Ibrahim, R., Abdel-Azeem, N., Mostafa, A., Emeash, H. (2017). Studies on some Welfare Aspects of Broilers Reared Under Different Stocking Densities. Journal of Applied Veterinary Sciences, 2(1), 23-34. doi: 10.21608/javs.2017.62137
Rasha R Ibrahim; Naglaa M. Abdel-Azeem; A.S. Mostafa; H.H. Emeash. "Studies on some Welfare Aspects of Broilers Reared Under Different Stocking Densities". Journal of Applied Veterinary Sciences, 2, 1, 2017, 23-34. doi: 10.21608/javs.2017.62137
Ibrahim, R., Abdel-Azeem, N., Mostafa, A., Emeash, H. (2017). 'Studies on some Welfare Aspects of Broilers Reared Under Different Stocking Densities', Journal of Applied Veterinary Sciences, 2(1), pp. 23-34. doi: 10.21608/javs.2017.62137
Ibrahim, R., Abdel-Azeem, N., Mostafa, A., Emeash, H. Studies on some Welfare Aspects of Broilers Reared Under Different Stocking Densities. Journal of Applied Veterinary Sciences, 2017; 2(1): 23-34. doi: 10.21608/javs.2017.62137
Studies on some Welfare Aspects of Broilers Reared Under Different Stocking Densities
1Departement of Animal and Poultry Management and Wealth Development, Faculty of Vet. Med., Beni-Suef University
2Department of Behaviour, Management and Development of Animal Wealth, Faculty of Vet. Medicine, Minia University
Receive Date: 18 August 2017,
Revise Date: 14 September 2017,
Accept Date: 22 September 2017
Abstract
Nowadays, there is much concern expressed about stocking density as it is related to the well-being and welfare of broilers, and to define some welfare aspects of broilers in an environmentally uncontrolled conventional house under two different densities, this experiment was conducted using a total number of 120 one day old Cobb broiler chicks that were randomly divided into two groups with three replicates of each in 6 floor pens (1m × 1.6 m). The first group (control) were housed at a density of 1000 cm2/ bird (16 birds/replicate/pen) while the second group (high density HD) were housed at a density of 666.66 cm2/ bird (24 birds/ replicate/pen). Results showed that litter quality was deteriorated (P˂0.05) at HD group especially at the 4th, 5th and 6th week of the growing cycle where the all quality parameter together were the worst. Additionally the incidence of the breast irritation and ammonia burns were greater at higher density group, moreover the severity was increased with limiting floor space due to worsening of the litter condition which adversely (P˂0.05) affect both leg strength as indicated by latency to lie test (LTL) and feather condition as indicated by plumage cleanliness score.
ABOUELENIEN F A, KHALF-ALLA F, MOUSA-BALABEL T, EL-MIDANY S, ABD EL-LATIF NASSER M. 2016. Effect of Stocking Density and Bird Age on Air Ammonia, Performance and Blood Parameters of Broilers. World Vet. J.; 130:136-6(3).
BUDABOS, A.M., EMAD, M. SAMARA, HUSSEIN, E.O.S., AL-GHADI, M.Q., AL-ATIYAT, R.M. 2013. Impacts of Stocking Density on the Performance and Welfare of Broiler Chickens, Italian Journal of Animal Science. 66: 71-12.
ALGERS B, Svedberg J. Effects of atmospheric ammonia and litter status on broiler health. Proceedings of the 3rd European Symposium on Poultry Welfare, Tours, France, 11th to 14th June, 1989; pp. 237:241.
BERG, C., SANOTRA, G.S. 2003. Can a modified LTL test be used to validate gait scoring results in commercial broiler flock? Animal Welfare. 655:659 -12.
BERG, C. 1998. Foot-pad dermatitis in broilers and turkeys— prevalence, risk factors and prevention. Ph.D. Thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Uppsala, Sweden. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae, Veterinaria 36.
BESSEI, W. 2006. Welfare of broilers: a review. World’s Poultry Science Journal 455:–466-62.
BESSIE, W., REITER, K. 1992.The influence of floor space on the behavior of broilers. Deutsche Veterinarmedizinische Gesellschaft e. v. Fachgruppe Verhattensforchung, Freigurg, Breisgau, Germany.
