Evaluating two systems of poultry production: conventional and free-range

Abstract

The improvement in production technology was the major factor that lead Brazil to become the third largest poultry producer. The improvement was world's based on the careful control of several aspects, including which nutrition and management (environment, health and rearing systems). Nowadays, the search for good welfare conditions is a global tendency in animal production. Concomitantly, an extensive production system of free-range broilers has been increasing in Brazil. This study evaluated in situ production indexes of two different commercial broiler productions, an intensive and conventional (farm A) and a semi-extensive free-range production (farm B), in order to assess the relationship between productivity and management. It was observed that the physical environment in farm A presented higher temperatures and relative humidity. Based on the results, the production index was better in farm A than in farm B. It was not clear that the production index was related to inadequate welfare of broilers under the conventional rearing system.