The challenge for agri-tech: Finding the ‘sweet spot’ to achieve poultry welfare and efficiency
A “Viewpoints” article by
Marian Stamp Dawkins, FRS CBE
University of Oxford, UK
A “Viewpoints” article by
Marian Stamp Dawkins, FRS CBE
University of Oxford, UK
Artificial light remains the industry standard in modern broiler production because it is highly controllable and can provide a consistent, uniform light source. While some studies demonstrate the benefits of artificial lighting, other research suggests that the same environment may negatively affect ocular and leg health.
Ventilation shutdown with heat and humidity may be superior to other methods of broiler depopulation under controlled environmental conditions, but this method requires further study under industry-like conditions, according to researchers at North Carolina State University.
Raised to maximize meat production, commercial turkey toms are bred to grow quickly and gain weight in a short time. This begs the question whether the bird’s skeletal system meets that developmental challenge.
Broiler welfare assessment has moved beyond a framework based solely on minimizing harm to one that incorporates opportunities for positive affect. Jenna Boewe, graduate student, and Marisa Erasmus, PhD, Purdue University, explore this new paradigm in animal welfare as it applies to today’s broilers.
Research led by Chloe Phelps, a graduate student in the Virginia Tech School of Animal Sciences, evaluated poultry behavior and its impact on birds’ emotional state and subsequent welfare.
Those who work in poultry welfare should focus on “progress, not perfection” when designing and implementing ways to improve birds’ quality of life, according to industry expert, Kate Barger Weathers, DVM, KB Welfare Consulting, South Carolina.
Lameness in poultry, characterized by impaired mobility or abnormal gait, is a major concern in fast-growing birds such as broilers and turkeys. Intensive genetic selection for rapid body weight gain and increased breast muscle mass can result in disproportionate growth between the muscular and skeletal systems, predisposing birds to locomotor problems. Stephanie Kulbacki, University of Georgia, provides an overview of lameness and ways to assess gait.
A “Viewpoints” article
by Allison Pullin, PhD
Prestage Department of Poultry Science
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, freezing conditions, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes, can affect poultry flocks in many ways. The severity of their impact depends on both the type of event and the geographic location.
A “Rising Stars” article
by Xiaowen Ma, MS
Department of Animal Science
Michigan State University
A “Viewpoints” article
By Ken Opengart, DVM, PhD, DACPV
3 Birds Consulting
Signal Mountain, Tennessee
