Welfare issues Flashcards
Legislative requirements for poultry welfare
○ Council directive 2007/43/EC (broilers)
○ Animal welfare act 2006
○ Welfare farmed animal (England) Reg 2007 (all poultry)
○ New animal health law 2021
Assurance schemes for poultry welfare
○ RSPCA Freedom Foods scheme
○ Assured British Chicken scheme
○ Assured Duck scheme
Supermarkets have additional requirements
Current welfare issues identified in poultry industry
- Better chicken commitment
- Feather pecking/aggression in laying hens
- Fractured bones in laying hens
- Contact dermatitis
- Transport related injuries
- Water provision for ducks
European chicken commitment
- lower stocking density (=/< 30kg/m2)
- transition to strains of birds that demonstrate higher welfare outcomes
- enrichment provision
- multi-step controlled atmosphere killing
- compliance via third party auditing
Growth rate limits in EU
50g/d
Fast GR birds can be included if accompanied by active leg health plan
Bristol gait score of poultry
0-5
Aim for most birds to be 0-2
Benefits of enrichment for poultry
natural light and straw bale provision increases activity and leads to better leg health
What does increasing stocking density lead to
Reduced growth rate, walking ability, number of strides taken per walking bout, and increased jostling of birds and increased RH in final week
Reduced performance
Poorer quality environment
Lameness in broilers
In 1990, Tibial Dystrochondroplasia (TD) became a major issue in one breed especially
Intensive focus on selecting out the trait using hand held x-ray equipment
Mineral imbalance/deficiency
Post 2000, large focus on gait abnormalities
Birds examined according to defined protocols and attributed a score
Information fed back to genetic selection companies
Faster growth rate birds tend to experience a higher incidence of lameness
Benefits of a slow growth rate
Improved mental wellbeing and more expression of natural behaviour
More active throughout life
Enriched environment for poultry
Litter, lighting, enrichment
Purpose: provide behavioural opportunities in a rich and stimulating environment - have positive effects on physical conditions (walking ability) and mental wellbeing
Enrichment must be relevant/meaningful to the bird and sustain their interest
Indoors: natural light; pecking substrates; perches; dry friable litter (dustbathing, scratching)
Outdoors: shade/shelter outdoors; pecking substrates; perches; dry friable litter/soil
Feather pecking/aggression in laying hens
Has been classified in terms of severity and type:
○ Gentle pecking
○ Severe pecking
○ Vent pecking
○ Cannibalism
○ Aggressive pecking
Gentle and severe pecking considered as re-directed ‘normal’ behaviour, but can be difficult to distinguish between ‘normal’ and abnormal pecking
Vent pecking usually associated with onset of lay when oviduct can protrude or prolapse slightly
Cannibalism can occur pre- and post-mortem
Aggressive pecking directed to the head and may be associated with establishing social status
Beak trimming performed on all laying stock- either by infra-rad or heated blade, if carried out correctly is a very effective control measure
Management system, stocking density, breed, diet, light levels, colony size all influence incidence of pecking
Adjustments to lights, increased dietary NaCl levels and some poultry tonics (e.g. Heparanol, Vigosine) can all help resolve
Legislation around beak trimming in poultry
DEFRA initial legislation planned to prohibit beak trimming 1/1/2011
FAWC advised delaying the ban until Jan 2016
Beak trimming action group formed to review evidence and advise Ministers on policy and whether beak trimming could be banned
Recent trial flocks have been a disaster with losses >30% in some cases
Fractured bones in laying hens
More common at the end of lay due to de-mineralisation of long bones to supply calcium for egg shells
Barn or perchery systems appear the worst (up to 60%)
Generally accepted that bone strength is better in extensive systems than in caged or enriched colonies, however incidence of breaks is higher in extensive systems
Diet formulation critical at the end of lay, and water soluble calcium supplements often aid shell quality as well as reduce breaks
Foot pad dermatitis in poultry
Also referred to as:
○ Pododermatitis
○ Plantar pododermatitis/necrosis
○ Bumblefoot (very old name)
Part of a group of conditions referred to as contact dermatitis
Scored from class 0 to class 2
0. no lesion, minor discolouration
1. minor superficial lesions
2. ulceration, bumblefoot, plantar necrosis
Flock scored based on a sample of one foot from 100 chickens
Development of contact dermatitis in poultry
Superficial skin discolouration
Epidermal hyperkeratosis
Epidermal cracking and necrosis (scabs)
Inflammation
Ulceration
Healing
Scar tissue
Bird factors contributing to contact dermatitis
Age
BW
Gender
Breed
Health factors contributing to contact dermatitis
Enteritis
Coccidiosis
Leg disorders
Litter factors contributing to contact dermatitis
Depth
Litter moisture
Bedding material
Nutrition factors contributing to contact dermatitis
Methionine
Other vitamins
Biotin
Trace minerals
Fat quality
Protein quality
Mineral balance
Management factors contributing to contact dermatitis
Perchery
Housing system
Stocking density
Drinker management
Drinker design
Litter management
House temp/RH
Ventilation
Capping of litter in poultry house
Seals off the litter
prevents water evaporation
severely reduces the water holding capacity
creates anaerobic conditions
What contributes to litter capping?
- Excess water into litter from drinkers
○ Height
○ Water pressure- Lighting positioning
- Draughts
○ Air direction - Diet
○ Digestibility - Influenced by litter type
○ Friability
○ Absorbency
Humidity contributors to foot pad dermatitis
Nipple drinkers better than cup drinkers (less spillage)
Cooler temps have higher incidence due to increased litter moisture
Lower incidence with more air movement and lower humidity
Transport related injuries in birds
Most catching is by hand therefore training of operators, speed of process, and standard of equipment all have an impact
Stocking density in crates is important, if birds are allowed to move in the crates, the risk of injury is higher
Dislocation of the femur, broken wings, broken leg, and keel bones can all be experienced
Import to check birds post loading and prior to transport
Higher risk procedure is catching, followed by crating birds
The number of birds handled at one time should be adjusted according to the birds placed in each crate
Point of lay pullets are also susceptible to injury when unloaded, especially is being loaded into cages or colony systems
Heat stress
Cold stress
Fitness to travel
Welfare of animals (transport) (2006)
