Effects of Enriched Housing Design on Broiler Performance, Welfare, Chicken Meat Composition and Serum Cholesterol

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of enrichment housing design on performance, selected welfare indicators, chicken meat composition and serum cholesterol concentration of broiler chicken.For this purpose, 480 Ross-308 chicks were assigned to two groups, Control and Test, each with 4 replications. The pens of the Test Group were enriched with perches and sand bedding. At the end of the study, 8 males and 8 females whose live weights were close to the group average from each group were slaughtered. Their blood was collected and serum was separated. For chemical analysis of the chicken meat, whole carcasses of 4 males and 4 females, and half of the breast and left thigh from the remaining 4 males and 4 females were collected. In the carcass group, whole carcass with its bones was minced, whereas in the other groups breast and tight meat were separated from the bones and minced in a meat grinder, homogenized with an electronic mixer, then flash frozen (-40 °C, 8-10 h) and stored (-20 °C, 3-4 weeks) until analysed.There was no significant difference between the groups in body weight, daily weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion and survivability. Litter moisture of the sand bedding was lower than that of the wood shavings. Contact dermatitis of hocks was reduced in the Test Group (P < 0.05). Length, width, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the left tibiotarsus were similar between groups. The protein ratio of thigh meat was higher (P < 0.01), and fat ratio of the meat was lower (P < 0.05) in the Test Group. Enriched housing design increased serum HDL cholesterol level and decreased thigh meat cholesterol level (P < 0.05).In conclusion, it was found that housing enriched with perches and sand bedding in addition to wood shavings bedding improved broiler welfare and meat quality. Broiler chickens, environmental enrichment, housing design, performance, welfare, meat quality, serum cholesterolThe appetite, feeding system, physical activity and genetic factors play important roles in fat storage (Hood 1983). Broiler chickens, depending on age and rearing conditions, spend most of the time resting (Weeks et al. 2000). There is a significant correlation between decreasing physical activity and adiposity (Ekelund et al. 2006). The lack of exercise is considered the main cause of leg weakness, and extreme durations of sitting on poor quality litter result in skin lesions on the breast and legs (Bessei 2006).Enviromental enrichments can increase activity and thus improve both physical and psychological well-being. Maintaining balance while perching, and stepping onto and over perches exercise leg muscles and joints in a way that is different from simply walking. Wing and breast muscles are also utilized while walking and balancing on a perch (Newberry and Hall 1990; Le Van et al. 2000). Because of its attractiveness to broiler chickens for pecking and scratching behaviours, sand bedding could be utilized for exercise of body muscles (Shields et al. 2004). In addition ...

The influence of providing perches and string on activity levels, fearfulness and leg health in commercial broiler chickens

“…In line with the results of previous studies (e.g. Simsek et al, 2009), culls performed for reasons other than leg problems, mortality rates and slaughter weights were unaffected by the provision of string and perches, indicating that the provision of these types of enrichments in these amounts had no negative effects on productivity.…”

The effects of Environmental Enrichment on Some Physiological and Behavioral Parameters of Broiler Chicks

“…Diktas et al (2015) did not find statistically significant differences in terms of organ weights of the broilers which were developed slowly at different growth systems in their study. The present study results were consistent with those of the studies that have shown EE has not significantly affected body, and organ weights for broilers (Seremet, 2007;Simsek et al, 2009;Bizeray et al, 2002). In this study, it was observed that body weights of the treatment groups before slaughtering on the 42 nd day were similar to those of the control groups.…”

“…Ball groups' haematocrit count (%35.21±0.99) and platelet values (0.19±0.02 x10 8 /l) were found lower than those of the other groups (p<0.05). Simsek et al (2009) determined body weight of the control group as 2291g in their study at the end of the 42 nd day. In the same study, body weight of the EE groups was determined as 2231 g at the end of the 42 nd day.…”

Impact of stocking density and feeding regimen on broilers: performance, carcass traits and bone mineralisation

“…Lowering stocking density did not affect bone traits of both feeding regimens of the present study. Similar findings were noted by Tablante et al (2003) and Simsek et al (2009) stressed that stocking density increased tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) incidence relating with reducing physical activity, but not bone mineral values.…”