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Hong GAT, Tobalske BW, van Staaveren N, Leishman EM, Widowski T, Powers DR, Harlander-Matauschek A. A wing-assisted incline running exercise regime during rearing increases initial flight velocity during descent in adult white- and brown-feathered laying hens. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103375. [PMID: 38198915 PMCID: PMC10792642 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103375] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Domestic laying hens rely primarily on their hindlimbs for terrestrial locomotion. Although they perform flapping flight, they appear to use maximal power during descent and thus may lack control for maneuvering and avoiding injuries on landing. This in turn may result in injury in open rearing systems. Wing-assisted incline running (WAIR) requires a bird to use its wings to assist the hindlimbs during climbing of an incline, and training in WAIR may therefore provide a useful method to increase a hen's power reserve and control for flight. We subjected hens to an exercise regimen involving inclines to induce WAIR for 16 wk during rearing. We then measured wing and body kinematics during aerial descent from a 155 cm platform. We hypothesized that birds reared with exercise would be better able to modulate their wing and body kinematics for making slower, more-controlled descent and landing. Brown-feathered birds exhibited greater wing beat frequencies than white-feathered birds, which is consistent with the higher wing loading of brown-feathered birds and WAIR-trained birds exhibited greater initial flight velocities compared to control birds. This may indicate that WAIR training provided an improved capacity to modulate flight velocity and strengthen the leg muscles. Providing incline exercises during rearing may therefore improve welfare for adult laying hens as greater initial flight velocity should reduce the power required for supporting body weight in the air and allow a hen to direct her excess power toward maneuvering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A T Hong
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Bret W Tobalske
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Nienke van Staaveren
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada; Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada; Department Population Health Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Emily M Leishman
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada; Centre for Nutrition Modelling, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tina Widowski
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Donald R Powers
- Department of Biology, George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
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Hong GAT, Tobalske BW, van Staaveren N, Leishman EM, Widowski TM, Powers DR, Harlander-Matauschek A. Reduction of wing area affects estimated stress in the primary flight muscles of chickens. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230817. [PMID: 38034124 PMCID: PMC10685109 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
In flying birds, the pectoralis (PECT) and supracoracoideus (SUPRA) generate most of the power required for flight, while the wing feathers create the aerodynamic forces. However, in domestic laying hens, little is known about the architectural properties of these muscles and the forces the wings produce. As housing space increases for commercial laying hens, understanding these properties is important for assuring safe locomotion. We tested the effects of wing area loss on mass, physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA), and estimated muscle stress (EMS) of the PECT and SUPRA in white-feathered laying hens. Treatments included Unclipped (N = 18), Half-Clipped with primaries removed (N = 18) and Fully-Clipped with the primaries and secondaries removed (N = 18). The mass and PCSA of the PECT and SUPRA did not vary significantly with treatment. Thus, laying hen muscle anatomy may be relatively resistant to changes in external wing morphology. We observed significant differences in EMS among treatments, as Unclipped birds exhibited the greatest EMS. This suggests that intact wings provide the greatest stimulus of external force for the primary flight muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A. T. Hong
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Bret W. Tobalske
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Nienke van Staaveren
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario Canada, N1G 2W1
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Emily M. Leishman
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario Canada, N1G 2W1
- Centre for Nutrition Modelling, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Tina M. Widowski
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario Canada, N1G 2W1
| | - Donald R. Powers
- Department of Biology, George Fox University, 414N Meridian St, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
| | - Alexandra Harlander-Matauschek
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, Ontario Canada, N1G 2W1
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van Staaveren N, Tobalske BW, Brost J, Sharma R, Beaufrère H, Elias A, Harlander-Matauschek A. Biomechanics of landing in injured and uninjured chickens and the role of meloxicam. Poult Sci 2023; 102:102794. [PMID: 37307632 PMCID: PMC10276282 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.102794] [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: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Birds use their legs and wings when transitioning from aerial to ground locomotion during landing. To improve our understanding of the effects of footpad dermatitis (FPD) and keel bone fracture (KBF) upon landing biomechanics in laying hens, we measured ground-reaction forces generated by hens (n = 37) as they landed on force plates (Bertec Corporation, Columbus, OH) from a 30 cm drop or 170 cm jump in a single-blinded placebo-controlled trial using a cross-over design where birds received an anti-inflammatory (meloxicam, 5 mg/kg body mass) or placebo treatment beforehand. We used generalized linear mixed models to test for effects of health status, treatment and their interaction on landing velocity (m/s), maximum resultant force (N), and impulse (force integrated with respect to time [N s]). Birds with FPD and KBF tended to show divergent alterations to their landing biomechanics when landing from a 30 cm drop, with a higher landing velocity and maximum force in KBF compared to FPD birds, potentially indicative of efforts to either reduce the use of their wings or impacts on inflamed footpads. In contrast, at 170 cm jumps fewer differences between birds of different health statuses were observed likely due to laying hens being poor flyers already at their maximum power output. Our results indicate that orthopedic injuries, apart from being welfare issues on their own, may have subtle influences on bird mobility through altered landing biomechanics that should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke van Staaveren
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bret W Tobalske
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Jacob Brost
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rahul Sharma
- Department of Animal Biosciences, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hugues Beaufrère
