News published on March 25, 2021
By Leonie Jacobs/Poultry Extension Collaborative Blog
Tessa Grebey and colleagues researched dustbathing behavior in a range of commercial laying hen breeds, including Hy-Line Brown, Bovan Brown, DeKalb White, and Hy-Line birds.
They found that strains respond to social situations differently.
DeKalb White and Hy-Line W36 birds dustbathe in larger groups (10-11 birds), compared to the ...
Participation in Forum on March 23, 2021
Hi! Without knowing too much about your specific poultry system, I would say that ventilation would be a key management approach to avoid heat stress in poultry. High levels of air flow will reduce heat stress even if temperatures are quite high. Another potential approach could be to cool the water that birds have access to, but this may not be feasible. Hope this helps!
Article published the March 8, 2021
Identifying behavioral signs is key to managing heat stress in poultry
Every year, high summer temperatures have important effects on poultry health and welfare. Heat stress occurs when poultry cannot adapt to high environmental temperatures and need to expend energy to maintain their body temperature within the ideal range.
Heat stress can be a problem for any poultry and can affect birds at ...
Article published the February 22, 2021
Animal Welfare is Key to the Sustainability of the Poultry Industry
Animal welfare is in the eye of the beholder. Some consumers are willing to pay more for products from companies with reputations that align with their beliefs. The concept of animal welfare is shaped, in-part, by the ethics of what constitutes a quality life. With a heavy animal activist influence, the consumer is the primary ...
Article published the February 5, 2021
Early feeding can improve broiler performance and welfare
The first experiences of a day-old chick play an important role for the development and performance of chicks later in life. Especially for broilers, one or two days make up a large portion of their relatively short lifespan.
Day-old chicks can actually be up to three days old due to the time it takes for all chicks to hatch within the ...
Article published the January 20, 2021
Avian species rely heavily on vision to provide them with necessary information about their surroundings. Chickens rely on their sense of vision to recognize:
Other chickens.
Predators.
Another chicken's intentions (which allows birds to avoid unwanted aggression).
Location of resources, such as food and water.
Although there is evidence that domestication has weakened a chicken's sense ...
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January 19, 2021