Effect of the type of house on animal welfare indicators in hybrid chickens for meat
The poultry industry is one of the primary sources of animal protein, requiring advanced facilities and equipment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the animal welfare of chickens for meat raised in two types of sheds, using four animal-based indicators with an individual methodology. The...
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
| Publicado: |
Universidad Nacional del Nordeste
2025
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unne.edu.ar/index.php/vet/article/view/7989 |
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| Sumario: | The poultry industry is one of the primary sources of animal protein, requiring advanced facilities and equipment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the animal welfare of chickens for meat raised in two types of sheds, using four animal-based indicators with an individual methodology. The trial was carried out in the northeastern region of Santa Fe province (Argentina) over two summer production cycles. Eight closed sheds with forced ventilation were tested, four blackout-type (Dark) sheds and four tunnel-type (Light) sheds, distributed across four grow-out farms. Between days 35 and 42 of the production cycle, 25 male and female Cobb 500® hybrid chickens, in five points of every sheds, were examined. The following welfare indicators were assessed: feather soiling (FS), footpad lesions (FPL), tarsal burn (TB) and gait (G), with severity scored according to the Welfare Quality® methodology. Statistically significant differences were observed between housing types across all four variables using a chi-square homogeneity test. In FS (p = 0.0103) and FPL (p<0.0001 higher proportions of feather soiling and footpad lesions were observed in the Light sheds, while in TB (p=0.0002) and G (p<0.0001), a higher percentage of affected chickens was found in the Dark sheds. The results indicate that, while the facilities provide adequate conditions for rearing, precise adjustments are still needed to optimize the interactions between environmental components and enhance animal welfare. |
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