Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

3. HM 3 Poultry > Welfare Issues > Flashcards

Welfare Issues Flashcards

1
Q

priority welfare issues in laying hens

A
  1. housing
  2. feather pecking
  3. beak trimming
  4. bone health
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

behavioural restriction in laying hens
- is it important
- what behaviours are we worried about?

A
  • Nesting
  • Perching
  • Dust bathing
  • Foraging
    > most contentious of welfare issues, driven the change in housing systems
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

importance of nesting to laying hens

A
  • Every time a hen lays an egg, it is preceded by searching, nest building and sitting on the nest
  • Most hens prefer to lay in a nest box
  • hens will perform a variety of ‘costly; tasks to get the nest box
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

importance of perching for hens

A
  • Hens perch in high places to avoid predators
  • Hens prefer to rest on perches
  • Hens may ‘work’ for access to perch
  • It is well established that perching increases bone strength
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

importance of dustbathing to hens

A
  • on litter hens dust bathe every 2-3 days
  • hens sham dust bathe on wire floors
  • after deprivation hens dustbathe more quickly and for a longer period of time suggesting internal build-up of motivation
  • dont ‘work’ very hard for a dustbath
  • pleasurable?
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

importance of foraging to a hen

A
  • foraging behaviour dominates the time budget
  • hens contrafreeload
  • providing
  • providing foraging substrate reduces the risk of feather pecking
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q
A

Cages
* Conventional cages
* Furnished cages/Enriched colonies
> Small - up to ~15 hens
> Medium - 15-30 hens
> Large - 30 hens up to ~ 60
<><><><>
Non-cage systems
- single-tiers non-cage banrs
- multitiered (aviaries)
- outdoor and free range

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

pros and cons of conventional cages for layers

A
  • promote good health and hygiene
  • but space and behaviour are greatly restricted
  • and lack of exercise leads to weaker bones
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

furnished cages pros and cons

A
  • include nest box, perches, litter area for scratching and dustbathing or more modern scratch mat
    <><><>
    Requirements – Floor space – Nest space – Perches
    – Scratch mat
    <><><><><>
  • Provide health benefits of the hygiene and
    conventional cages
  • perches and more space increase bone strength
  • furnishings support some of the behaviour patterns shown to be important to hens
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

non-cage systems requirements, pros and cons

A

Requirements – Floor space – Nest space – Perches
– Litter
<><><><>
- Perch design also affects risk for injuries
- Litter in non-cage systems is mainly dried manure, which hens really like…
- But these areas become crowded - risk of piling
- Litter also leads to poor air quality and hygiene

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

non-cage and outdoor systems pros and cons

A
  • Provide more space and opportunities to engage in a full range of behavior
  • But increased risk of poor hygiene, disease and broken bones from flying accidents
  • And problems such emaciation, feather
    pecking and piling/smothering
    <><><>
  • free range systems have highest mortality (second is free range aviary, then barn, then aviary…)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

how have housing system mortlaities changed over time

A

conventional cages have been basically the same for a while, while furnished cages, multi-tier aviareis, and single tier aviaries have way less mortality these days than in previous years

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Rearing Systems for Growing Pullets

A
  • Hens housed in complex aviaries must be reared in complex environments
  • Rearing in aviaries enhances spatial cognition, improves 3-D use of space and reduces fearfulness
  • Rearing in aviaries affects bone and muscle development
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Injurious Pecking in Laying Hens - types

A
  • feather pecking: gentle (eploratory, stereotypes, or directed at particles) vs severe (removal of feathers)
  • tissue pecking: mostly directed at toes or vent
  • aggressive pecking: mostly directed at head and neck
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Feather Pecking in laying hens
- what housing system? age?
- consequences?

A
  • Occurs in all types of housing systems
  • Large variation between and within flocks
  • Increases with age – can start in the rearing flock
  • Causes feather damage
  • Consequences:
    – Economic–reducedefficiency > More food or more heat
    – Welfare – pain and discomfort
    – Public perception
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

feather pecking cause

A

Feather Pecking is Multifactorial
* Hundreds of research studies
* Genetics
* Housing and management
– Rearing
– LayerHouse
* Redirected foraging but also…..
– Dysfunctional behaviour–like OCD in humans
– Fear, stress, brain neurotransmitters, gut microbiota…..

17
Q

management factors that contribute to feather pecking

A
  • Lack of foraging substrate (during rearing and as an adult)
  • nutritional factors - type, method of feeding
    > Food form, deficiencies, lack of fiber (feather eating)
  • environment
    > group size and stocking density
  • stress from house climate (temp, humidity, dust, ammonia)
18
Q

importance of FP prevention

A
  • Once FP is established in a flock it is difficult to stop
  • becomes a repetitive behaviour that increases in frequency and duration over time
  • social transmission/birds see or learn from others
  • is it a coping mechanism?
19
Q

methods to reduce feather pecking and cannibalism

A
  • Lighting
    > reduce light intesity (but consequences)
    > some prducers use red light > not clear if this is effective
  • environmental enrichment
    > Foraging materials. Straw bales, pecking blocks
    > shiny, colourful objects to peck at
  • beak treatment, beak trimming
    > early technique was to trim the end of the beak by cautery blade but today most done by infrared beam which is less painful
    <><><><><><><>
    Management
  • Use of pullets without FP in rearing
  • Low sound level
  • Prevention of diseases
  • Early placement before 20 weeks
    <><>
    Housing
  • Provision of enrichment materials such as peck blocks, strings, baskets, hay bales
  • Different levels (perches/aviaries)
  • Provision of dry litter
  • No flickering light
  • Nests without lighting
    <><>
    Feed and water
  • Use of mash instead of pellets
    <><>
    In free range
  • High use of range- encouraging hens to go outside
20
Q

where do we see highest levels of feather picking?

