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Haug D, Schreiter R, Thesing B, Rathmann L, Lambertz C, Hofmann P, Erhard M, Bellof G, Schmidt E. Injurious pecking in organic turkey fattening-effects of husbandry and feeding on injuries and plumage damage of a slow- (Auburn) and a fast-growing (B.U.T.6) genotype. Poult Sci 2023; 102:102746. [PMID: 37327745 PMCID: PMC10404662 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.102746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Injuries and plumage damage (PD) are important indicators of welfare. First priority in turkey fattening is to reduce injurious pecking, which includes aggressive pecking (agonistic behavior) and additionally severe feather pecking (SFP) and cannibalism with their multifactorial reasons. Still, there are few studies available evaluating different genotypes for their welfare status under organic conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of genotype and husbandry with 100% organic feeding (2 variants with different riboflavin content: V1 and V2) on injuries and PD. During rearing nonbeaktrimmed male turkeys of a slow- (Auburn, n = 256) and fast-growing (B.U.T.6, n = 128) genotype were kept in 2 indoor housing systems (without environmental enrichment (EE) = H1-, n = 144 and with EE = H2+, n = 240). During fattening 13 animals per pen of H2+ were relocated to a free-range system (H3 MS, n = 104). EE included pecking stones, elevated seating platforms and silage feeding. The study included five 4-wk feeding phases. At the end of each phase, injuries and PD were scored to assess animal welfare. Injury scores ranged from 0 (=no damage) to 3 (=severe damage) and PD from 0 to 4. Injurious pecking was observed from the 8th week onward (injuries: 16.5% and PD: 31.4%). Binary logistic regression models showed that both indicators were affected by genotype (each P < 0.001), husbandry (each P < 0.001), feeding (injuries P = 0.004; PD P = 0.003), and age (each P < 0.001). Auburn showed less injuries and PD than B.U.T.6. H1- had the fewest injuries and PD for Auburn animals compared to H2+ or H3 MS. In summary, the use of alternative genotypes (Auburn) in organic fattening improved welfare, but keeping them in free-range systems or in husbandry with EE, does not lead to a reduction of injurious pecking. Therefore, further studies are needed with more and changing enrichment materials, further management measures, changes in housing structure, and even more intensive animal care.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Haug
- Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - R Schreiter
- Centre for Applied Research and Technology e.V. at the Dresden University of Applied Sciences, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - B Thesing
- Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - L Rathmann
- Bavarian State Estates, Kitzingen, Germany
| | - C Lambertz
- Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany
| | - P Hofmann
- Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Kitzingen, Germany
| | - M Erhard
- Chair of Animal Welfare, Ethology, Animal Hygiene and Animal Husbandry, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - G Bellof
- Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - E Schmidt
- Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, 85354 Freising, Germany
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Putyora E, Brocklehurst S, Tuyttens F, Sandilands V. The Effects of Mild Disturbances on Sleep Behaviour in Laying Hens. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071251. [PMID: 37048507 PMCID: PMC10093027 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The positive welfare of commercial animals presents many benefits, making the accurate assessment of welfare important. Assessments frequently use behaviour to determine welfare state; however, nighttime behaviours are often ignored. Sleep behaviour may offer new insights into welfare assessments. This study aimed to establish a baseline for sleep behaviour in laying hens and to then apply mild short-term disturbances and observe the subsequent effects. Twelve laying hens were divided into four batches and were surgically implanted with electroencephalogram (EEG) devices to record their brain activity. The batches were subjected to undisturbed, disturbed and recovery types of nights. Disturbed nights consisted of systematic sequences of disturbance application (wind, 90 dB noise or 20 lux light) applied one at a time for 5 min every 30 min from 21:00 to 03:00 (lights off period: 19:00-05:00). Sleep state was scored using EEG data and behaviour data from infrared cameras. Over all the types of night hens engaged in both SWS (58%) and REM sleep (18%) during lights off. When applied, the disturbances were effective at altering the amounts of wakefulness and SWS (Time × Type of Night, p < 0.001, p = 0.017, respectively), whereas REM sleep was unaltered (p = 0.540). There was no evidence of carry-over effects over the following day or night. Laying hens may be resilient to short-term sleep disruption by compensating for this in the same night, suggesting that these disturbances do not impact their long-term welfare (i.e., over days). Sleep behaviour potentially offers a unique means of assessing an aspect of animal welfare that, to date, has been poorly studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Endre Putyora
