Current welfare issues in poultry Flashcards
Poultry code of practice
3 different codes of practice
- Pullets and laying hens
- Chickens, turkeys and breeders
- Transportation (under revision)
Who has to follow the codes of practice?
Everybody who has an animal
What are the marketing boards in poultry?
- Egg farmers of Canada
- Chicken farmers of Canada
- Turkey farmers of Canada
All of the farms get audited each year
Hen housing systems
Conventional vs. enriched vs. free run
- Battery system (most common in Canada)
- Mesh flooring, feed and water, manure falls through onto manure belt, slant so eggs roll out for collection - Enriched
- Larger cages, furniture (for nesting), perches, food and water, dust laying area, scratching mats - Free run
- Large room of large groups, aviaries on either side of room with perches, nesting areas, scratching pads. Area on group for manure
Advantages for poultry in small groups (conventional)
- Easier and cheaper for producers which results in cheaper products for consumers
- Easier to manage health
- Less mortality because smaller group and less likely to be establishing pecking order
- Manure belts to help keep everything clean
Advantages for poultry in small groups (enriched area)
- More natural behaviour
- Similar to cages
- Better health
Advantages for free run in poultry
- More space for natural behaviour and exercise
- Furniture
Disadvantages to conventional cages
- Limited space
- Behavioural restriction
- Bone quality (because they are not moving around)
Disadvantages to enriched cages
Less space than cage free but more conventional
Disadvantages for free run in poultry
- Risk of cannibalism (due to trying to establish hierarchy)
- Disease (harder to clean room)
- Parasites (harder to clean room)
- Environment
- Bone breaks (risk of injury from movement around the room, hopping around and colliding with each other)
Not a clear cut system when discussing poultry housing
- Not a clear-cut decision
- Conventional cages will be eliminated soon BUT enriched vs free run have both advantages and disadvantages
Consumer cost in poultry
Housing systems have an impact on costs for producers which leads to an increase in cost for product for consumers
Hen beak treatment
- Sharp pointed tip of the beak is removed
- Reduces cannibalism and injury (improves livability and reduces fear)
Hen beak treatment with hot-blade
- Hot blade
- Reduces cannibalism
- Literature shows that it can be painful (chronic)
Hen beak treatment with infrared treatment
- What is used in Canada
- Reduces cannibalism
- Literature shows that it is not painful or very minimal pain