A
  • Highest Feather Pecking in flocks lacking enrichment, with increasing age, in cage housing
  • Highest Feather Damage in flocks lacking enrichment, increased age, absence of beak trimming, cage housing
  • Confirmed the effectiveness of environmental enrichment in reducing FP and FD
21
Q

The Beak as a Sensory Organ

A
  • Birds use beaks for foraging, feeding, drinking, preening, nest building and as a weapon during aggression
  • Serves as tool for pecking, grasping, moving objects but also is used as a specialized sensory organ for finding food, and for detecting chemical and thermal stimuli in the environment
  • Within the dermis of the beak are numerous mechanoreceptors, nociceptors, trigeminal receptors as well as free nerve endings that also respond to chemical, thermal and painful stimuli
22
Q

traditional beak trimming

A
  • Hot blade trimming
    > small hatcheries or on farm, hot blade cuts and cauterizes
    > most invasive: can lead to acute and chronic pain when conducted on older birds
23
Q

infra-red beak treatment

A
  • most birds in canada - large hatheries
    > Precision exposure of beak to infrared beam
    > Beak tip sloughs in week to 10 days
24
Q

beak treatment cons

A

Acute pain during healing
– Behavioural changes
– Reduces feeding, pecking
– Age and severity dependent – IR method at early age
causes less pain than hot blade
<><><><>
Chronic pain throughout the life of the bird
– Can result in neuromas- tangles of nerves that grow during the healing process
– Spontaneous and abnormal discharge of neuromas can cause pain
– Age, severity and hot blade trimming

25
Q

osteoporosis and broken bones in layers
- is it a problem? why?

A
  • A major problem in the modern laying hen
  • Selection for high egg production
  • First associated with conventional cages
  • Lack of load-bearing exercise
26
Q

what is medullary bone

A

At sexual maturity osteoblasts switch from developing structural bone to medullary bone

27
Q

keel bone fractures incidence and issues

A
  • Sternum: site of muscle attachment for wings
  • Incidence rates range from 5 to over 85%
  • Shown to be painful for hens
  • Injury from falls and collisions
  • Characterized by sharp bends, shearing and/or fragmented sections of keel bone
28
Q

priority welfare issues for meat chickens

A
  • housing
    > stocking density, environemnt, enrichment
  • selection for fast growth and large breast size
  • feed restriction of breeders
29
Q

Housing Conditions of broilers - stocking density issues

A
  • Stocking densities become high as birds approach market weight
  • Environmental effects due to stocking is more important than “crowding”
  • High stocking density:
  • Reduced air quality
  • Reduced litter quality
  • Increased contact dermatitis- breast blisters and foot lesions
30
Q

Housing Conditions for broilers main concerns

A
  • air and litter quality can cause health problems (mucous membranes and skin) > ammonia, damp litter
  • good husbandry and appropriate stocking densities can alleviate problems
31
Q

consequences of broilers fast growth

A
  • Discord between body weight, leg strength, cardiovascular system
  • High risk for behavioural impairments, limited mobility, contact dermatitis
  • Breast muscle myopathies
32
Q

Reduced mobility of broilers, main concerns

A
  • Pain, discomfort
  • Altered gait due to changed conformation
  • ammonia burns to skin, increased contact with litter
  • difficulty reaching food and water
  • they dont ‘act’ like normal birds
33
Q

pros and cons of slower growing broilers

A
  • Slower growing broilers – less efficient – use more feed to reach market weight- economic and environmental impacts
  • Breast muscle myopathies – white striping, woody breast- increase with rate of gain and breast yield
  • Activity/use of enrichments – decreases over time in all birds, but decreases at a faster rate in when faster growing
  • More contact dermatitis in conventional strains – but also poorer litter quality
  • Performance on Mobility tests (Latency-to-Lie and Obstacle Crossing) related to body weight and rate of growth
34
Q

Restricted Feeding of Breeding Stock - why? how much?

A
  • Parents have also been selected for high appetite and fast growth
  • If allowed to eat to appetite they develop health and reproductive problems
  • Up to 75% feed intake restricted during rearing
    > fed daily or skip a day
35
Q

problems with restricted feeding of broiler breeders, and solutions

A
  • Signs of chronic hunger
  • aggression at feeding, stereotypic pecking at drinkers, feeders, and feather pecking
  • solutions?
    > feeding bulky, low nutrient diets to increase time spent feeding and reduce hunger
    > slower growing strains

3. HM 3 Poultry (9 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions