Environmental complexity and use of space in slow growing free range chickens
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2014 |
Authors: |
Ane Rodriguez-Aurrekoetxea, Erin Hoerl Leone, Inma Estevez |
Publication/Journal: |
Applied Animal Behaviour Science |
Keywords: |
environmental enrichment, free-range chickens, panels, perches, use of space |
ISBN: |
0168-1591 |
Abstract:
Production environments for meat poultry are generally bi-dimensional open areas where birds tend to cluster along the walls. We investigated the impact of increasing environmental complexity (EC) on slow-growing free-range chickens raised under commercial conditions. The study was conducted in four farms, each with three independent houses and outdoor ranges that were outfitted with panels, perches or remained under standard management (control). Forty birds per house were individually tagged and their locations (in XY coordinates) recorded from weeks of age 6 to 12. Total and net distance travelled, use of the central areas indoors, and core areas were calculated from the indoor and outdoor locations. Core areas define the areas of activity according to assigned probability levels, (50, 75 and 100% in this study). Production and welfare indicators were collected at slaughter; incidence of footpad dermatitis, fluctuating asymmetry and growth rate. Results showed an EC treatment effects (P < 0.05) with more birds using the central indoor area in the panel and perch treatment than controls (P < 0.05). The interaction between treatment and temperature affected total distance travelled indoors (P < 0.05), while net distance was affected by weeks of age and treatment interaction (P < 0.05). No treatment or age period effects (P > 0.05) were found for core areas indoors. The use of the outdoor area was affected by the birdś weeks of age and the temperature (P < 0.05), although the use of the outdoor area remained low, with an average of 63.08 ± 5.37% of the tagged birds never observed outside. The size of the core areas outside at 50 and 100% increased with age period (P < 0.05). No treatment effect was found for production and welfare indicators. Although the benefits of the EC treatments may have been restricted by the small number of devices introduced, these results suggest that EC facilitates a more homogeneous use of the space inside the houses and that the use of the outdoor area increased with the experience provided by age.