A Simple System to Increase the Physical Activity of Broilers in Order to Reduce Body Fat

Abstract

This study investigated an inexpensive housing practice to reduce the abdominal fat in broilers without producing detrimental effects on the birds body weight, skeletal structural integrity, or meat quality. A riser system was used where treatment birds had to jump up in order to access water, jump back down, walk approximately 0.9 m, and then jump up again in order to access food. This treatment began when the birds were three weeks old. The riser had an initial height of 76 mm, and this height was increased 38 mm every three days until a final height of 228 mm was reached. The study ended when the birds were seven weeks old. The riser system had neither detrimental nor beneficial effects on the structural integrity of the tibia, and reduced body abdominal fat. Statistical analysis of the data indicated that the riser treatment had no significant effect on meat tenderness or acidity.