Poultry Welfare

Question 1

why is animal welfare important

Answer 1

• public perception of animals is changing
• social media is becoming fore relivant and swaying opinions

Question 2

what initiated welfare concerns

Answer 2

• ruth harrison with animal machines
• ## wanted to bring light to veal crates, sow gestation crates and conventional cages for laying hens

Question 3

what is animal welfare

Answer 3

• putting animals emotional and physical needs before production needs
• it depends on your point of view
• based on brambellsreport on the 5 freedoms

Question 4

what are brambells 5 freedoms

Answer 4

1. freedom from hunger and thirst
2. freedom from discomfort
3. freedom from pain, injury and disease
4. free to express (most normal behaviours
5. freedom from fear and disstress

Question 5

what are the three circles of animal welfare according to david fraser

Answer 5

1. basic health and functioning
2. affective states
3. natural living

Question 6

what are the 5 physical and functional domains

Answer 6

1. nutrition : water deprivation, food deprivation and malnutrition
2. environment : physical and atmospheric challenge
3. health : disease, injury and functional impairement
4. behaviour : behavioural and/or interactive movement restrictions
5. mental domain: thirst hunger anxiety fear pain and distress

Question 7

what is the canadian codes of practice

Answer 7

• required of anyone who has 1 or whole commercial practice is required
• objective is to imporve animal welfare in canadian fars (commercial and backyard farms)

Question 8

who is involved in making the codes of practice

Answer 8

• farmers/ producers
• vets
• welfare society
• consumers
• scientists
  -city officials

Question 9

are the codes of practice legal documents

Answer 9

• no its minimum standards that can hold up in court
• there is requirements
• and recommended practices

Question 10

why is welfare difficult to measure?

Answer 10

• doesnt have a difinitive answer
• you have to look at muliple stressors to determine if the behaviour is positive of negative

Question 11

how do you measure physical stressors? what can be an issue

Answer 11

• blood cortisol
• but blood taking could be stressful and bring up blood cortisol levels

Question 12

how can you measure physiology impacts

Answer 12

• lameness
• mortality
• morbidity
• blood parameterslevels
• growth rate and productivity

Question 13

how do you perform audits for poultry welfare

Answer 13

• it ensures complience with laws and regulations = identifies incomplience and helps to improve overall welfare
• eg farmers of canada are required to get an audit once a year
• some food companies have their own
  there is videos or in person types
• most cases are 4-8 hours
• should have input and outcome measures

Question 14

what is an input measure

Answer 14

• engeneering standards - doesnt focus on animal welfare
• measured with a tape measure, and compared to the requirements in the codes of practice

Question 15

what is an output measure

Answer 15

• based on how the bird respondes
• steriotypies,

Question 16

what are common welfare issues in broilers

Answer 16

• lamness : caused by high growth rates, high body weights, and low levels of activity
• contact dermatitis: hock pads and foot dermatitis from humid litter
• lack of stimulation to perform natural behaviours
• fear reactions from : panick fleeing and piling up, unjuries pain and suffication

Question 17

what are the basic needs of broilers

Answer 17

• moving freely
• pecking
• scratching
• dust bathing
• wing flapping
• resting
• sleeping
• perching

Question 18

what 4 critirias must environmental enrichment meet

Answer 18

• increase natural behaviour
• maintain or improve health
• improve economics of the production system
• practical to employ

Question 19

what is a enrichment with point source objects

Answer 19

• limited in size
• ## restricted to a single or a few locations

Question 20

what is enrichment through complex enriched environments

Answer 20

• addressed to meet behavioural needs,
• multiple types and placements of enrichment
• straw bale, platform and laser pointer

Question 21

what are perches and platforms for

Answer 21

• rested elevation
• for perching and resting undisturbed
• lower perches are generally used so they don’t fall

Question 22

what do you need to consider when making perches

Answer 22

• low and wide for better support
• material (metal, wood or plastic)
• shape (oval, round, rounded upper edges)
• providing ramps
• height

Question 23

what is the usage of perches influenced by

Answer 23

• genotype
• age
• management
• flock size
• stocking density

Question 24

what do bales do for behaviour

Answer 24

• promote more then one behaviour
• resting undisturbed
• lie against with reduced disturbance
• when partly open = foraging behaviour

Question 25

what do panels do for behaviour

Answer 25

• promote distribution
• reduce distrubance

Question 26

what do barriers do for behaviour

Answer 26

• add structure to the barn
• reduce disturbance

Question 27

what are some pecking and novel objects used

Answer 27

• plastic, metal and pecking stones and chains
• coloured plastic balls
• plastic bottles
• toys and mirrors