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
- Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | | | - Frank Tuyttens
- Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
- Animal Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), 9090 Melle, Belgium
| | - Victoria Sandilands
- Department of Agriculture, Horticulture and Engineering Sciences, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
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Jacobs L, Blatchford RA, de Jong IC, Erasmus MA, Levengood M, Newberry RC, Regmi P, Riber AB, Weimer SL. Enhancing their quality of life: environmental enrichment for poultry. Poult Sci 2023; 102:102233. [PMID: 36351344 PMCID: PMC9647224 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.102233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Providing environmental enrichments that increase environmental complexity can benefit poultry welfare. This Poultry Science Association symposium paper is structured around four themes on 1) poultry preferences and affective states 2) species-specific behavior, including play behavior and the relationship between behavior, activity level and walking ability, 3) environmental enrichment and its relationship with indicators of welfare, and 4) a case study focusing on the application of enrichments in commercial broiler chicken production. For effective enrichment strategies, the birds' perspective matters most, and we need to consider individual variation, social dynamics, and previous experience when assessing these strategies. Play behavior can be a valuable indicator of positive affect, and while we do not yet know how much play would be optimal, absence of play suggests a welfare deficit. Activity levels and behavior can be improved by environmental modifications and prior research has shown that the activity level of broilers can be increased, at least temporarily, by increasing the environmental complexity. However, more research on impacts of enrichments on birds' resilience, on birds in commercial conditions, and on slow(er)-growing strains is needed. Finally, incorporating farmers' expertise can greatly benefit enrichment design and implementation on commercial farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Jacobs
- School of Animal Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| | - R A Blatchford
- Department of Animal Science, Center for Animal Welfare, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - I C de Jong
- Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - M A Erasmus
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IA, USA
| | | | - R C Newberry
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - P Regmi
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - A B Riber
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - S L Weimer
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
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Davis M, Stevenson R, Ford E, Erasmus M, Zuelly SMS. Heat Stress and an Immune Challenge Influence Turkey Meat Quality, but Conspecific-Directed Pecking Behavior Does Not. Foods 2022; 11:foods11152203. [PMID: 35892788 PMCID: PMC9332272 DOI: 10.3390/foods11152203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat stress (HS), immune challenges (IC) and pecking behavior are some of the many stressors poultry can experience in commercial settings that may affect bird welfare and meat quality after harvest. The first objective was to determine if HS or IC turkeys displayed greater negative effects on meat quality, and the second objective was to determine if the frequency of non-aggressive pecking behaviors among the birds was related to meat quality. Ninety-two, commercial male, beak-trimmed turkeys were used with a total of 15 rooms and 4–7 birds per room. Each treatment was applied for 1 week prior to harvest: the Control (CON) group had no stressors added, the HS group ambient temperature was approximately 29 °C for 120 min, and the IC group involved inoculating birds with a live vaccine for hemorrhagic enteritis virus. Birds were recorded and scored to quantify pecking behavior. Once harvested, carcasses were evaluated for feather retention force, pH, color, proximate analysis, fatty acid composition, shear force, and drip loss. Stress treatment resulted in HS breasts having the lowest protein content, and IC breasts having the lowest CIE L* values and the greatest shear force values. Pecking behavior had no impact on any meat quality attributes.
