Improving Leg Health in Broiler Chickens: A Systematic Review of the Effect of Environmental Enrichment
Leg problems are highly prevalent in modern broiler production and provision of environmental enrichment could be a strategy to improve leg health. Different types of environmental enrichment have undergone evaluation. Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of the effect of environmental enrichment on leg health in broiler chickens. The evaluation of leg health […]
Effect of free-range access, shelter type and weather conditions on free-range use and welfare of slow-growing broiler chickens
Free-range access for broiler chickens can benefit animal welfare because the birds have access to a more natural environment and more opportunities to perform natural behaviours than in indoor systems. Also, they have more space and more environmental enrichment, which could lead to better leg health and decreased fearfulness. In practice, however, use of the […]
Evaluation of a dustbathing substrate and straw bales as environmental enrichments in commercial broiler housing
The use of straw bales as an environmental enrichment is common for broiler chickens in enriched housing systems, however relatively little information exists about their effectiveness in improving welfare. There has also been no widespread introduction of a dustbathing material for broilers. The main aim of this trial was to evaluate the use of a […]