Do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior, stress, and fear?
ABSTRACT: Little is known about the effect of light-flicker frequency on poultry, particularly on turkeys. This experiment examined the impact of light-flicker frequency on the behavior, stress, and fear response of Nicholas Select turkey hens reared to 11 wk. The experiment was a randomized complet...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Poultry Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124002803 |
| _version_ | 1797213446881673216 |
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| author | A. Hammond K. Buchynski T. Shynkaruk J. Brown T. Crowe K. Schwean-Lardner |
| author_facet | A. Hammond K. Buchynski T. Shynkaruk J. Brown T. Crowe K. Schwean-Lardner |
| author_sort | A. Hammond |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT: Little is known about the effect of light-flicker frequency on poultry, particularly on turkeys. This experiment examined the impact of light-flicker frequency on the behavior, stress, and fear response of Nicholas Select turkey hens reared to 11 wk. The experiment was a randomized complete block design (2 trials), with a one-way factorial analysis evaluating 3 light-flicker frequencies (30, 90, or 195 Hertz; Hz). Birds (n = 3,276 per trial) were housed in 9 individual environmentally controlled rooms (3 replicates per treatment per trial). Data collected included: behavior (4, 8, and 10 wk), incidence of aggressive damage, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and novel object test (daily d 1–7 and at 4, 8, and 11 wk). Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed (SAS 9.4), with significance declared at P ≤ 0.05. Behavior data are presented as the percentage of time spent performing the behavior. At 4 wk, gentle feather pecking and exploratory behaviors were higher under 195 Hz compared to 30 Hz (P = 0.04 and P = 0.05, respectively). Preening was higher under 90 Hz compared to 30 Hz (P = 0.05). At 8 wk, wing flapping was lowest under 195 Hz (P < 0.01). Gentle feather pecking was higher under 90 and 195 Hz compared to 30 Hz (P = 0.02). Fighting (P = 0.05), aggressive pecking (P = 0.02), and aggressive behaviors (P = 0.01) were lower under 30 Hz compared to 90 Hz. At 10 wk, preening was decreased under 30 Hz (P = 0.03). Incidences of aggressive damage were reduced under 30 Hz compared to 90 Hz (0 d–4 wk; P = 0.01) and under 30 compared to both 90 and 195 Hz (4–8 wk; P = 0.01). At 11 wk, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were lowest under 30 Hz (P = 0.04). The novel object test was unaffected by flicker treatment. In conclusion, many behaviors and the stress and fear responses were unaffected by either visible or non-visible flicker. However, visible flicker (30 Hz) reduced some comfort and exploratory behaviors early in life, and the impact on preening continued to older ages, suggesting minor negative impacts of flicker, particularly early in life. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:58:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4df7d02954cf49ae98e1dce2151c8986 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0032-5791 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T10:58:25Z |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Poultry Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4df7d02954cf49ae98e1dce2151c89862024-04-12T04:44:15ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912024-06-011036103699Do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior, stress, and fear?A. Hammond0K. Buchynski1T. Shynkaruk2J. Brown3T. Crowe4K. Schwean-Lardner5Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5A8, CanadaDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5A8, CanadaDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5A8, CanadaDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5A8, CanadaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5A9, CanadaDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N5A8, Canada; Corresponding author:ABSTRACT: Little is known about the effect of light-flicker frequency on poultry, particularly on turkeys. This experiment examined the impact of light-flicker frequency on the behavior, stress, and fear response of Nicholas Select turkey hens reared to 11 wk. The experiment was a randomized complete block design (2 trials), with a one-way factorial analysis evaluating 3 light-flicker frequencies (30, 90, or 195 Hertz; Hz). Birds (n = 3,276 per trial) were housed in 9 individual environmentally controlled rooms (3 replicates per treatment per trial). Data collected included: behavior (4, 8, and 10 wk), incidence of aggressive damage, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and novel object test (daily d 1–7 and at 4, 8, and 11 wk). Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed (SAS 9.4), with significance declared at P ≤ 0.05. Behavior data are presented as the percentage of time spent performing the behavior. At 4 wk, gentle feather pecking and exploratory behaviors were higher under 195 Hz compared to 30 Hz (P = 0.04 and P = 0.05, respectively). Preening was higher under 90 Hz compared to 30 Hz (P = 0.05). At 8 wk, wing flapping was lowest under 195 Hz (P < 0.01). Gentle feather pecking was higher under 90 and 195 Hz compared to 30 Hz (P = 0.02). Fighting (P = 0.05), aggressive pecking (P = 0.02), and aggressive behaviors (P = 0.01) were lower under 30 Hz compared to 90 Hz. At 10 wk, preening was decreased under 30 Hz (P = 0.03). Incidences of aggressive damage were reduced under 30 Hz compared to 90 Hz (0 d–4 wk; P = 0.01) and under 30 compared to both 90 and 195 Hz (4–8 wk; P = 0.01). At 11 wk, heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios were lowest under 30 Hz (P = 0.04). The novel object test was unaffected by flicker treatment. In conclusion, many behaviors and the stress and fear responses were unaffected by either visible or non-visible flicker. However, visible flicker (30 Hz) reduced some comfort and exploratory behaviors early in life, and the impact on preening continued to older ages, suggesting minor negative impacts of flicker, particularly early in life.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124002803flicker frequencywelfareaggressionaggressive damage |
| spellingShingle | A. Hammond K. Buchynski T. Shynkaruk J. Brown T. Crowe K. Schwean-Lardner Do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior, stress, and fear? Poultry Science flicker frequency welfare aggression aggressive damage |
| title | Do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior, stress, and fear? |
| title_full | Do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior, stress, and fear? |
| title_fullStr | Do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior, stress, and fear? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior, stress, and fear? |
| title_short | Do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior, stress, and fear? |
| title_sort | do flickering lights impact turkey hen behavior stress and fear |
| topic | flicker frequency welfare aggression aggressive damage |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124002803 |
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