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Krautwald-Junghanns ME, Sirovnik J. The influence of stocking density on behaviour, health, and production in commercial fattening turkeys - a review. Br Poult Sci 2022; 63:434-444. [PMID: 35275024 DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2022.2050673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, there are various regulations and recommendations on the maximum stocking density. While stocking density can be determined based on the space covered by the body, a more appropriate method considers space requirements for natural behaviour.Turkeys are less likely disturbed at low stocking density as seen by increased sitting, lying, and preening behaviours, compared to animals housed at high stocking density. Furthermore, lower stocking density, together with smaller group size, species-appropriate light conditions and suitable structuring of barn housing, have been repeatedly mentioned as good strategies to prevent injurious pecking.Increased stocking density - in terms of weight and animal number per floor area - is related to increased litter moisture, which can have negative impact on animal welfare. High stocking density can lead to poor body mass gain and increased mortality, which are indicators of impaired welfare and economic losses.Based on the available scientific literature and economic aspects with regard to the above criteria, maximum stocking density for turkeys appears to be 40 kg live weight per m2 of usable floor space. However, the number of animals per square space should be limited to avoid increased litter moisture and reduced health and welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Janja Sirovnik
- Institute of Animal Welfare Science, Department of Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
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Leishman EM, van Staaveren N, Osborne VR, Wood BJ, Baes CF, Harlander-Matauschek A. The Prevalence of Integument Injuries and Associated Risk Factors Among Canadian Turkeys. Front Vet Sci 2022; 8:757776. [PMID: 35071378 PMCID: PMC8777054 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.757776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Injurious pecking can cause a wide range of damage and is an important welfare and economic issue in turkey production. Aggressive pecking typically targets the head/neck (HN) area, and feather pecking typically targets the back/tail (BT) area; injuries in these separate areas could be used as a proxy for the level of aggressive and feather pecking in a flock. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for integument injuries in Canadian turkey flocks. A survey containing a questionnaire about housing and management practices and a scoring guide was distributed to 500 turkey farmers across Canada. The farmer scored pecking injuries in two different body areas (HN and BT) on a 0-2 scale on a subset of birds within each flock. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify factors associated with the presence of HN and BT injuries. The prevalence of birds with integument injuries ranged widely between the flock subsets (HN = 0-40%, BT = 0-97%), however the mean prevalence was low (HN = 6%, BT = 10%). The presence of injuries for logistic regression was defined as flocks with an injury prevalence greater than the median level of injury prevalence in the dataset (3.3% HN and 6.6% BT). The final logistic regression model for HN injuries contained five variables: flock sex, flock age, number of daily inspections, number of different people during inspections, and picking up birds during inspections (N = 62, pR2 = 0.23, α = 0.05). The final logistic regression model for BT injuries contained six variables: flock sex, flock age, litter depth, litter condition, inspection duration, and use of hospital pens for sick/injured birds (N = 59, pR2 = 0.29, α = 0.05). Flock age, and to a lesser extent, sex was associated with both types of injuries. From a management perspective, aggressive pecking injuries appear to be influenced by variables related to human interaction, namely during inspections. On the other hand, the presence of feather pecking injuries, was associated with litter condition and other management factors like separating sick birds. Future research on injurious pecking in turkeys should focus on these aspects of housing and management to better describe the relationship between the identified variables and the prevalence and severity of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M. Leishman
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Nienke van Staaveren
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Department of Animal Biosciences, The Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Vern R. Osborne
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Department of Animal Biosciences, The Centre for Nutrition Modelling, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin J. Wood
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Hybrid Turkeys, Kitchener, ON, Canada
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD, Australia
| | - Christine F. Baes
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Centre for the Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
- Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Genetics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek
- Department of Animal Biosciences, The Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Volkmann N, Brünger J, Stracke J, Zelenka C, Koch R, Kemper N, Spindler B. Learn to Train: Improving Training Data for a Neural Network to Detect Pecking Injuries in Turkeys. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2655. [PMID: 34573621 PMCID: PMC8469856 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to develop a camera-based system using artificial intelligence for automated detection of pecking injuries in turkeys. Videos were recorded and split into individual images for further processing. Using specifically developed software, the injuries visible on these images were marked by humans, and a neural network was trained with these annotations. Due to unacceptable agreement between the annotations of humans and the network, several work steps were initiated to improve the training data. First, a costly work step was used to create high-quality annotations (HQA) for which multiple observers evaluated already annotated injuries. Therefore, each labeled detection had to be validated by three observers before it was saved as "finished", and for each image, all detections had to be verified three times. Then, a network was trained with these HQA to assist observers in annotating more data. Finally, the benefit of the work step generating HQA was tested, and it was shown that the value of the agreement between the annotations of humans and the network could be doubled. Although the system is not yet capable of ensuring adequate detection of pecking injuries, the study demonstrated the importance of such validation steps in order to obtain good training data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Volkmann
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Animal Behavior, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30173 Hannover, Germany; (J.S.); (N.K.); (B.S.)
| | - Johannes Brünger
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24118 Kiel, Germany; (J.B.); (C.Z.); (R.K.)
| | - Jenny Stracke
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Animal Behavior, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30173 Hannover, Germany; (J.S.); (N.K.); (B.S.)
| | - Claudius Zelenka
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24118 Kiel, Germany; (J.B.); (C.Z.); (R.K.)
| | - Reinhard Koch
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24118 Kiel, Germany; (J.B.); (C.Z.); (R.K.)
| | - Nicole Kemper
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Animal Behavior, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30173 Hannover, Germany; (J.S.); (N.K.); (B.S.)
| | - Birgit Spindler
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Animal Behavior, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, 30173 Hannover, Germany; (J.S.); (N.K.); (B.S.)
