Poultry Welfare Flashcards
Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
Broilers and layers:
Provision of clean water
Formulated diet to stage of production
Automatic drinkers and feeders
Varying feeder and drinker space per production system
Freedom from Discomfort
Broilers and non-caged layers:
Provision of clean, suitable litter substrate
Problems associated with deep litter eg pododermatitis (footpad dermatitis)
Freedom from Discomfort
Layers:
Caged housing systems can lead to extended perching times causing deformed keel bones
Environmental discomfort – temperature and ventilation
Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
in poultry
Infectious diseases eg Avian Influenza, Newcastle’s disease
Metabolic and nutritional diseases eg Layer Cage Fatigue
Parasitic diseases eg Red Mite, Coccidiosis
Behavioural diseases eg Feather pecking, Keel bone fractures
Environmental enrichment strategies to reduce boredom
Biosecurity practises
Freedom to Express Natural Behaviour in poultry
Ability to forage Ability to move and undertake comfort behaviours Ability to nest Ability to perch Ability to dust bathe Ability to socialise
Freedom from Fear and Distress in poultry
Level of social interaction and hierarchy Predators Stockmanship effects Optimal environmental conditions Biosecurity practises
Chicken Welfare and Behaviour considerstions
Heel bone fracture
Feather peaking and beak trimming
Scratch area – litter, straw or wood shavings but typically without food scattered indoors. Free-range management systems allow for food foraging outsides.
Enrichment methods – hay bales, sawdust bales, bundles of string, brassicas/corn stalks
Shelters provided from weather or predation
Pathogen exposure – within flock and external to flock, eg wild birds
Broilers
Welfare and Behaviour considerstions
Why are the sheds kept warmer to begin with?
What alternative heating sources are available?
Why are the cups red? Why do they have a bucket underneath?
Enrichment – hay and sawdust bales, whole grains in littler, perches, hung brassicas, wooden blocks, CDs, etc. Encourages leg strength and natural behaviour
Suitability of chicken breed is important to the type of farming methods used
Disinfection - leaving disinfectants on for the recommended time
Disinfect common areas around the sheds, so diseases are not transferred between sheds
Further uses of chicken litter
Incineration
Field application
Renewable energy – anaerobic digestion
Enriched Cage Layers
Welfare and Behaviour considerstions
Wire floor – student’s preference?
Environment
Inspection of individual animals
Scratch space with feed scattered over the top
Free Range Layers
Welfare and Behaviour considerstions
Ability to dust bath in the field, in straw bed areas and in pig arch filled with sand Perches Hung egg trays for enrichment Some farmers grow their own feed Sun/predation cover
