Poultry FCI

Question 1

Why is welfare of such a concern in poultry abattoirs?

Answer 1

-Very large numbers slaughtered so a break down in the system would impact a large number of animals.

Question 2

Why is catching such a stressful situation for the birds?

Answer 2

• Live very controlled lives (few people, noise level minimum etc)
• Very set routines which are disturbed by the catching process
• Many broilers have leg problems
• Many layers have osteoporosis
• Injury rates are high
• Spent hens are of little value so no incentive for good handling

Question 3

How are the chickens caught?

Answer 3

• By hand: caught by the leg and inverted, often have 3-4 in one hand and they are dropped into crates
• By machine

Question 4

What are the pros and cons of machine catching?

Answer 4

Pros:
-Lower labour costs
- Workers further from dust/ feathers
-Lower injury rates
-Reduced rejection rates
Cons:
- Speed of catching is lower

Question 5

What are the three points of their life that poultry birds may be handled?

Answer 5

• day old chicks taken to rearing houses
• laying hens delivered to point of lay
• at the end of their lives taken to slaughter

(broilers often handled twice)

Question 6

What welfare issues are a concern when transporting poultry?

Answer 6

• Noise
• Handling
• Mixing/ social disruption
• Food/ water withdrawal
• Fatigue
• Thermal challenges

Question 7

What are broilers particularly vulnerable to during transport?

Answer 7

• Heat stress/ dehydration
• They are genetically selected for large muscles causing them to have reduced heat tolerance
• High temp and humidity is a killer for chickens.

Question 8

Discuss the transport of day old chicks

Answer 8

• Very poor at tolerating high heat, optimum- 24 degrees and 60% humidity
• Yolk sac reserves= good at long journeys

Question 9

Discuss the transport of end of lay hens

Answer 9

• Often poorly feathered so vulnerable to cold, optimum temp is 22-28 degrees.
• Thermoregulatory ability compromised
• Higher DOA rates
• Often longer journeys as not all abattoirs process them

Question 10

What factors influence DOA rates?

Answer 10

• Temperature
• Catching company
• Breed
• Flock size
• Mean bodyweight
• Mean compartment stocking density
• Transport/ lairage time

Question 11

What legislation is responsible for FCI?

Answer 11

Hygiene regulations 2006

Question 12

What is listed on the poultry FCI?

Answer 12

• Farm of origin
• Intended dates for slaughter
• No birds intended for slaughter
• Flock mortality
• Diseases diagnosed
• Medication given
• Previous PM results

Question 13

What does CCIR involve?

Answer 13

• Collection and communication of inspection results
• Valuable info for farmer and farmer’s vet
• If condition found at AM the OV needs to inform FBO

Question 14

How are poultry flock AM inspections performed?

Answer 14

• Either on farm or at abattoir
• Vet must be present except for specific circumstances
• Aims to identify animals, check animal welfare and look for zoonotic conditions
• Individual bird inspection isn’t practical so overall assessment of flock is done

Question 15

What will a vet doing a poultry AM check for?

Answer 15

• Tidiness
• record keeping
• Feeding programme/ vaccinations/medications
• Patterns of mortality
• Check weights/ water consumption
• View birds
• Check environment e.g ventilation/ light/ litter

Question 16

What causes breast blisters?

Answer 16

Environmental condition

-High temperatures leads to coliform overgrowth forming abscesses in breast muscle

Question 17

What NFDs affect poultry?

Answer 17

• Newcastle disease

- Avian influenza

Question 18

Describe Newcastle disease

Answer 18

• Avian Paramyxovirus 1
• Causes sudeen death/ diarrhoea/ nervous signs/ drop in egg yield
• On PM: resp tract lesions and proventricular haemorrhages

Question 19

What are the clinical signs of avian influenza?

Answer 19

Sudden death
Respiratory signs
Oedema
Subcut oedema
Swollen wattles
Cyanosis
Myocardial necrosis 
(high morbidity and high mortality)