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Lindenwald R, Schuberth HJ, Spindler B, Rautenschlein S. Influence of environmental enrichment on circulating white blood cell counts and behavior of female turkeys. Poult Sci 2021; 100:101360. [PMID: 34320453 PMCID: PMC8327346 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Under commercial conditions turkeys are housed in large groups in poorly structured environments. This leads to stress and subsequently to pecking and cannibalism. Environmental enrichment is suggested to reduce stress and feather pecking, thus leading to an increase of the overall flock health. However, the effect of increasing age on the use of enrichment elements and on the behavior repertoire as well as its correlation with health parameters has scarcely been studied. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the influence of environmental enrichment on the behavioral repertoire and on health parameters of turkeys. In 3 consecutive trials, female turkeys were housed up to 12 wk either in an unstructured (control group) or enriched environment (EE group) featuring elevated plateaus at different levels (“turkey tree”). Behavior parameters, clinical health, and immune parameters were determined at selected time points. The percentage of birds using the turkey tree increased with age up to 55 to 77% at 22 to 30 d post hatch (dph). Thereafter, the number of birds located on the turkey tree decreased to 25 to 32% at 73 to 79 dph. Feather pecking and fighting was significantly lower in the EE group compared to the control group in 2 and 3 trials, respectively (P < 0.05). The integrity of feathers and integument, scored in the head/neck, wing, and tail regions was repeatedly better in the EE birds compared to control birds at most investigated time points (P < 0.05), suggesting a reduction in stress related aggression by the use of the turkey tree. Head pecking, running and flying activity, foraging, and preening were overall comparable between the EE and the control group (P > 0.05). Humoral immunity as determined by vaccination-induced anti-Newcastle disease virus antibody titers was not affected by the turkey tree use. The flow cytometric evaluation of blood monocyte and T-lymphocyte numbers showed no repeatable difference between control and EE groups. Interestingly, compared to the control groups, EE birds displayed significantly higher numbers of circulating MHC class II+ lymphocytes and lower numbers of thrombocytes at various time points compared to controls (P < 0.05). This study provides clear evidence that environmental enrichment with plateaus not only leads to an altered behavioral repertoire but also modifies some of the investigated immune parameters, implying that EE may have a modulatory effect on turkeys’ immunity and overall fitness. Further studies are needed to understand the correlation between behavior and health parameters in birds more closely.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Lindenwald
- Clinic for Poultry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | - H-J Schuberth
- Institute of Immunology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover 30559, Germany
| | - B Spindler
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behavior, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover 30173, Germany
| | - S Rautenschlein
- Clinic for Poultry, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover 30559, Germany.
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Automatically Detected Pecking Activity in Group-Housed Turkeys. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10112034. [PMID: 33158208 PMCID: PMC7694255 DOI: 10.3390/ani10112034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cannibalism is one of the biggest welfare issues of today’s turkey husbandry. We hypothesized that changes in pecking activity might indicate imminent cannibalism. Therefore, in this pilot study a newly developed automatic pecking activity detection was validated, and continuously applied to gain information about pecking activity of group-housed turkeys during the rearing phase and before a cannibalistic outbreak. The pecking object was used by turkeys the whole recording time. Activity on the object was highest in the morning. No clear trend in pecking activity development before an outbreak has yet been found. Pecking detection has to be further tested under various farm conditions. The system can be used in further research in order to survey changes in pecking activity in turkeys. Abstract In search for an early warning system for cannibalism, in this study a newly developed automatic pecking activity detection system was validated and used to investigate how pecking activity changes over the rearing phase and before cannibalistic outbreaks. Data were recorded on two farms, one with female (intact beaks) and the other with male (trimmed beaks) turkeys. A metallic pecking object that was equipped with a microphone was installed in the barn and video monitored. Pecking activity was continuously recorded and fed into a CNN (Convolutional neural network) model that automatically detected pecks. The CNN was validated on both farms, and very satisfactory detection performances were reached (mean sensitivity/recall, specificity, accuracy, precision, and F1-score around 90% or higher). The extent of pecking at the object differed between farms, but the objects were used during the whole recording time, with highest activities in the morning hours. Daily pecking frequencies showed a low downward trend over the rearing period, although on both farms they increased again in week 5 of life. No clear associations between pecking frequencies and in total three cannibalistic outbreaks on farm 1 in one batch could be found. The detection system is usable for further research, but it should be further automated. It should also be further tested under various farm conditions.
