The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems

M.F. Giersberg; R. Molenaar; I.C. de Jong; C. Souza da Silva; H. van den Brand; B. Kemp; T.B. Rodenburg

Abstract

The peri-hatching environment can affect health, resilience and welfare of broiler chickens in later life. Optimal early and later life conditions will likely contribute to a reduction in the use of antimicrobials in broiler production. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of recently developed hatching systems on the well-being of broiler chickens in early and later life. Therefore, a grow-out experiment was performed with chickens that hatched either conventionally (HH, hatchery hatched, no light, feed or water in the hatcher), in a system which provided feed and water in the hatcher (HF, hatchery fed) or on-farm (OH, on-farm hatched, where feed and water were available after hatch and, in addition, transport of day-old chickens from hatchery to farm was not necessary). The animals were reared in three batches, in 12 floor pens/batch (1,150 animals/pen) with a total of 12 replicates of each treatment. Several animal-based indicators were assessed following standard protocols: plumage cleanliness, footpad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn, skin lesion (at d21 and 35 of age), and gait score (d35). Furthermore, a set of behavioural tests was carried out: novel environment (d1 and 21), tonic immobility, novel object, and avoidance distance test (d4 and 35). Plumage cleanliness, hock burn and skin lesion were affected by age but not by hatching system, with older broilers scoring worse than younger ones (P<0.05). An effect of hatching system was only found for FPD, with HH chickens having more frequently and more severe lesions compared to HF and OH chickens (P<0.05). All responses measured in the behavioural tests were again affected by age but not by hatching system. In later life, chickens acted significantly less fearful than during the first days of life. The results indicate that conventionally hatched chickens scored significantly worse for the key indicator FPD, whereas, in general, hatching system seemed to have minor effects on welfare and behaviour of broilers

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Book of Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science
Place of Publication	Wageningen
Publisher	Wageningen Academic Publishers
Pages	549-549
ISBN (Electronic)	9789086869008
ISBN (Print)	9789086863495
Publication status	Published - Dec 2020
Event	71st EAAP Annual Meeting of European Federation of Animal Science - Duration: 1 Dec 2020 → 4 Dec 2020

Conference/symposium

Conference/symposium	71st EAAP Annual Meeting of European Federation of Animal Science
Period	1/12/20 → 4/12/20

Access to Document

https://www-wageningenacademic-com.ezproxy.library.wur.nl/doi/epdf/10.3920/978-90-8686-900-8#page=551

The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems
Giersberg, M. (Speaker), Molenaar, R. (Contributor), de Jong, I. (Contributor), Souza da Silva, C. (Contributor), van den Brand, H. (Contributor), Kemp, B. (Contributor) & Rodenburg, B. (Contributor)
4 Dec 2020
Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation › Academic

Cite this

Giersberg, M. F., Molenaar, R., de Jong, I. C., Souza da Silva, C., van den Brand, H., Kemp, B., & Rodenburg, T. B. (2020). The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems. In Book of Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science (pp. 549-549). Wageningen Academic Publishers. https://www-wageningenacademic-com.ezproxy.library.wur.nl/doi/epdf/10.3920/978-90-8686-900-8#page=551

@inbook{680e87ed20ef480fa7e6b7ae54985648,

title = "The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems",

abstract = "The peri-hatching environment can affect health, resilience and welfare of broiler chickens in later life. Optimal early and later life conditions will likely contribute to a reduction in the use of antimicrobials in broiler production. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of recently developed hatching systems on the well-being of broiler chickens in early and later life. Therefore, a grow-out experiment was performed with chickens that hatched either conventionally (HH, hatchery hatched, no light, feed or water in the hatcher), in a system which provided feed and water in the hatcher (HF, hatchery fed) or on-farm (OH, on-farm hatched, where feed and water were available after hatch and, in addition, transport of day-old chickens from hatchery to farm was not necessary). The animals were reared in three batches, in 12 floor pens/batch (1,150 animals/pen) with a total of 12 replicates of each treatment. Several animal-based indicators were assessed following standard protocols: plumage cleanliness, footpad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn, skin lesion (at d21 and 35 of age), and gait score (d35). Furthermore, a set of behavioural tests was carried out: novel environment (d1 and 21), tonic immobility, novel object, and avoidance distance test (d4 and 35). Plumage cleanliness, hock burn and skin lesion were affected by age but not by hatching system, with older broilers scoring worse than younger ones (P<0.05). An effect of hatching system was only found for FPD, with HH chickens having more frequently and more severe lesions compared to HF and OH chickens (P<0.05). All responses measured in the behavioural tests were again affected by age but not by hatching system. In later life, chickens acted significantly less fearful than during the first days of life. The results indicate that conventionally hatched chickens scored significantly worse for the key indicator FPD, whereas, in general, hatching system seemed to have minor effects on welfare and behaviour of broilers",

author = "M.F. Giersberg and R. Molenaar and {de Jong}, I.C. and {Souza da Silva}, C. and {van den Brand}, H. and B. Kemp and T.B. Rodenburg",

year = "2020",

month = dec,

language = "English",

isbn = "9789086863495",

pages = "549--549",

booktitle = "Book of Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science",

publisher = "Wageningen Academic Publishers",

address = "Netherlands",

note = "71st EAAP Annual Meeting of European Federation of Animal Science ; Conference date: 01-12-2020 Through 04-12-2020",

