Poultry FCI + AM

Question 1

What are the key aspects to consider in the transport of poultry?

Answer 1

Animal Welfare: Minimizing stress and injuries.
Product Quality: Preventing bruising, fractures, and thermal stress.
Food Safety: Reducing risks of contamination and pathogen spread.

Question 2

What is Food Chain Information (FCI), and why is it important in poultry production?

Answer 2

FCI provides information about poultry procured for slaughter to the Food Business Operator (FBO) and Official Veterinarian (OV).
It supports HACCP-based food safety systems by including details like flock mortality, disease history, medication, and laboratory test results.

Question 3

What are the best animal welfare practices during poultry lairage?

Answer 3

Minimize noise and disruption.
Maintain optimal temperature and humidity levels.
Prevent overcrowding and ensure adequate ventilation.
Handle birds gently to prevent injuries and stress.

Question 4

List some welfare concerns in poultry transport.

Answer 4

Handling injuries (bruising, fractures, dislocations).
Thermal stress (heat or cold stress).
Fatigue and stress from social disruption.
Food and water withdrawal.
Noise and motion during transit.

Question 5

What are common welfare issues with broiler chickens during transport?

Answer 5

Susceptible to heat stress and dehydration due to genetic selection for rapid muscle growth.
Limited thermoregulation abilities.
Increased mortality rates from thermal and physical stressors.

Question 6

How does thermal stress affect poultry during transport?

Answer 6

Ventilation challenges in transporters create “hot-spots” and “cold-spots.”
High stocking density and humidity impair thermoregulation.
Birds experience panting and postural changes to cope.

Question 7

What conditions make end-of-lay hens particularly vulnerable during transport?

Answer 7

Poor feathering reduces thermal tolerance.
Compromised thermoregulation due to prolonged pre-transport food withdrawal and stress.
Longer journeys increase dead-on-arrival (DOA) rates (>1%).

Question 8

Name two major notifiable diseases in poultry and their signs.

Answer 8

Avian Influenza:
Sudden death, respiratory distress, cyanosis, subcutaneous edema, and swollen wattles, myocardial necrosis (PM)
Newcastle Disease:
Sudden death, nervous signs (e.g., torticollis), wing paralysis, diarrhea, decreased egg production, respiratory lesions (PM) and proventricular haemorrhage (PM)

Question 9

What is the role of Collection and Communication of Inspection Results (CCIR)?

Answer 9

Provides feedback on animal welfare, public health, and animal health to farmers and veterinarians.
Alerts to issues found during ante-mortem inspection.

Question 10

Describe the legal framework for poultry transport and welfare.

Answer 10

European Regulations:
Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005 (transport welfare).
Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009 (welfare during slaughter).
UK Laws:
Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 2006.

Question 11

What challenges arise during depopulation and harvesting of poultry?

Answer 11

Stress from catching (1500 birds/person/hour in broilers).
Injuries such as fractures, bruising, and dislocations.
Handling of spent hens causes more skeletal damage due to osteoporosis.

Question 12

What are the advantages and disadvantages of mechanized harvesting in poultry?

Answer 12

Advantages:
Reduced labour costs and worker strain.
Lower injury rates in birds.
Lower rejection rates.
Disadvantages:
Slower speed of catching.

Question 13

What are the key pieces of guidance regarding poultry welfare at slaughter and handling?

Answer 13

Codes of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock (DEFRA, 2007):

Legislative basis for poultry welfare at slaughter and handling.
Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) Reports (1990, 2009):

Emphasizes humane slaughter with minimal pain, suffering, and distress.
Only fit animals should be transported and slaughtered.
Humane Slaughter Association (HSA, 2006):

Injured or visibly unfit birds should not be transported and must be humanely euthanized on the farm.

Question 14

What principles must be observed during poultry slaughter according to the AWC report (2009)?

Answer 14

All personnel must be trained, competent, and caring.
Only fit birds should be caught, loaded, and transported.
Handling prior to slaughter must prioritize animal welfare.

Question 15

What are the recommendations by DEFRA for unfit birds?

Answer 15

Sick birds should not be caught or transported.
Birds unfit for travel must receive veterinary treatment or be humanely dispatched on the farm without delay.

Question 16

What does the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA, 2006) state about visibly unfit or injured birds?

Answer 16

Such birds should not be loaded for transport.
They should be humanely euthanized on the farm by a trained person.

Question 17

What advice does the RSPCA Freedom Foods Welfare Standards provide for poultry?

Answer 17

Guidelines to ensure humane handling, transport, and slaughter of poultry.
Focus on minimizing stress and injury throughout the process.

Question 18

What is the purpose of the DEFRA Code of Recommendations?

Answer 18

To ensure welfare standards during the handling, transport, and slaughter of poultry.
Provides actionable advice to prevent unnecessary suffering.

Question 19

What are the common injuries when depopulating/harvesting poultry?

Answer 19

bruising
fractures
dislocation

Question 20

What are the optimal transport conditions for day-old chicks?

Answer 20

Temperature: 24-25°C
Relative Humidity (RH): 60%

Question 21

Why are day-old chicks able to tolerate long journeys?

Answer 21

They rely on their yolk sac reserves for nutrients and hydration.

Question 22

What challenges arise from air mixing in stacked containers during chick transport?

Answer 22

Uneven ventilation may lead to hot or cold spots, exacerbating thermal stress.

Question 23

What characteristics make pullets more resilient during transport compared to chicks?

Answer 23

Fully feathered, which provides better thermal tolerance.
They are typically well-fed, hydrated, and free from metabolic diseases.

Question 24

What factors should be considered when transporting pullets?

Answer 24

They must have recently been vaccinated if applicable.
Can withstand a wider range of ambient thermal conditions compared to chicks or end-of-lay hens.

Question 25

What are the steps in ante-mortem inspection of poultry?

Answer 25

At the farm:
Check cleanliness, feed, medication, vaccination records, and mortality patterns.
Observe birds, litter, ventilation, and light conditions.
At the slaughterhouse:
Examine posture, wattle color, cleanliness, and behavior of a sample of birds.