Cold temperatures can have severe consequences for poultry health and welfare
Published:June 1, 2023
By:Marisa Erasmus, Purdue University. Reviewers: Dr. Leonie Jacobs, Virginia Tech; Dr. Prafulla Regmi, University of Georgia; Chantel Pennicott, University of Arkansas; Dr. Shawna Weimer, University of Arkansas.
Most people are very familiar with the severe consequences that heat stress can have on poultry (see our previous newsletter), but cold stress can have severe production and economic consequences as well, leading to reduced egg production, reduced survivability, suppressed development and death.
Cold stress can affect poultry in any housing system and during lairage and transportation.
Costs and consequences of cold stress
The consequences of cold stress can be severe, leading to death in extreme cases. A chicken's susceptibility to cold stress depends on various factors, including the chicken's breed, age, body size, amount of feather coverage and condition of the feathers and nutritional status.
The ideal temperature depends on amount of feather cover, age, and body weight of the bird, as well as the stocking density (number of birds in a given amount of space), housing system and management.
Older birds and birds with poor feather cover are especially at risk of cold stress because their feathers do not provide as much insulation. Birds that are wet are at an increased risk of cold stress and can die sooner when exposed to cold.
Cold stress occurs when the environmental temperature drops below 15°C (60°F) for most poultry, but this depends on the bird's age, body weight and feather cover). The thermoneutral zone is the range of ambient temperatures within which the animal can maintain its body temperature without needing any additional energy. When the body temperature drops below this thermoneutral zone, the bird needs more energy to increase its body temperature, and will adapt its behavior.
Carlson, C. 2022. Caring for chickens in cold weather. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/small-scale-poultry/caring-chickens-cold-weather
Henrikson, A.A., C.J. Vermette, K. Schwean-Lardner and T.G. Crowe. Effects of cold exposure on physiology, meat quality and behavior of turkey hens and toms created at transport density. Poultry Science. 97: 347-357. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119308843
Jacob, J. Frostbite in chickens. https://poultry.extension.org/articles/poultry-health/frostbite-in-chickens
Nguyen, P., E. Greene, A. Donoghue, G. Huff, F. Clark and S. Dridi. 2016. A new insight into cold stress in poultry production. Advances in Food Technology and Nutritional Sciences. http://dx.doi.org/10.17140/AFTNSOJ-2-124
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