Does environmental enrichment improve performance, morphometry, yield and weight of broiler parts at different ages?

Aérica C Nazareno,Miguel Machado,Eduardo F Delgado,Iran J O Da Silva,Luiz O Pradella

doi:10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v26n4p292-298

Aérica C Nazareno, Miguel Machado + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v26n4p292-298

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Abstract

ABSTRACT The inclusion of environmental enrichment in conventional broiler rearing can increase mobility, bone mass and muscle. This research aimed to evaluate the use of environmental enrichment in the rearing of broilers at different ages and its influence on performance, morphometry, yield and weight of the parts. It was used the completely randomized design in split-plot scheme, being the plots the treatments presence (T1) and absence (T2) of environmental enrichment and the subplots the broiler ages (1, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days), with 56 chicks in each treatment (T1 and T2). Data obtained were analyzed by the linear effect model of fixed effects and compared by Tukey’s test of means. The animals were raised in a controlled environment, divided into four boxes with dimensions: 1.5 × 1.0 × 0.7 m, containing rice straw bed. In T1 a ladder with a perch on top was used, distributed every 1.5 m2. Environmental enrichment used did not influence broiler’s zootechnical performance. Broilers’ morphometric properties, parts weight and body weight increased due to environmental enrichment and, improvement was observed in chicks rearing’s final phase. The environmental enrichment was beneficial for muscle and bone mass gain in the main commercial parts of the chicken carcass, in addition to reducing the allometric coefficient of the breasts in chickens.

Highlights

Industrial poultry farming has reached the maximum zootechnical performance to achieve the best profitability indices
Inserting environmental enrichment, such as barriers between feeder and drinker (Bizeray et al, 2002a), and perches and litter boxes (Simsek et al, 2009) in poultry plants did not show any significant difference in zootechnical performance in comparison to the conventional production
Several studies have shown that broilers’ legs health conditions have been improved due to environmental enrichment using, since these chicks have their motivation to move around (Bizeray et al, 2002b; Bailie & O’Connell et al, 2015; Bailie et al, 2018). It is important questioning whether environmental enrichment adoption influences zootechnical performance, morphometry, carcass yield, body weight, and parts’ weight in order to reduce production losses in poultry farming due to broilers’ smaller contact with bed and more exercising in the facilities

Summary

Introduction

Industrial poultry farming has reached the maximum zootechnical performance to achieve the best profitability indices. According to Weeks et al (2000), broiler chickens remain seated for approximately 86% of their lives, and such inactivity causes skeletal disorders in their legs, as well as lameness, and pod dermatitis - these conditions get worse as they age (Knowles et al, 2008) Inserting environmental enrichment, such as barriers between feeder and drinker (Bizeray et al, 2002a), and perches and litter boxes (Simsek et al, 2009) in poultry plants did not show any significant difference in zootechnical performance in comparison to the conventional production. Based on the afore mentioned considerations, the aim of the current research was to evaluate the use of environmental enrichment in the rearing of broilers at different ages and its influence on performance, morphometry, yield and weight of the parts

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