BRADSHAW, R.H., KIRKDEN, R.D., BROOM, D.M. 2002. A review of the aetiology and pathology of leg weakness in broilers in relation to welfare. Avian Poult. Biol. Rev. 45:103-13.
BUIJS, S., KEELING, L., RETTENBACHER, S., VAN POUCKE, E., TUYTTENS, F.A.M. 2009. Stocking density effects on broiler welfare: Identifying sensitive ranges for different indicators. Poultry Sci. 1536:1543-88.
CARR, L.E., WHEATON, F.W., DOUGLASS, L.W. 1990. Empirical models to determine ammonia concentrations from broiler chicken litter. Trans. ASAE. 1337:1342-33.
CASTAÑEDA, M. P., HIRSCHLER, E. M,. SAMS ,A .R. 2005. Early postmortem carcass trim effects on the tenderness of broiler breast fillets. Poult. Sci. 951:954-84.
CRAVENER, T.L., ROUSH, W.B., MASHALY, M.M. 1992. Broiler production under varying population densities. Poult. Sci. 427:433-71.
DAWKINS, M.S., DONNELLY, C.A., JONES, T.A. 2004. Chicken welfare is influenced more by housing conditions than by stocking density. Nature. 342:344-427
DOZIER, W. A., THAXTON, J. P., BRANTON, S.L., MORGAN, G .W., MILES, D.M., ROUSH, W. B.,LOTT, B.D., VIZZIER-THAXTON,Y. 2005. Stocking density effects on growth performance and processing yields of heavy broilers. Poult. Sci. 1332:1338- 84
DOZIER,W.A., THAXTON, J.P., PURSWELL, J. L., OLANREWAJU, H.A., BRANTON, S.L., ROUSH, W. B. 2006. Stocking density effects on male broilers grown to 1.8 kilograms of BW. Poult. Sci. 344:351-85.
DUCLOS, M. J., BERRI, C., LE BIHAN-DUVAL, E. 2007. Muscle Growth and Meat Quality. Oxford Journals. 107:111-16.
EKSTRAND, C., ALGERS, B., SVEDBERG, J. 1997. Rearing conditions and foot-pad dermatitis in Swedish broiler chickens. Prev. Vet. Med.167:174-31.
EKSTRAND, C. 1993.Effects of stocking density on the health, behaviour and productivity of broilers. A literature review. Swedish Univ. Agric. Sci. Skara.
EKSTRAND, C., CARPENTER, T.E. 1998. Temporal aspects of foot-pad dermatitis in Swedish broilers. Acta Vet. Scand. 229:236-39.
ELWINGER, K. 1995. Broiler production under varying population densities- A field study. Archiv für Geflügelkunde 209:215-59 (4).
ESTEVEZ, I. 2007. Density Allowances for Broilers: Where to Set the Limits. Poult. Sci. 1265:1272-86.
ESTEVEZ, I., NEWBERRY, R.C., ARIAS DE REYNA, L. 1997. Broiler chickens: A tolerant social system? Etologia 19:29-5.
FARHADI, D., HOSSEINI, S.M., DEZFULI, B.T. 2016. Effect of house type on growth performance, litter quality and incidence of foot lesions in broiler chickens reared in varying stocking density.. J. BioSci. Biotech. 69:78-5.
FEDDES, J.J.R., EMMANUEL, E. J., ZUIDHOF, M.J. 2002. Broiler performance, BW variance, feed and water intake, and carcass quality at different stocking densities. Poult. Sci. 774: 779- 81.
GREENE, J.A., MCCRACKEN, R. M., EVANS, R.T. 1985. A contact dermatitis of broilers—Clinical and pathological findings. Avian Pathol. 23:38-14.
GRESHAM, G. A., BARWICK, M. W. 1962. ‘Breast blisters’ in the broiler chicken. Nature 1306:1307-193.
GUARDIA, S., KONSAK, B., COMBES, S., LEVENEZ, F., CAUQUIL, L., GUILLOT, J. F., MOREAU-VAUZELLE, C., LESSIRE, M., JUIN, H., GABRIEL, I. 2011. Effects of stocking density on the growth performance and digestive microbiota of broiler chickens. Poultry Science. 1878:1889-90.
