Effects of perch availability on performance, carcass characteristics, and footpad lesions in broilers
In the modern broiler industry, solutions are still being sought to improve conditions or eliminate problems related to issues such as animal welfare, health, and meat quality brought by intensive production systems. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to study effects of perching on growth per...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Archives Animal Breeding |
| Online Access: | http://www.arch-anim-breed.net/59/19/2016/aab-59-19-2016.pdf |
| Summary: | In the modern broiler industry, solutions are still being sought to improve
conditions or eliminate problems related to issues such as animal
welfare, health, and meat quality brought by intensive production systems.
Therefore, this experiment was conducted to study effects of perching on
growth performance, carcass characteristics, and footpad lesions (FPLs) in
broiler chickens. A total of 300 broiler chicks (Ross 308) were distributed
into control and perch groups with three replicates including equal numbers
of males and females. The perch group contained two single perches in each pen.
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Analysis of camera records revealed that on average 7.36 % of the birds
using perches. Perch use did not have any effect on growth performance
(<i>P</i> > 0.05), but had a positive effect on FPLs (<i>P</i> < 0.001).
Carcass yield and proportions of carcass parts were not affected by perch
availability (<i>P</i> > 0.05). Thigh and breast meat color was less yellow (<i>P</i> < 0.005) in the perch group compared to the control group, where breast meat color was more red (<i>P</i> < 0.01). Birds in the perch group had brighter breast meat (<i>P</i> < 0.001). The weight of livers in the perch group was
lower than in the control group (<i>P</i> < 0.01).
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These findings suggest that perch use has positive effect on FPLs. The
reduction of redness in the breast could indicate that perch use may have a
positive effect on breast inflammation. The potential positive effects of adapting perch use to intensive
conditions should be further investigated. |
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| ISSN: | 0003-9438 2363-9822 |