scholarly journals Welfare assessment of three chicken breeds (Gallus Gallus Domesticus) under different production systems

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1705-1713 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Bozakova ◽  
V. Gerzilov ◽  
S. Popova-Ralcheva ◽  
V. Sredkova
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Objective Assessment ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Chicken Breeds ◽  
Microclimatic Conditions

The objective assessment of welfare in poultry under different rearing systems has gained an increasing importance. In particular, organic rearing systems are examined in relation to improving poultry welfare and the quality of poultry production at a worldwide scale. The aim of the present study was to assess the welfare of parent flocks - White Plymouth Rock, Barred Plymouth Rock (Line F) and New Hampshire, reared under two production systems - indoor on a litter and organic (sleep houses and walk yards). The rearing and microclimatic conditions, the poultry behaviour and blood plasma corticosterone concentrations under both farming systems were examined. The welfare assessment score of White Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire and Barred Plymouth Rock, reared indoor on a litter was 60%, whereas in an organic production system - 90%. The higher welfare of birds reared organically was determined by the greater number of birds spending their time in dust bathing (P<0.01) and feather cleaning (P<0.05) as well as by fewer episodes of aggression (P<0.01) and plasma corticosterone levels (P<0.01), as compared to chickens reared indoor on a litter.

Welfare assessment of conventional and organic broilers in Denmark, with emphasis on leg health

2018 ◽  
Vol 183 (6) ◽  
pp. 192-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda M Tahamtani ◽  
Lena K Hinrichsen ◽  
Anja B Riber
Keyword(s):  
Contact Dermatitis ◽  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Walking Ability ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Welfare Indicators ◽  
Tibial Dyschondroplasia ◽  
Conventional Production ◽  
Gait Score

The aim of this study was to survey and report the walking ability in broilers housed in both conventional and organic production systems in Denmark. To this end, the authors assessed the walking ability, by using the Bristol scale, in 31 conventional broiler flocks and in 29 organic broiler flocks distributed across Denmark. In addition, assessment of contact dermatitis, leg abnormalities, scratches and plumage cleanliness, as well as postmortem analysis of tibial dyschondroplasia, was performed in conventional broilers. The survey found a prevalence of 77.4 per cent of impaired walking ability (gait score (GS) >0) in conventional broilers and 38.1 per cent in organic broilers. The prevalence of severe lameness (GS >2) was 5.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent for conventional and organic broilers, respectively. The prevalence of tibial dyschondroplasia in conventional broilers was 4.7 per cent. The results on other welfare indicators are also presented for conventional broilers. The results from the present and previous surveys indicate that the prevalence of impaired walking ability in broiler chickens in the Danish conventional production system is high, but the severity has been steadily decreasing over the last 19 years. Furthermore, the results from the survey of organic broilers suggest that lameness is less prevalent and severe in this system relative to conventional production.

Integrating feeding programmes into organic production systems.

2021 ◽  
pp. 177-217
Author(s):  
Robert Blair
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Feed Additives ◽  
Feed Quality ◽  
Feed Supplements ◽  
Cattle Farming

Abstract This chapter describes the effects of feeding programmes (including feed quality, feed supplements and feed additives) on the reproductive performance, beef and milk production and quality and environmental impact in organic cattle farming systems.

Economic and social impacts of organic production systems

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1037-1044 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. MacRae ◽  
B. Frick ◽  
R. C. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Weather Extremes ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Face ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Organic Farming Systems

Given relatively low adoption levels to date, the potential benefits of organic farming systems are not yet very visible. However, there is growing evidence in the literature that adoption of such systems produces multiple environmental, social, and financial benefits that can solve pressing agricultural problems in Canada. Compared with their duration as conventional operations, most organic farms in North America perform better under organic management. This outcome is usually a product of lower input costs, more diversified production and marketing channels, resilience in the face of variable market conditions, higher premiums, and a better capacity to adapt to weather extremes. However, the performance of farming systems including some horticultural and animal production systems, for which our ecological understanding is limited, is still frequently inferior. The data on social impacts are less conclusive, but there is some evidence that when a community has many sustainable (including organic) producers , there are positive shifts in community economic development and social interaction. The reasons appear to be related to the need to hire more labour, the increased demand for local goods and services, and a greater commitment to participation in civic in stitutions. Key words: Organic agriculture, economic performance, social benefits

scholarly journals Living Mulches For Organic Farming Systems

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 692-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Leary ◽  
Joe DeFrank
Keyword(s):  
Pest Management ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Living Mulch ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Nutrient Runoff ◽  
Organic Farmers