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Behavioral responses of turkeys subjected to different climatic conditions. Trop Anim Health Prod 2020; 52:2855-2862. [PMID: 32556906 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-019-02106-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
I was evaluated the effect of seven different combinations of temperature, air velocity, and relative air humidity on the frequency and duration of eating, drinking, resting, cannibalism, dust bathing, scratching, ground pecking, shivering, and stretching behaviors of turkeys at three different ages. The combinations tested of temperature, relative air humidity, and air velocity were, respectively: 1 (22 °C, 50%, 1 m/s); 2 (26.2 °C, 73.2%, 0.45 m/s); 3 (26.6 °C, 71.2%, 1 m/s); 4 (28.9 °C, 72%, 1.4 m/s); 5 (31.1 °C, 85%, 0.45 m/s); 6 (34.1 °C, 82.1%, 1 m/s); and 7 (34.4 °C, 82.1%, 1.4 m/s) for three ages of birds (61, 96, and 131 days of age). Seven birds were housed per pen, at a density of 3 males/m2, totaling 147 birds in the entire experiment. Each combination was applied for 5 days. The data were analyzed considering the number of times the bird performed the behavior and the time it performed (in seconds). Each pen was considered a repetition. A comparison of the medians was used to compare the treatments by each age. The results showed that young birds were more likely to suffer from the combination of low temperature and high air velocity, reducing their frequency of normal behaviors. Increased humidity at a low temperature raised the frequency of scratching, shivering, and cannibalism behaviors leading to poorer bird welfare. It is recommended that the temperature, relative air humidity, and air velocity combination of 26.6 °C; 71.2%; and 1 m/s, respectively, for young birds, and 22 °C; 50%; and 1 m/s, respectively, for older birds should be used.
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Marchewka J, Vasdal G, Moe RO. Identifying welfare issues in turkey hen and tom flocks applying the transect walk method. Poult Sci 2019; 98:3391-3399. [PMID: 31064008 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pez211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In commercial conditions turkey tom and hen flocks are reared under similar housing and management conditions. However, the 2 sexes differ with regard to behavioral and physiological characteristics, and are slaughtered at different ages, resulting in different growth patterns. The rearing environment and management likely have similar effects on the welfare of both sexes reared in 1 barn, as usual in commercial flocks, but this has not previously been studied. The main aim of current study was to identify on-farm health and welfare issues of commercially reared hen and tom turkeys at 11 wk of age using the transect walk method. The study was conducted between November 2017 and March 2018 in 20 commercial turkey flocks on 16 different farms in the eastern part of Norway. On each farm, 1 barn, divided into tom and hen area, was evaluated using transect walk method. An observer walked the transects in random order and recorded the total number of birds per transect that were immobile; lame, with visible head, tail, or wing wounds; small; featherless; dirty; sick; terminal or dead. To analyze the data, we applied ANOVA and Spearman correlations in SAS software (v 9.3). The most commonly observed welfare indicators across sexes were dirty and featherless birds, and birds with tail and wing wounds. Across sexes, poor litter quality resulted in more head wounds (P < 0.05). Toms had significantly more tail wounds (P < 0.001), there were more sick birds (P < 0.01) and more terminal birds (P < 0.01) compared to hens at the same age. Several of the welfare indicators were positively correlated between the sexes, including lame, head, wing- and tail-wounded, dirty, and dead birds, suggesting similar underlying environmental causes affecting animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Marchewka
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzebiec, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland
| | - Guro Vasdal
- Norwegian Meat and Poultry Research Centre, Lorenveien 38, 0515 Oslo, Norway
| | - Randi O Moe
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, PO Box 8146 dep., 0033 Oslo, Norway
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Vermette C, Schwean-Lardner K, Gomis S, Grahn B, Crowe T, Classen H. The impact of graded levels of day length on turkey health and behavior to 18 weeks of age. Poult Sci 2016; 95:1223-37. [DOI: 10.3382/ps/pew078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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15
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Marchewka J, Watanabe T, Ferrante V, Estevez I. Review of the social and environmental factors affecting the behavior and welfare of turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Poult Sci 2013; 92:1467-73. [DOI: 10.3382/ps.2012-02943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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16
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Zimmerman P, Buijs S, Bolhuis J, Keeling L. Behaviour of domestic fowl in anticipation of positive and negative stimuli. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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17
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Buchwalder T, Huber-Eicher B. Effect of group size on aggressive reactions to an introduced conspecific in groups of domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2004.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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18
