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Bashir N, Şekeroğlu A, Tainika B, Gür FM, Duman M, Şentürk YE. Effect of different pasture species on welfare and behavior of slow-growing broiler chickens in free-range production system. Trop Anim Health Prod 2023; 55:206. [PMID: 37198460 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-023-03616-1] [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: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of various pasture species on the welfare and behavior of slow-growing broiler chickens in the free-range production system. After 21 days completely indoors, the birds were permitted access to outdoor pens cultivated with one of the following pasture treatments: Medicago sativa (A), Trifolium repens (WC), Lolium perenne (PR), and a mixture (Mix, A + WC + PR). The range availability was restricted between 08:30 and 16:30 daily. It was found that pasture type had a significant effect on the fluctuating asymmetry of the face and radius length (P < 0.01). Duration of tonic immobility and blood parameters did not differ among the pasture species and between sexes at 11 weeks of broiler age (P > 0.05). Pasture treatment had no significant effect on broiler behaviors (P > 0.05). However, the age of broilers had a significant effect on pecking, dustbathing, and scratching (P < 0.01). Pecking behavior was affected by the time of the day; morning and afternoon (P < 0.01). Location had a significant effect on pecking and stretching behaviors (P < 0.01). In the study, dustbathing behavior was significantly affected by the interaction between location and age (P < 0.01), age and time of the day (P < 0.01), and location, age, and time of the day (P < 0.05). Scratching behavior was significantly affected by the interaction between location and time of the day (P < 0.05) and location, age and time of the day (P < 0.01). Stretching behavior was significantly affected by the interaction between location and age (P < 0.05) and location, age and time of the day (P < 0.05). It was concluded that access to the studied pasture species does not affect the evaluated welfare traits and observed behaviors. Therefore, it is suggested that other pasture species should be investigated to identify their effect on slow-growing strains in the free-range production system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bashir
- Department of Animal Production and Technologies, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51240, Niğde, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Şekeroğlu
- Department of Animal Production and Technologies, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51240, Niğde, Turkey.
| | - Brian Tainika
- Department of Animal Production and Technologies, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51240, Niğde, Turkey
| | - Fatih Mehmet Gür
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51240, Niğde, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Duman
- Department of Laboratory and Veterinary Health, Bor Vocational School, Niğde Omer Halisdemir University, 51240, Niğde, Turkey
| | - Yunus Emre Şentürk
- Department of Animal Production and Technologies, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technologies, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, 51240, Niğde, Turkey
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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 2022; 102:102233. [PMID: 36351344 PMCID: PMC9647224 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.102233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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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Bari MS, Kheravii SK, Bajagai YS, Wu SB, Keerqin C, Campbell DLM. Cecal Microbiota of Free-Range Hens Varied With Different Rearing Enrichments and Ranging Patterns. Front Microbiol 2022; 12:797396. [PMID: 35222302 PMCID: PMC8881003 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.797396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Free-range pullets are reared indoors but the adult hens can go outside which is a mismatch that may reduce adaptation in the laying environment. Rearing enrichments might enhance pullet development and adaptations to subsequent free-range housing with impact on behavior and health measures including gut microbiota. Adult free-range hens vary in range use which may also be associated with microbiota composition. A total of 1,700 Hy-Line Brown® chicks were reared indoors across 16 weeks with three enrichment treatment groups: “control” with standard litter housing, “novelty” with weekly changed novel objects, and “structural” with custom-designed perching structures in the pens. At 15 weeks, 45 pullet cecal contents were sampled before moving 1,386 pullets to the free-range housing system. At 25 weeks, range access commenced, and movements were tracked via radio-frequency identification technology. At 65 weeks, 91 hens were selected based on range use patterns (“indoor”: no ranging; “high outdoor”: daily ranging) across all rearing enrichment groups and cecal contents were collected for microbiota analysis via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing at V3-V4 regions. The most common bacteria in pullets were unclassified Barnesiellaceae, Prevotella, Blautia and Clostridium and in hens Unclassified, Ruminococcus, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, unclassified Bacteroidales, unclassified Paraprevotellaceae YRC22, and Blautia. The microbial alpha diversity was not significant within the enrichment/ranging groups (pullets: P ≥ 0.17, hen rearing enrichment groups: P ≥ 0.06, hen ranging groups: P ≥ 0.54), but beta diversity significantly varied between these groups (pullets: P ≤ 0.002, hen rearing enrichment groups: P ≤ 0.001, hen ranging groups: P ≤ 0.008). Among the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the propionic acid content was higher (P = 0.03) in the novelty group of pullets than the control group. There were no other significant differences in the SCFA contents between the rearing enrichment groups (all P ≥ 0.10), and the ranging groups (all P ≥ 0.17). Most of the genera identified were more abundant in the indoor than high outdoor hens. Overall, rearing enrichments affected the cecal microbiota diversity of both pullets and adult hens and was able to distinguish hens that remained inside compared with hens that ranging daily for several hours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Saiful Bari
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, NSW, Australia
- Department of Dairy and Poultry Science, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram, Bangladesh
- *Correspondence: Md Saiful Bari,
| | - Sarbast K. Kheravii
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Yadav S. Bajagai
- Institute for Future Farming Systems, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD, Australia
| | - Shu-Biao Wu
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Chake Keerqin
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
| | - Dana L. M. Campbell
- Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Armidale, NSW, Australia
- Dana L. M. Campbell,
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