An important aspect of organic farming is to minimize the detrimental impact of human intervention to the surrounding environment by adopting a natural protocol in system management. Traditionally, organic farming has focused on the elimination of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and a reliance on biological cycles that contribute to improving soil health in terms of fertility and pest management. Organic production systems are ecologically and economically sustainable when practices designed to build soil organic matter, fertility, and structure also mitigate soil erosion and nutrient runoff. We found no research conducted under traditional organic farming conditions, comparing bareground monoculture systems to systems incorporating the use of living mulches. We will be focusing on living mulch studies conducted under conventional methodology that can be extrapolated to beneficial uses in an organic system. This article discusses how organic farmers can use living mulches to reduce erosion, runoff, and leaching and also demonstrate the potential of living mulch systems as comprehensive integrated pest management plans that allow for an overall reduction in pesticide applications. The pesticide reducing potential of the living mulch system is examined to gain insight on application within organic agriculture.

scholarly journals On-station performance evaluation of improved tropically adapted chicken breeds for smallholder poultry production systems in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 1541-1548 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Bamidele ◽  
E. B. Sonaiya ◽  
O. A. Adebambo ◽  
T. Dessie
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Private Facility ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Biological Potential ◽  
Chicken Breeds ◽  
Specific Hybrid ◽  
Local Chickens

Abstract Background Availability of appropriate genetics is important for the development of smallholder poultry (SHP). The biological potential of improved dual purpose chicken germplasms was evaluated in Nigeria. Methods A total of six breeds (Fulani, FUNAAB Alpha, Kuroiler, Noiler, Sasso, and Shika-Brown) were tested on-station, in deep litter houses at two test centres (Public and private facility) for 504 days. Birds were fed ad libitum for the first 140 days after which restricted feeding was practised. Result Lowest and highest hatchability of eggs set was 55% (FUNAAB Alpha) and 89% (Sasso), respectively. At 140 days, male live weights were 200%–300 % higher than the local chickens (975 g) except Shika-Brown (152%) and Fulani (135%). Lowest (p < 0.05) age at first egg was 119 days for Shika-Brown and 120 days for FUNAAB Alpha and Kuroiler. Highest hen-housed egg production was 192 for Shika-Brown, and feed intake per dozen eggs was lowest (p < 0.05) for Shika-Brown (2.9 kg) and FUNAAB Alpha (2.9 kg). Mortality rate of the locally sourced breeds (Fulani, FUNAAB Alpha, Noiler, and Shika-Brown) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than the foreign-sourced breeds (Kuroiler, Sasso) during brooding, growing and laying. Conclusion Results from this study identified FUNAAB Alpha and Noiler as being more suitable for dual-purpose functions (egg and meat), while Sasso and Kuroiler (meat) and Shika-Brown (egg) were observed to be better suited for single purpose functions. These findings could guide the introduction of smallholder poultry-specific hybrid germplasms for the development of the smallholder poultry production systems in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Attitudes of Pig and Poultry Industry Stakeholders in Guandong Province, China, to Animal Welfare and Farming Systems

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Sinclair ◽  
Wang Yan ◽  
Clive J. C. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
The People ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Safe Food

Although the People’s Republic of China produces more animals for consumption than any other country, very little is known about the attitudes of stakeholders in the livestock industries to animal welfare in farming systems. This study investigated the attitudes of stakeholders in pig and poultry farming in south China towards animal welfare in different farming systems, pig and poultry behaviour, and the inherent value of the animals themselves. Respondents thought welfare was important, particularly if they had worked in the industry a long time, and that they intended to make improvements, even though they also believed it to be generally satisfactory. Outdoor systems were perceived to be better for welfare but indoor systems better for food safety, particularly among respondents that had gained their knowledge from multiple sources. Respondents believed pigs and chickens to have equally important needs, despite the fact that pigs were considered more intelligent than chickens. Pig farmers with outdoor systems had a more positive attitude to making welfare improvements compared with those operating intensive indoor systems. However an absence of enrichment in chicken farms increased respondents’ intentions to make improvements, and these were more likely to occur on small chicken farms. Veterinarians and government officials were more likely to perceive welfare as unsatisfactory or to want change it than those working directly with animals. City residents were more likely to support and express confidence that they could improve animal welfare, compared to rural residents. It is concluded that stakeholders in China’s pig and poultry production industries recognised a need to improve welfare, although they saw a conflict with production of safe food. However, farmers involved in intensive production systems were less likely to perceive a need or capacity to improve welfare than those operating more extensive systems, suggesting a dichotomisation of the people in the industry into those in small and outdoor farms that could and were improving welfare and those in indoor intensive farms who did not envisage this happening.