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Olsson IAS, Keeling LJ. Why in earth? Dustbathing behaviour in jungle and domestic fowl reviewed from a Tinbergian and animal welfare perspective. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2004.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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19
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Buchwalder T, Huber-Eicher B. Effect of increased floor space on aggressive behaviour in male turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2004. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2004.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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Cheng HW, Muir WM. Chronic social stress differentially regulates neuroendocrine responses in laying hens: II. Genetic basis of adrenal responses under three different social conditions. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2004; 29:961-71. [PMID: 15177713 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2003.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2002] [Revised: 08/18/2003] [Accepted: 09/09/2003] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Chicken lines were divergently selected for both high (HGPS) or low (LGPS) group productivity and survivability resulting from cannibalism and flightiness in colony cages. Each line has unique characteristics in physical indexes, domestic behavior, and physiological responsiveness to stress. The differences between the selected lines could be reflected in differing regulation of the neuroendocrine system such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Change of the adrenal function is a key initial event in response to stress in animals, which differs for this trait. Comparisons between the selected lines showed that adrenal function was stable in HGPS hens but not in LGPS hens in response to chronic social stress. Social stress-induced adrenal hypertrophy and its positive correlation with plasma corticosterone concentrations were found in the LGPS hens but not in the HGPS hens. The data demonstrated that chickens selected for variations in productivity and survivability variously altered the adrenal system in response to social stressors. The results suggest that these chicken lines could be valuable animal models for biomedical investigation of the effect of genetic-environmental interactions on the neuroendocrine function in controlling stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- H W Cheng
- Livestock Behavior Research Unit, USDA-ARS, W. Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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21
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A brief report on aggressive interactions within and between groups of domestic turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2003. [DOI: 10.1016/s0168-1591(03)00149-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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22
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Odetallah NH, Parks CW, Ferket PR. Effect of wheat enzyme preparation on the performance characteristics of Tom turkeys fed wheat-based rations. Poult Sci 2002; 81:987-94. [PMID: 12162360 DOI: 10.1093/ps/81.7.987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Wheat contains 5 to 8% nonstarch polysaccharides (NSP). The NSP complex forms a viscous mass when fully hydrated, which impedes the absorption of nutrients from chyme and causes reduced growth performance and osmotic diarrhea and associated wet litter. These adverse effects can be alleviated by appropriate enzyme supplementation. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the efficacy of endoxylanase and beta-glucanase enzyme mixtures supplemented to wheat-based diets on growth performance characteristics of turkeys. Seven-day-old Large White male turkeys were randomly assigned to 40 litter floor pens of 12 poults each as a completely randomized block design arrangement of four experimental treatments and were raised to 140 d. The dietary treatment consisted of a control treatment (no supplemental enzyme) and three dietary enzyme treatments: 1) Lyxasan forte, 2) Natugrain Blend, and 3) Natugrain. Body weight, feed consumption, and mortality were recorded weekly. Feather condition was evaluated at 98 d of age. Natugrain Blend improved BW at 84 d (P < 0.075) and 112 d (P < 0.01) in comparison to the unsupplemented control diet. Lyxasan forte had the best feed/gain ratio throughout the experiment. Subjective feather condition score was significantly improved (P < 0.05) by all the three enzyme treatments and corresponded with reduced incidence of neck and back picking behavior. The enzyme treatment groups had lower mortality than the control group with the Natugrain blend treatment having the lowest mortality rate through the experiment. The results of this experiment demonstrate marginal improvement in growth performance of turkeys depending upon enzyme formulation.
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Sherwin C, Lewis P, Perry G. The effects of environmental enrichment and intermittent lighting on the behaviour and welfare of male domestic turkeys. Appl Anim Behav Sci 1999. [DOI: 10.1016/s0168-1591(98)00215-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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