HASLAM, S.M., BROWN, S.N., WILKINS, L.J., KESTIN, S.C., WARRIS, P.D., NICOL, C.J. 2006. Preliminary study to examine the utility of using foot burn or hock burn to assess aspects of housing conditions for broiler chicken. British Poultry Science. 13:18- 47
HASLAM, S.M., KNOWLES, T.G., BROWN, S.N., WILKINS, L.J., KESTIN, S.C., WARRISS, P.D., NICOL, C. J. 2007. Factors affecting the prevalence of foot pad dermatitis, hock burn and breast burn in broiler chicken. Br. Poult. Sci. 264:275-48.
HECKERT, R. A., ESTEVEZ, I.,RUSSEK-COHEN, E., PETTIT-RILEY, R. 2002. Effects of density and perch availability on the immune status of broilers. J. Poult. Sci. 451:457-81.
JAYALAKSHMI, T., KUMARARAJ, R., SIVAKUMAR, T., THANGA, T.V., THIAGARAJAN, D. 2009. Influence of stocking densities on litter moisture, microbial load, air ammonia concentration and broiler performance. Tamilnadu J. Veterinary & Animal Sciences. 80:86-5.
JONES, T.A., DONNELLY, C.A., DAWKINS, M. S. 2005. Environmental and management factors affecting the welfare of chickens on commercial farms in the United Kingdom and Denmark stocked at five densities. Poult. Sci. 1155:1165-84.
KJAER, J.B., SU, G., NIELSEN, B.L., SØRENSEN, P. 2006. Foot pad dermatitis and hock burn in broiler chickens and degree of inheritance. Poultry Science 1342:1348-85.
KUMARARAJ, NARAHARI, D. 1993. Broiler housing and management. All India Co-ordinated Research Project. Final report submitted to Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi.
LEWIS, N.J., HURNIK, J.F. 1990. Locomotion of broiler chickens in floor pens. Poult. Sci. 1087:1093-69.
MALONE, G.W., MARTIN, J.H. JR. 1997. Influence of genotype and rearing density on the incidence of foot pad lesions of female broilers. Poultry Sci. 76:139-1.
MARTLAND, M.F. 1985. Ulcerative dermatitis in broiler chickens: the effect of wet litter. Avian Pathology. 353:364-14.
MARTRENCHAR, A., MORISSE, J. P., HUONNIC, D., COTTE, J.P. 1997. Influence of stocking density on some behavioural, physiological and productivity traits of broilers. Vet. Res. 473:480-28.
MAYES, F. J. 1980. The incidence of breast-blister down-grading in broiler chickens. J. Br. Poult. Sci. 497.
MCILROY, S.G., GOODALL, E.A., MCMURRAY, C.H. 1987. A contact dermatitis of broilers—epidemiological findings. Avian Pathol. 93: 105-16.
MCLEAN, J.A., SAVORY, C.J., SPARKS, N.H.C. 2002. Welfare of male and female broiler chickens in relation to stocking density as indicated by performance health and behaviour. Ani. Welfare 55:73-11.
MELUZZI, A., FABBRI, C., FOLEGATTI, E., SIRRI, F. 2008. Survey of chicken rearing conditions in Italy: Effects of litter quality and stocking density on productivity, foot dermatitis and carcass injuries. British Poultry Science. 257:264- 49.
MELUZZI, A., SIRRI, F., BETT, M., BIANCHI, C., FRANCHINI, A. 2004. Effect of stocking density, litter depth and light regimen on foot-pad disorders of broiler chickens. Proceedings of XXII World’s Poultry Congress, Istanbul (Turkey), 8th to 13th June.
MENDES, A.A., GARCIA, R.G., IMEIDA, I.C.L.A., MOREIRA, J. 2004. Effect of stocking densities and season on performance, environmental and thermoregulatory parameters and carcass yield of broiler chickens. XXII World’s Poultry Congress, Istanbul-Turkey, 8-13 June Book of abstracts, 417 .
NATIONAL CHICKEN COUNCIL (NCC) 2003. Animal Welfare Guidelines. Washington, DC.
NEWBERRY, R.C., HALL, J.W. 1988. Space utilization by broiler chickens in floor pens. In Proceedings of the International Congress of Applied Ethology in Farm Animals. J. Unshelm, G. Van Putten, K. Zeeb, and I. Ekesbo, ed. Skara, KTBL, Darmstadt, Germany. 305:309.
