ANIMAL WELFARE (Issues in Poultry)

Question 1

3 codes of practice for poultry:

Answer 1

-pullets and laying hens
-chickens, turkeys and breeders
-transportation (under revision)

Question 2

Who has to follow the codes of practice?

Answer 2

-everybody who has the animals!
*also include some welfare requirements

Question 3

Marketing board welfare requirements:

Answer 3

-egg farmers of Canada
-chicken farmers of Canada
-Turkey farmers of Canada
*get audited once a year

Question 4

Egg production hens: housing systems:

Answer 4

-conventional (cages) (most common in Canada, 2036 this is no longer allowed)
-enriched
-free run
*not a clear-cut decision!
>advantages and disadvantages for both enriched and free run

Question 5

Conventional:

Answer 5

-small cage made of wire mesh
-5-6 birds in a cage
-slope so egg roles down onto conveyer belt
-have feed and water
-manure falls through the floor

Question 6

Enriched:

Answer 6

-a bit bigger cage
-enrichment within the cage
-‘furniture’ (can lay egg in certain area
-scratching mats

Question 7

Free run:

Answer 7

-larger group in a large room
-aviaries on left and right
-water, feed, nest boxes, perches

Question 8

Advantages of conventional:

Answer 8

-small groups
-health
-mortality
-ammonia (manure belts=cleaner)

Question 9

Advantages of enriched:

Answer 9

-all of cages plus
-better health
-furniture
-increased space

Question 10

Advantages of free run

Answer 10

-space (behaviour and exercise)
-furniture

Question 11

Disadvantages of conventional:

Answer 11

-limited space
-behavioural restriction
-bone quality due to not moving around

Question 12

Disadvantages of enriched:

Answer 12

-less space than free run, but more than conventional

Question 13

Disadvantages of free run

Answer 13

-risk of cannibalism (trying to establish a hierarchy)
-disease
-parasites
-environment
-bone breaks (multiple levels)

Question 14

Egg production hens: housing systems and consume costs:

Answer 14

-more expensive to have free run eggs

Question 15

Egg production hens: beak treatment

Answer 15

-sharp pointed tip of the beak is removed in commercial and pets (*not debeaking)
-reduces cannibalism and injury=improves livability and reduces fear
>cannibalism is a learned behaviour=can become a big problem!

Question 16

Methodology for beak treatment:

Answer 16

-literature primarily hot-blade (can cause problems and chronic pain)
-NA: uses primarily infrared (around 10 years)
-both reduce cannibalism
-very different pain response (infrared minimal if any)

Question 17

Beak treatment example in Germany:

Answer 17

-2015: had plans on prohibiting beak treatments in turkey hens in 2019 (didn’t happen)
-2017: prohibited in layers
-different projects to find options to keep turkeys with untrimmed beaks
*good management has made it okay with no beak treating in hens in Germany

Question 18

Projects to find options to keep turkeys with untrimmed beaks:

Answer 18

Plus:
-2.5% fibre in feed
-breaks during the day
-emergency kit
-separating pecked bird
-covering wounds with zinc spray and baby powder
-put different objects in pens (jeans, platforms, jeans, ‘pens’, more oats)
*no matter what was tried, still had a higher mortality factor of 4!
*also worse injuries in untrimmed birds (most in the snood area, then head area)

Question 19

Environmental enrichment in broilers:

Answer 19

-litter floors (free run) vs. barren environment
-limited behaviour expression
*no recommendations for broilers (no feather picking or cannibalism)

Question 20

Behaviour expression in broilers:

Answer 20

-moving freely
-pecking
-scratching
-dust bathing
-wing flapping
-resting and sleeping undisturbed? HARD
-reaching elevated structures? NO

Question 21

Environmental enrichment definition:

Answer 21

-enhancement of an animal’s physical or social environment
*Codes of practice for it in layers to prevent cannibalism

Question 22

What can enrichment look like for broilers?

Answer 22

-point-source enrichment
>available in different areas in the barn
Ex. rope, barriers, ramps

Question 23

Advantages of environmental enrichment: broilers

Answer 23

-positive effect on health (contact dermatitis (foot, hock, breast) and lameness)
-positive effect on behaviour (expression of larger behaviour repertoire and less fear reactions)
-resting and sleeping undisturbed
-better distribution in the barn
-stimulating activity

Question 24

Disadvantages of environmental enrichment: broilers

Answer 24

-expensive (investment costs, labour intensive)
-workload (installation, service/repairs, cleaning and disinfection)
-challenges while bird control
-biosecurity risks for organic materials
-it may have negative performance effects

Question 25

Slow growth broilers:

Answer 25

-grow approximately 23% slower than conventional breeds (GAP)

Question 26

What may slow growth broilers have?

Answer 26

-reduced leg issues?
-reduced cardiac issues?
-may also be accomplished with lighting programs, nutrition, and management in conventional production

Question 27

What may slow growth broilers not have?

Answer 27

-longer time with greater chance for dust/ammonia
-foot pad lesions, etc

Question 28

Environmental cost in USA for slow growth birds only?

Answer 28

-20 thousand more barns
-1.5billion extra birds for same meat amt
-72.4 million additional on-farm mortality
-7.6 million additional acres for crops
-additional 5 billion gallons of water
-27.5x more manure to dispose of
-9billion additional production costs

Question 29

Conclusions of poultry welfare issues?

Answer 29

-welfare issues to exist
>industry is addressing many of these
>genetics, nutrition, bird management
-consumer information gap
*be informed!