Effects of grain-based pecking blocks on productivity and welfare indicators in commercial broiler chickens

How do crate materials impact the winter transport of broilers?

OBJECTIVE

Pre-slaughter transportation adversely impacts the welfare, meat yield, and quality of broilers, yet the effects of different crate types on broiler chickens during winter remain underexplored. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of plastic and iron crates in transit on meat quality, carcass, and physiological traits of broiler chickens during winter.

METHODS

A total of 175 (35-day-old) Ross 308 male broilers with an average body weight of about 1,708±33.3 g (mean±standard error of the mean) were picked after 4 hours of feed withdrawal before transport. The control group comprises birds in the farm (n = 15) without transportation at 173 cm2/kg density. The birds were transported into fixed iron (25 birds per crate) and plastic crates (15 birds per crate) with four replicates per crate type at the same 173 cm2/kg densities. The transportation distance was 20 km for 40 min at an average speed of 30-50 km/h early morning at 8:00 am under -1°C and 47% relative humidity.

RESULTS

There was no difference (p>0.05) in carcass traits among the treatments. Concerning meat quality, broilers transported in both crate types exhibited lower (p<0.01) a* values compared to the control group. Additionally, the iron crate group demonstrated higher (p<0.05) b* values for the breast meat compared to the other groups. In terms of blood metabolites, the iron crate group had higher (p<0.05) cortisol, glucose, and lactate levels compared to the control group that did not transport.

CONCLUSION

Broilers transported in the iron crates increase stress levels in terms of higher cortisol, glucose, and lactate contents in the blood plasma compared to untransported broilers during the winter. Therefore, employing plastic crates, which induce significantly reduced cortisol and numerically lower glucose levels compared to iron crates, appears more favorable for animal welfare by mitigating stress.

Effects of Perch on Productivity, Welfare, and Physiological Indicators of Broiler Chickens Reared in Animal Welfare-Certificated Farms

This study explored the impact of perches on the productivity and welfare of broilers raised on two animal welfare-certified farms (designated as Farm A and B) in South Korea. Broiler houses in each farm were provided with or without wooden square-shaped perches (2 × 2 cm) at a rate of 2 m per 1000 birds. The study aimed to assess whether perches could influence productivity measures, such as weight and uniformity, and animal welfare indicators, including corticosterone levels and physical health markers. The findings showed that the effects on productivity were inconsistent, varying by farm and period. Corticosterone levels, as an indicator of stress, were significantly lower in the perch group on farm B, but not on farm A. There were no significant differences in welfare indicators such as footpad dermatitis or feather cleanliness, although gait scores improved in farm B with perch provision. Litter moisture was higher in the perch group of farm A, but showed no difference in farm B. The study concluded that while perches did not consistently improve productivity or welfare, they did help reduce stress in broilers, as indicated by lower corticosterone levels.

Assessment of Welfare Problems in Broilers: Focus on Musculoskeletal Problems Associated with Their Rapid Growth

The growth of the broiler industry has been accompanied with concerns over the environmental and social impacts on intensive production systems, as well as the welfare of the animals themselves. As a result, since the 2000s, there has been growing interest in alternative production systems that improve animal welfare and sustainability. In this context, it is important to prioritize the welfare of broilers in commercial production systems and to use reliable welfare indicators to provide consumers with information about the welfare of the animals they consume. Resource-based measures (RBM) are based on assessing the resources available to the birds in terms of their housing, environment, and management practices, such as stocking density, litter quality, lighting and air quality, etc. Outcome-based measures (OBM), also known as animal-based measures, focus on assessing the actual welfare outcomes for the birds, such as footpad dermatitis, hock burn, contamination or damage to feathers, gait score, mortality, etc. These OBM-based measures are one of the more direct indicators of welfare and can help identify any welfare issues. The present review highlighted the factors that affect animal welfare indicators focused on OBMs which can be used in the commercial broiler farms.