scholarly journals A computer model for welfare assessment of poultry production systems for laying hens

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.M. De Mol ◽  
W.G.P. Schouten ◽  
E. Evers ◽  
H. Drost ◽  
H.W.J. Houwers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computer Model ◽  
Laying Hens ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Welfare Assessment

scholarly journals Use of Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) in Laying Hen’s Nutrition on Performance and Egg Fatty Acid Profile as a Promising Sustainable Organic Agricultural Tool

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Puvača ◽  
Erinda Lika ◽  
Sonila Cocoli ◽  
Tana Shtylla Kika ◽  
Vojislava Bursić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Essential Oil ◽  
Fatty Acid Profile ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Feed Consumption ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Melaleuca Alternifolia ◽  
Tea Tree

The level of production in a variety of organic production systems is often lower than in other traditional production systems. In poultry production, there is also a direct negative effect of the small scale regarding sustainable organic poultry production. Regardless of differences between organic and conventional production systems, this experiment aimed to investigate the usage of tea tree Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden and Betche) Cheel essential oils as a natural alternative to antibiotics in hen nutrition on productive parameters, table egg quality and eggs fatty acid profile as a promising sustainable organic agricultural tool. A total of 360 Lohmann Brown hens, aged 54 weeks, divided into three different treatment diets, were supplemented with 0 (T1), 40 (T2) and 80 mg/kg (T3) of M. alternifolia essential oil, respectively. Experimental treatments were replicated four times within 30 birds each. The experiment lasted for a total of 56 days (55 to 62 weeks of hens age). A 56-day experimental had two timetable periods of 28 days each: period 1 (55 to 58 weeks of hen age) and period 2 (59 to 62 weeks of hen age). For compound feed supplemented with M. alternifolia essential oil, daily egg production and the efficiency of nutrient utilization (FCR) was improved significantly (p < 0.05) until the end of week 58, with a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the thickness of eggshell, as well as egg production (p < 0.05). However, egg mass, feed consumption, FCR and albumen height, Haugh unit, and eggshell strength did not show any significant (p > 0.05) differences influenced by essential oil feed supplementation. Lower concentrations of saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), were recorded with M. alternifolia essential oil supplementation, but without significant (p > 0.05) differences. At the end of the experiment, the obtained results showed that the addition of M. alternifolia essential oil to hen nutrition had a positive effect on production parameters and eggs fatty acid profile, with increased eggshell thickness (p < 0.05).

scholarly journals Pretreatment with probiotics ameliorate gut health and necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens, a substitute to antibiotics

AMB Express ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danish Sharafat Rajput ◽  
Dong Zeng ◽  
Abdul Khalique ◽  
Samia Sharafat Rajput ◽  
Hesong Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Broiler Chickens ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Necrotic Enteritis ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Gut Health ◽  
Growth Promoters ◽  
Broiler Performance ◽  
Antibiotic Growth Promoters ◽  
Microbial Strains

AbstractNecrotic enteritis (NE) is being considered as one of the most important intestinal diseases in the recent poultry production systems, which causes huge economic losses globally. NE is caused by Clostridium perfringens, a pathogenic bacterium, and normal resident of the intestinal microflora of healthy broiler chickens. Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of broiler chicken is considered as the most integral part of pathogen’s entrance, their production and disease prevention. Interaction between C. perfringens and other pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella present in the small intestine may contribute to the development of NE in broiler chickens. The antibiotic therapy was used to treat the NE; however European Union has imposed a strict ban due to the negative implications of drug resistance. Moreover, antibiotic growth promoters cause adverse effects on human health as results of withdrawal of antibiotic residues in the chicken meat. After restriction on use of antibiotics, numerous studies have been carried out to investigate the alternatives to antibiotics for controlling NE. Thus, possible alternatives to prevent NE are bio-therapeutic agents (Probiotics), prebiotics, organic acids and essential oils which help in nutrients digestion, immunity enhancement and overall broiler performance. Recently, probiotics are extensively used alternatives to antibiotics for improving host health status and making them efficient in production. The aim of review is to describe a replacement to antibiotics by using different microbial strains as probiotics such as bacteria and yeasts etc. having bacteriostatic properties which inhibit growth of pathogens and neutralize the toxins by different modes of action.

scholarly journals Probiotics and Potential Applications for Alternative Poultry Production Systems

2021 ◽  
pp. 101156
Author(s):  
Rim El Jeni ◽  
Dana K. Dittoe ◽  
Elena G. Olson ◽  
Jeferson Lourenco ◽  
Nicolae Corcionivoschi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Systems ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Potential Applications
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