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Epidemiology, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Audrey Elias
- School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
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Garant RC, Tobalske BW, Ben Sassi N, van Staaveren N, Tulpan D, Widowski T, Powers DR, Harlander-Matauschek A. Does wing use and disuse cause behavioural and musculoskeletal changes in domestic fowl ( Gallus gallus domesticus)? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:220809. [PMID: 36704252 PMCID: PMC9874265 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Domestic chickens may live in environments which restrict wing muscle usage. Notably, reduced wing activity and accompanying muscle weakness are hypothesized risk factors for keel bone fractures and deviations. We used radio-frequency identification (RFID) to measure duration spent at elevated resources (feeders, nest-boxes), ultrasonography to measure muscle thickness (breast and lower leg) changes, radiography and palpation to determine fractures and deviations, respectively, following no, partial (one-sided wing sling) and full (cage) immobilization in white- and brown-feathered birds. We hypothesized partially immobilized hens would reduce elevated resource usage and that both immobilization groups would show decreased pectoralis thickness (disuse) and increased prevalence of fractures and deviations. Elevated nest-box usage was 42% lower following five weeks of partial immobilization for brown-feathered hens but no change in resource usage in white-feathered birds was observed. Fully immobilized, white-feathered hens showed a 17% reduction in pectoralis thickness, while the brown-feathered counterparts showed no change. Lastly, fractures and deviations were not affected in either strain or form of wing immobilization; however, overall low numbers of birds presented with these issues. Altogether, this study shows a profound difference between white- and brown-feathered hens in response to wing immobilization and associated muscle physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée C. Garant
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Bret W. Tobalske
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Neila Ben Sassi
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Nienke van Staaveren
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Dan Tulpan
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Tina Widowski
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Donald R. Powers
- Department of Biology, George Fox University, 414 N Meridian Street, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
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Garant R, Tobalske BW, Sassi NB, van Staaveren N, Widowski T, Powers DR, Harlander-Matauschek A. Wing-feather loss in white-feathered laying hens decreases pectoralis thickness but does not increase risk of keel bone fracture. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220155. [PMID: 35719889 PMCID: PMC9198519 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Feather loss in domestic chickens can occur due to wear and tear, disease or bird-to-bird pecking. Flight feather loss may decrease wing use, cause pectoral muscle loss and adversely impact the keel bone to which these muscles anchor. Feather loss and muscle weakness are hypothesized risk factors for keel bone fractures that are reported in up to 98% of chickens. We used ultrasound to measure changes in pectoral muscle thickness and X-rays to assess keel bone fracture prevalence following symmetric clipping of primary and secondary feathers in white- and brown-feathered birds. Four and six weeks after flight feather clipping, pectoralis thickness decreased by approximately 5%, while lower leg thickness increased by approximately 5% in white-feathered birds. This pectoralis thickness decrease may reflect wing disuse followed by muscle atrophy, while the increased leg thickness may reflect increased bipedal locomotion. The lack of effect on muscle thickness in brown-feathered hens was probably due to their decreased tendency for aerial locomotion. Finally, pectoralis thickness was not associated with keel bone fractures in either white- or brown-feathered birds. This suggests that the white-feathered strain was more sensitive to feather loss. Future prevention strategies should focus on birds most susceptible to muscle loss associated with flight feather damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée Garant
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Bret W. Tobalske
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Neila Ben Sassi
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Nienke van Staaveren
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tina Widowski
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Donald R. Powers
- Department of Biology, George Fox University, 414N Meridian Street, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
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Garant R, Tobalske BW, BenSassi N, van Staaveren N, Tulpan D, Widowski T, Powers DR, Harlander-Matauschek A. Effects of clipping of flight feathers on resource use in Gallus gallus domesticus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211561. [PMID: 35316951 PMCID: PMC8889189 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Ground-dwelling species of birds, such as domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), experience difficulties sustaining flight due to high wing loading. This limited flight ability may be exacerbated by loss of flight feathers that is prevalent among egg-laying chickens. Despite this, chickens housed in aviary style systems need to use flight to access essential resources stacked in vertical tiers. To understand the impact of flight feather loss on chickens' ability to access elevated resources, we clipped primary and secondary flight feathers for two hen strains (brown-feathered and white-feathered, n = 120), and recorded the time hens spent at elevated resources (feeders, nest-boxes). Results showed that flight feather clipping significantly reduced the percentage of time that hens spent at elevated resources compared to ground resources. When clipping both primary and secondary flight feathers, all hens exhibited greater than or equal to 38% reduction in time spent at elevated resources. When clipping only primary flight feathers, brown-feathered hens saw a greater than 50% reduction in time spent at elevated nest-boxes. Additionally, brown-feathered hens scarcely used the elevated feeder regardless of treatment. Clipping of flight feathers altered the amount of time hens spent at elevated resources, highlighting that distribution and accessibility of resources is an important consideration in commercial housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée Garant
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Bret W. Tobalske
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Neila BenSassi
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Nienke van Staaveren
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Dan Tulpan
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tina Widowski
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Donald R. Powers
- Department of Biology, George Fox University, 414N Meridian St, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
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