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Poultry welfare
Proper animal welfare involves providing the proper housing, management, nutrition, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling and, when necessary, humane euthanasia. These factors allow for the most optimal and humane growing environment. The concept of animal welfare includes three elements: the bird’s normal biological functioning, its emotional state and its ability to express its natural behaviors. Improving animal welfare can be accomplished through offerings like poultry feed enrichment, which can reduce stress, thereby increasing performance, productivity and profitability. Animal welfare is currently a major requirement for intensive poultry production. Beak trimming, stocking density, free access to feed, heat stress, and air pollutants became important issues, which are regulated in several countries. Animal welfare is observed by watching how birds naturally behave and even by looking at mortality stemming from aggressive behaviors.
The composition of gastrointestinal microbiota has been demonstrated to affect behaviour and vice versa (Neufeld et al., 2011; Berthoud, 2008). In free-range laying hens, the individual preference to range can lead to characteristic sub-populations of the flock (Hinch & Lee, 2011). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of ranging behaviour on caecal microbiota in laying hens. A flock of sixty ISA Brown laying hens was housed in the UNE research facilities with...
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I. INTRODUCTION It has been shown that FP occurs in all housing systems, from conventional cages, to barn and free range systems (Green et al., 2000). However, there is a lack of data available on the true prevalence of FP in commercial free-range layer farms in Australia. In a survey in the UK, 65% of flocks showed FP during lay as reported by free-range farmers but, when the same flocks were assessed by researchers, prevalence reached 89% and 69% at 25 weeks, and 73% and 86% at 40...
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I. INTRODUCTION The Australian commercial chicken industry is experiencing major changes; a significant proportion of both meat and layer farm types are becoming free range and this is driven by consumer demand (ACMF 2011; AECL 2015). Amongst industry experts, there is concern the risk of disease introduction and spread in Australian commercial chicken farms will be raised from the increased potential of interactions between wildlife and commercial chickens on free range farms (Scott...
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I. INTRODUCTION Australia is highly urbanized, with 80% of people living in the major cities (Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, 2015) and, although Australians believe that farmers do a good job of looking after their animals (Cockfield & Botterill, 2012), there are low levels of agricultural knowledge among the general public (Worsley et al., 2015). Egg production has become increasingly prominent in public discussions of farm animal...
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I. INTRODUCTION Mineralization of the chicken embryo requires calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P)’ macro minerals supplied to the embryo by eggshell + yolk and yolk, respectively. Towards the end of incubation and after hatch, phosphorus in the residual egg yolk is minimal (Li et al., 2014). Yolk calcium reserves at hatch, however, are similar (Yair and Uni 2011) or even higher (Richards and Packard 1996) compared to eggs at setting, as a result of eggshell calcium being...
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by Benjamin Geist
With just over 120 days until APSS 2026, planning for the 37th annual Australian Poultry Science Symposium is progressing smoothly. Next year’s event will return to the University of Sydney Business School – Belinda Hutchinson Building (H70) on the Camperdown Campus, and we’re excited to once again welcome delegates for 2.5 days of presentations, posters, networking, and industry engagement.
The theme for APSS 2026...
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Reviews made on the impact of intermittent lighting (IL) on broiler performance (Buyse et al., 1996; Rodrigues and Choct, 2017) attest to the consistency of such lighting programs in achieving better feed conversion rates. So far, no research has been conducted to assess the impact of IL on the susceptibility to and recovery from infectious diseases. We hypothesized that an IL program would increase broiler resilience to necrotic enteritis (NE). In order to test this hypothesis, a 2 x 2...
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Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is considered an animal welfare issue. Wet and sticky litter are major causes of FPD (Taira et al., 2014). Our previous study showed that a well selected probiotic strain Bacillus subtilis 29784 can improve broiler performance by modulating intestinal microbiota and intestinal inflammatory status (Ghane et al., 2017; Jacquier et al., 2016). We hypothesize that the previous demonstrated benefits of B. subtilis 29784 on gut health will improve litter quality and may...
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Backyard chicken-keeping can be a rewarding experience, but it's essential to be aware of the common causes of mortality in backyard chickens and take steps to prevent them. Here are some of the most common causes of mortality and tips on how to prevent them: 1. Predation - *Causes*: Foxes, coyotes, raccoons, hawks, owls, and other predators - *Prevention*: - Secure coop and run with strong wire mesh and sturdy locks - Cover windows and vents with...
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Jose J. Bruzual (Senior Poultry Veterinarian, Aviagen) comments on the benefits of this grading method and its relevance to the poultry industry in this Engormix interview. ...
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1. Introduction Welfare assessment in animals has increasingly emphasized the need for objective, non-invasive measures that reliably reflect physiological and psychological states [1–4]. In this context, pupillometry (the measurement of pupil dynamics) has gained traction as a valuable tool, particularly in human psychological and neurological research [5,6]. The pupil’s diameter is known to change in response to a variety of internal and external stimuli, including...
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An observational study conducted on three commercial layer farms showed that environmental enrichment increases number of birds on the range (see Dekoning et al. in this APSS Proceedings). In the same study, we aimed to determine if plumage damage score is different between birds found inside versus outside sheds. The farms were stocked with HyLine Brown flocks (all beak-trimmed); Farm-1 & Farm-3 had one shed each and Farm-2 had two sheds (all 3 farms & four flocks with a fixed...
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Rethinking Amino Acid Nutrition of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) Based on Insights from an Amino Acid Reduction Trial
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Feather pecking is synonymous with economic and major welfare problems in the poultry industry and is positively associated with feather ingestion. In a choice-feeding experiment, laying hens showed a stronger preference for unwashed compared to washed feathers (McKeegan and Savory, 2001). The attraction toward unwashed feathers could be related to the preen oil produced by the uropygial glands located dorsally at the base of the tail. Preen oil covers the feathers during the process of...
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Beak trimming can have serious consequences on hen welfare, health and production. However, compared to hot blade trimming, the infra-red technique has resulted in more uniform beak length and symmetry (Dennis et al., 2009). Pecking stones (Analysed Values: 20.50% calcium, 4.30% phosphorus, 5.0% sodium and 2.50% magnesium) have been used in Europe and are reported to blunt hens’ beaks and alter pecking behaviour (Glatz and Runge, 2017). The objective of the current study was to...
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In recent years, in response to consumer concerns regarding welfare of birds, there has been a move from caged to free-range production systems. This change has resulted in increased exposure of hens to pathogens, including parasites, which can compromise the welfare of the animal (Wongrak et al., 2015). Amongst helminths, Ascaridia galli is the most abundant nematode in poultry, and can cause significant economic losses and negative impacts on bird health and welfare (Daş et al.,...
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Dr. Mário Penz (Cargill) discusses the consequences of not managing water properly and the different factors to consider regarding its quality, during this Engormix interview....
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As the global egg industry moves steadily toward cage-free production, ensuring a successful transition from rearing to laying is more critical than ever. Hy-Line pullets raised in environments that prepare them for the complexities of cage-free layer systems are far more likely to meet their full genetic...
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While the breeding programs of commercial meat chickens select birds with robust legs (Davis, 2015), poor leg strength and reduced locomotion are frequently observed in late stages of growth. We have previously reported that lower egg shell temperatures during early incubation, which delays chick hatch time, increases bone ash (BA) (Muir and Groves, 2017). Observations from our research and the literature (e.g. Ulmer-Franco et al., 2010) suggest that maternal breeder flock age may influence...
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Janjaap Van der Mark, Director of Global Environmental Solutions at Big Dutchman, shares key strategies for turning waste into value, reducing environmental impact, and driving sustainability in modern farming. ...
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