NA-LAMPANG, P. 2014. Productivity and tonic immobility duration of thai crossbred chickens raised at different stocking densities. Global Journal of Animal Scientific Research 72:75-2.
PROUDFOOT, F.G., HULAN, H.W., RAMEY, D.R. 1979. The effect of four stocking densities on broiler carcass grade, the incidence of breast blisters, and other performance traits. Poult. Sci. 791:793-58.
REITER, K., BESSEI, W. 2004. Effect of reduced weight load on locomotor activity and leg disorders in broiler chickens. Proc. 6th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare, Zollikofen (Switzerland), 113:117.
SANOTRA, G.S., LUND, J. D., ERSBOLI, A.K., PETERSEN, J.S., VESTERGAARD, K.S. 2001. Monitoring leg problems in broilers: A survey of comercial broiler production in Denmark. World Poultry Science Journal 55:69-57.
SHANAWANY, M. M. 1988. Broiler performance under high stocking densities. Br. Poult. Sci. 43:52- 29
SHIVAKUMAR, M.C., JARED, M., BHAGEEVATHI, P., SARAH, N. 2004. Performance of broilers reared on different floor space. Indian J. Poult. Sci. 72:74-39.
SIRRI, F., MINELLI, G., FOLEGATTI, E., LOLLI, S., MELUZZI, A. 2007. Foot dermatitis and productive traits in broiler chickens kept with different stocking densities, litter types and light regimen. Ital. J. Anim. Sci. 734:736-6.
ŠKRBIĆ, Z., PAVLOVSKI, Z., LUKIĆ, M. 2009a. Stocking density – factor of production performance, quality and broiler welfare.. Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry. 359:372-25.
ŠKRBIĆ, Z., PAVLOVSKI ,Z., LUKIĆ, M., PERIĆ, L., MILOŠEVIĆ, N. 2009b. The effect of stocking density on certain broiler welfare parameters.. Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry.;11:21-25.
SØRENSEN, P., SU, G., KESTIN, S.C. 2000. Effects of Age and Stocking Density on Leg Weakness in Broiler Chickens1. Poult. Sci. 864:870-79.
SUNDRUM, A. 2001. Organic livestock farming – a critical review. Livestock Production Science 207: 215 – 67 (3).
THOMAS, D. G., RAVINDRAN, V., THOMAS, D.V., CAMDEN, B. J., COTTAM, Y. H., MOREL, P.C.H., COOK, C.J. 2004. Influence of stocking density on the performance, carcass characteristics and selected welfare indicators of broiler chickens. New Zealand Veterinary Journalnb. 76:81-52.
TUCKER, B.A., WALKER, W. 1992. Hock burn in broilers, in: Garnsworthy, P.C. et al. (Eds) Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition. Oxford, Butterworth Heinemann 33:50.
VENTURA, B. A., SIEWERDT, F., ESTEVEZ, I. 2010. Effects of barrier perches and density on broiler leg health, fear and performance. Poult. Sci. 1574:1583-89.
WEAVER, W. D., MEIJERHOF, R. 1991. The effect of different levels of relative-humidity and air movement on litter conditions, ammonia levels, growth, and carcass quality for broiler-chickens. Poult. Sci. 70:746-755.
YADGARI, L., KUHNREICH, R., ASTRACHAN, N., HADAD, Y., DRUYAN, S., CAHANER, A. 2007. Broilers produce more high-quality meat in hot conditions and high stocking densities. 3 pages. In: CD Proc. VIII Asian-Pacific Poultry Conference, Bangkok (Thailand).
YAKUBU, A., GAWASKA, J.A., SALAKO, A.E. 2009. Strain and placement density effects on welfare, haematological and serum biochemical indices of broilers in north Central Nigeria. Acta Agic. Slovenica 153:158- 94
YARDIMCI, M., KENAR ,B. 2008. Effect of stocking density on litter microbial load in broiler chickens. Archiva Zootechnica. 75:81-11.
ZHAO, F. R., GENG, A. L., LI, B.M., SHI, Z.X., ZHAO, Y.J. 2009. Effects of environmental factors on breast blister incidence, growth performance, and some biochemical indexes in broilers. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 699:706-18.Welfare Quality ®. Welfare Quality ®assessment protocol for poultry (broilers, laying hens).welfare Quality® Consortium, Lelystad, Netherlands 2009.
View on SCiNiTO
Top