Poultry Flashcards
Give the inherent genetic problems of the two different farmed chickens
Broilers - leg problems
Layers - Osteoperosis
Give advantages and disadvantages of mechanical catching of chickens
Advantages: • Reduced labour costs; • Better conditions for workers; • Reduced rejection rates; • Reduced injury and bruising (especially leg injury rates). Disadvantage: • Speed of catching lower
Describe the difference in injuries in chickens depending on the system
- Cages: more depopulation injuries;
* Barn/free range: more old fractures.
Give three types of injury caused by chicken harvesting
• Considerable injury rates: Bruising, Fractures, Dislocation.
At which three points in their lives will chickens be handled ?
- as day old chicks, delivered to the rearing houses;
- laying hens, transferred to their point of lay;
- at the end of their lives, to be taken to slaughter facilities, which may be some distance away.
Give some of the challenges to bird welfare produced by transport
- Handling; Mixing/social disruption; Food and water withdrawal; Acceleration, motion, vibration; Exacerbates injuries sustained during handling. Fatigue. Noise. Novelty/confinement. Thermal challenges.
Describe the problem with broiler transport
- Broilers particularly susceptible to heat stress and dehydration;
- Genetic selection for muscle growth has compromised capacity to respond to acute thermal challenge:
- Reduced tolerance has implications for welfare and meat quality.
Describe the problem with transporting end of lay hens
- Poor feathering – reduced thermal tolerance;
- Excessively vulnerable to cold and wet conditions:
- Thermal comfort zone 22-28ºC compared to 10-15ºC for pullets.
- Heat stress in some parts of the vehicle;
- Thermoregulatory ability compromised:
- Physiological fatigue;
- Prolonged pre-transport food withdrawal.
Describe the transport of day old chicks (with reference to welfare)
- Thermal stress major source of welfare compromise;
- Optimal temperature range of 24-25ºC and 60% RH;
- Air mixing is an issue in stacked containers;
- Tolerate long journeys (yolk sac reserves).
Describe the transport of pullets (with reference to welfare)
- Pullets:
- Well feathered, fully fed and hydrated and free from metabolic disease – high value birds;
- Withstand greater excursions in ambient thermal conditions compared to chicks or spent hens.
Describe the problem of thermal stress in chicken transport
Thermal Stress
• Heterogeneous distribution of ventilation in passively ventilated transporters – ‘hot-spots’ and ‘cold-spots’;
• Different birds in same load may experience heat or cold stress - localised high air velocities;
• High stocking density, minimal head room and high humidity compromise ability to thermoregulate by natural means - panting, postural changes.
Give three factors that affect the DOA number in chickens
- Ambient temperature;
- Catching company;
- Breed;
- Flock size;
- Mean bodyweight;
- Mean compartment stocking density;
Who introduced the FCI regulation (include details for different species)
Hygiene Regulations from January 2006
Initially required only for poultry, with a delayed, progressive implementation of FCI for other species; pigs from 2008; cattle and sheep from 2010;
Give 8 pieces of information that should be included in a FCI (for poultry)
- farm and house of origin;
- intended date of slaughter;
- number of birds for slaughter;
- flock mortality;
- diseases diagnosed;
- results of any laboratory tests;
- any medication given;
- previous PM results.
Describe the feedback that must be given as part of a CCIR
Collection and Communication of Inspection Results (CCIR)
• Provides valuable information for the farmer and the farmer’s veterinarian;
• If a condition that affects animal welfare, or public or animal health is found at ante-mortem inspection, the OV needs to inform the FBO;
• If ante-mortem inspection reveal any problems that arose during primary production, the farmer and the farmer’s veterinarian needs to be informed.
What legislation dictates the ante-mortem process in chickens?
EC’s 853/2004 and 854/2004
Where can an ante mortem inspection be completed?
On farm or at slaughter house
What three factors does an ante mortem look at?
iD of animal
welfare
potential zoonoses
Describe an ante mortem of chickens
- Bird-by-bird inspection not feasible;
- Overall health and welfare of each must be assessed;
- When possible, ante-mortem inspection should include listening to the birds and observation of a random sample checking posture, wattle colour and cleanliness of birds.
Name two notifiable diseases in poultry (and give 2 symptoms of each)
Avian influenza - sudden death, respiratory signs, oedema Newcastle disease (avian paramyxovirus 1) - sudden death, prostration, diahhorea, nervous signs (paralysis etc) (lesions on respiratory tract and proventricular haemmorrhage on PM)
What are the 4 focuses of an AWO?
Animal Welfare Officer Must identify:
• Animals that require to be slaughter first (prioritise).
• Any welfare needs.
• Any measures that need to be taken to improve animal welfare (e.g. If animals have been subjected to hot or humid weather, implement an intervention method to cool them down).
• Keep record(s) of action(s) taken to improve welfare
List the slaughter process for chickend
Lairage Shackling Stunnning Bleeding Scalding Defeathering Hock Cutting Evisceration Washing Chilling
What two pieces of legislation dictate the action of chicken stunning?
European legislation - EC 1000/2009
Welfare of Animals at the time of Killing 2005
Describe the standards for stunning chickens
Unconsciousness induced by the stun should be longer that the time taken to perform the neck cut and allow brain death to occur from blood loss (<15 secs);
Only acceptable when they result in minimal signs of agitation and distress before loss of consciousness;
Stunning methods used commercially:
Electrical stunning;
Controlled atmosphere (gas).