}

Giersberg, MF, Molenaar, R , de Jong, IC, Souza da Silva, C, van den Brand, H , Kemp, B & Rodenburg, TB 2020, The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems. in Book of Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, pp. 549-549, 71st EAAP Annual Meeting of European Federation of Animal Science, 1/12/20. <https://www-wageningenacademic-com.ezproxy.library.wur.nl/doi/epdf/10.3920/978-90-8686-900-8#page=551>

The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems. / Giersberg, M.F.; Molenaar, R.; de Jong, I.C. et al.
Book of Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2020. p. 549-549.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Abstract

TY - CHAP

T1 - The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems

AU - Giersberg, M.F.

AU - Molenaar, R.

AU - de Jong, I.C.

AU - Souza da Silva, C.

AU - van den Brand, H.

AU - Kemp, B.

AU - Rodenburg, T.B.

PY - 2020/12

Y1 - 2020/12

N2 - The peri-hatching environment can affect health, resilience and welfare of broiler chickens in later life. Optimal early and later life conditions will likely contribute to a reduction in the use of antimicrobials in broiler production. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of recently developed hatching systems on the well-being of broiler chickens in early and later life. Therefore, a grow-out experiment was performed with chickens that hatched either conventionally (HH, hatchery hatched, no light, feed or water in the hatcher), in a system which provided feed and water in the hatcher (HF, hatchery fed) or on-farm (OH, on-farm hatched, where feed and water were available after hatch and, in addition, transport of day-old chickens from hatchery to farm was not necessary). The animals were reared in three batches, in 12 floor pens/batch (1,150 animals/pen) with a total of 12 replicates of each treatment. Several animal-based indicators were assessed following standard protocols: plumage cleanliness, footpad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn, skin lesion (at d21 and 35 of age), and gait score (d35). Furthermore, a set of behavioural tests was carried out: novel environment (d1 and 21), tonic immobility, novel object, and avoidance distance test (d4 and 35). Plumage cleanliness, hock burn and skin lesion were affected by age but not by hatching system, with older broilers scoring worse than younger ones (P<0.05). An effect of hatching system was only found for FPD, with HH chickens having more frequently and more severe lesions compared to HF and OH chickens (P<0.05). All responses measured in the behavioural tests were again affected by age but not by hatching system. In later life, chickens acted significantly less fearful than during the first days of life. The results indicate that conventionally hatched chickens scored significantly worse for the key indicator FPD, whereas, in general, hatching system seemed to have minor effects on welfare and behaviour of broilers

AB - The peri-hatching environment can affect health, resilience and welfare of broiler chickens in later life. Optimal early and later life conditions will likely contribute to a reduction in the use of antimicrobials in broiler production. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of recently developed hatching systems on the well-being of broiler chickens in early and later life. Therefore, a grow-out experiment was performed with chickens that hatched either conventionally (HH, hatchery hatched, no light, feed or water in the hatcher), in a system which provided feed and water in the hatcher (HF, hatchery fed) or on-farm (OH, on-farm hatched, where feed and water were available after hatch and, in addition, transport of day-old chickens from hatchery to farm was not necessary). The animals were reared in three batches, in 12 floor pens/batch (1,150 animals/pen) with a total of 12 replicates of each treatment. Several animal-based indicators were assessed following standard protocols: plumage cleanliness, footpad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn, skin lesion (at d21 and 35 of age), and gait score (d35). Furthermore, a set of behavioural tests was carried out: novel environment (d1 and 21), tonic immobility, novel object, and avoidance distance test (d4 and 35). Plumage cleanliness, hock burn and skin lesion were affected by age but not by hatching system, with older broilers scoring worse than younger ones (P<0.05). An effect of hatching system was only found for FPD, with HH chickens having more frequently and more severe lesions compared to HF and OH chickens (P<0.05). All responses measured in the behavioural tests were again affected by age but not by hatching system. In later life, chickens acted significantly less fearful than during the first days of life. The results indicate that conventionally hatched chickens scored significantly worse for the key indicator FPD, whereas, in general, hatching system seemed to have minor effects on welfare and behaviour of broilers

M3 - Abstract

SN - 9789086863495

SP - 549

EP - 549

BT - Book of Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science

PB - Wageningen Academic Publishers

CY - Wageningen

T2 - 71st EAAP Annual Meeting of European Federation of Animal Science

Y2 - 1 December 2020 through 4 December 2020

ER -

The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems

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The HealthyLivestock approach: welfare and behaviour of broilers hatching in different systems

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