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

Abstract

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.Cilj procene dobrobiti zivine u razlicitim sistemima gajenja ima veliki znacaj. Konkretno organski sistemi proizvodnje ispituju se u vezi sa poboljsanjem dobrobiti zivine i kvaliteta zivinskih proizvoda sirom sveta. Cilj rada je bio procena dobrobiti roditeljskih jata - White Plymouth Rock, Barred Plymouth Rock (Line F) i New Hampshire, gajenih u dva sistema - podni i organski (objekat sa ispustom). Ispitivani su mikroklimatski uslovi, ponasanje zivine i koncentracija kortikosterona u krvnoj plazmi u oba sistema gajenja. Rezultati procene dobrobiti White Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire i Barred Plymouth Rock, gajenih u podnom sistemu su bili 60%, dok su u organskom sistemu - 90%. Bolja ocena dobrobiti pilica koji su organski gajeni odredjena je na osnovu veceg broja pilica koji su provodili vreme u kupanju u prasini (P<0.01) i ciscenju perja (P<0.05) kao i manjim brojem epizoda agresije (P<0.01) i nivoom kortikosterona (P<0.01) u poredjenju sa pilicima gajenih u podnom sistemu.