck birds (Hubbard JA57 hybrid) were assigned, at 21 days of age, to four experimental groups (6 replicates/treatment, 10 chickens/replicate), created according to sex (M/F) and the provision of a 10% live BSFL dietary supplementation (control males, control females, larvae males, and larvae females), and raised until 82 days of age. We performed behavioural observations, a tonic immobility test, and an avoidance distance (AD) test. We assessed feather damage and cleanliness, hock burn, footpad dermatitis, and skin lesion scores, and determined the concentration of excreta corticosterone metabolites (ECM) and the heterophile to lymphocyte heterophile/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio. The behavioural observations demonstrated increased physical and foraging activity (p < 0.05) in the live BSFL administered groups compared with C ones, providing valuable data on the explorative and recreational behaviour of this chicken genotype. The results also evidenced the usefulness of live BSFL as a fear reducer in females, as those receiving the BSFL supplement moved closer to the operator during the AD test (p < 0.01). No physical injuries or damage were observed on the birds, regardless of whether they received the BSFL supplementation or not. The ECM were unaffected by BSFL supplementation, while the H/L ratio was higher in the larvae groups than in the control ones (p = 0.050). In conclusion, live BSFL provision could constitute a powerful tool for improving life quality in medium‐growing chickens. Further research is required to clarify the stress modulation role of live BSFL on poultry production.

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Effect of different pasture species on welfare and behavior of slow-growing broiler chickens in free-range production system

Cited by 2 publications

References 42 publications

The potential of pumice as a litter material and its influence on growth performance, carcass parameters, litter quality traits, behavior, and welfare in broiler chickens

The potential of pumice as a litter material and its influence on growth performance, carcass parameters, litter quality traits, behavior, and welfare in broiler chickens

Organic medium‐growing chickens fed live black soldier fly larvae: A welfare improvement study

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