Providing resting enrichments next to active enrichments seems to separate active and resting behaviour more and to improve contact dermatitis in slower-growing broilers.

I.C. de Jong*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstract

Abstract

In the Netherlands, bales are often provided as environmental enrichment in
production systems with slower-growing broiler chickens. Bales may have different
functions, as they can stimulate explorative behaviour and may offer an elevated
resting place as long as they are intact. However, broilers may have more benefits
from specific resting enrichment in addition to bales, so that active and resting
behaviour can be better separated and possibly the behavioural needs of the
broilers are better met. We performed an experiment on a commercial broiler farm
with three houses during three production cycles and with three treatment groups,
each in one house: Control (C; lucerne bales only), Platform (Pl; solid platforms
with ramps in addition to lucerne bales) and Perch (Pe; round metal perches in
addition to lucerne bales). Treatments were alternated between the houses in each
cycle. The platform area was 5% of the floor area and capacity of perches and
platforms was for a similar number of birds. Each house had roof windows (>3%
of floor area); stocking density was 30 kg/m2 and the breed was Hubbard JA757
(as hatched). Behaviour was observed on locations with and without enrichment
in addition to enrichment use and response to a novel object/human approach test
at 2, 4 and 6 weeks of age. Contact dermatitis, gait score, cleanliness and injuries
were measured at 6 weeks of age (just before depopulation). Platforms were more
occupied at all ages as compared to perches. With respect to behaviour, in the Pl
and Pe treatment chickens showed more locomotion on locations without
enrichment and more inactive behaviour on locations with enrichment, whereas
the C treatment showed the opposite. Foraging and explorative behaviour was
highest on locations without enrichment for Pl, but on locations with enrichment
for C. Further, standing was more observed in Pe and C and comfort behaviour
was more observed in Pl and C. Although generally scores for welfare indicators
were low (good) for all treatments, Pe and Pl had less footpad dermatitis as
compared to C. These findings suggest that providing additional resting enrichment
next to bales may have added value as this seems to create functional areas in
the house for resting and active behaviour. Platforms were preferred over the
perches and well used by the chickens, not only to rest on but also to rest under,
and would therefore be the more suitable as resting enrichment.
Original languageEnglish
Pages548-548
Publication statusPublished - 2022
EventWPC World's Poultry Congress 2022 - Palais des Congrès, Paris, France
Duration: 7 Aug 202211 Aug 2022
https://wpcparis2022.com/program-2022/

Conference/symposium

Conference/symposiumWPC World's Poultry Congress 2022
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityParis
Period7/08/2211/08/22
Internet address

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