Abstract
ABSTRACTBehaviour is a good indicator of the well-being of chickens. The objective of the study was to compare foraging behaviour in males and females of three indigenous chicken strains under generally hot free-range conditions. Behavioural activities were monitored in 21-wk-old Potchefstroom Koekoek (PK), Ovambo (OV) and Naked Neck (NN) chickens. Birds were separated by sex and allocated to four pens of Chloris gayana. Three birds per pen were randomly chosen and marked with paint 20 min before observation. Temperature humidity index (THI) was calculated and main effects analysed using the general linear models procedure. Naked Necks spent more time walking than OV and PK. Strain did not affect other behaviours. Females spent more time foraging, while males dominated standing and walking. There was negative correlation between THI and time spent foraging. There was interaction between strain and sex on time spent standing. Foraging and drinking behaviours were more prominent in the morning (07:00 h) and late afternoon (17:00 h) compared to the 12:00-h period, whereas preening and dust-bathing were dominant around mid-day. Strain, sex and THI influence behaviour in free-range chickens. Breeding programmes should be cognizant of these attributes in order to produce hardier birds in view of worsening climatic uncertainties.
Highlights
Animal welfare activists campaign for the use of natural or nearnatural environments for chickens
Males were heavier in the Naked Neck (NN) and OV strains, while male and female Potchefstroom Koekoek (PK) did not differ in body weights (BWs) (Figure 2)
The NN chickens possess better post-weaning heat tolerance than OV and PK due to the reduced plumage cover which is effective in minimizing heat stress where birds have to dissipate excess heat (Cahaner et al 1993; Deeb & Cahaner 2001; Raju et al 2004; Fathi et al 2013)
Summary
Animal welfare activists campaign for the use of natural or nearnatural environments for chickens This has stimulated an increase in the popularity of free-range systems across the world. Free-range or organic systems allow birds access to an outside area, promoting foraging, feed selection and activity, theoretically improving their welfare (Ponte et al 2008). These outdoor production systems could decrease stress and allow the selection of strains that may increase comfort and bird welfare (Wang et al 2009), in the wake of production conditions that are only likely to worsen with predicted trends in climate change. Free-range products are perceived to be safer and healthier and may carry several health benefits to consumers (Midmore et al 2005)
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