Abstract
The present study evaluated performance, physiological response and economics of commercial fast growing (CFG), commercial slow growing (CSG), and Rhode Island Red (RIR) chickens under intensive and free-range rearing environments. After 21 days of rearing under the same intensive environment 240 birds from each strain were subjected to free-range and intensive rearing until they were 56 days old. Each treatment was replicated six times with 20 birds in each replicate. Body surface and cloacal temperatures, respiration and heart rates, feed intake, bodyweight and weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, growth efficiency, and liveability were recorded. Significant differences among strains were detected in physiological response and growth performance (except liveability). Rearing environment also caused significant differences in physiological parameters (except body surface temperature) and growth performance (except liveability). Significant interactions of the strains and production systems were detected. The CFG strain grew most rapidly under the intensive system with differences between strains being reduced in the free-range system. The RSG and CSG strains had similar respiration rates under the two production systems but differed significantly from each other. However, the CFG strain had a significantly elevated respiration rate in the free-range system. Total input cost of rearing CFG under the intensive system was highest ($3.54) among the treatments, whereas CSG under a free-range environment generated the highest profit ($0.37 per bird). In conclusion, rearing CSG under free range was the most economic farming strategy in today’s scenario.Keywords: economics, fast-growing, free range, growth, intensive system, physiology, slow-growing rural chickens
Highlights
Since the second half of the twentieth century, the poultry industry has developed rapidly as a specialized cost-efficient sector of animal farming (Bennett et al, 2018; Karcher & Mench, 2018)
It is reported that body surface temperature (BST) is affected significantly by the presence of feather cover on body parts
Since the commercial fast growing (CFG) broilers grow rapidly, they often show poor feather cover compared with commercial slow growing (CSG). this could be the reason for the higher temperature
Summary
Since the second half of the twentieth century, the poultry industry has developed rapidly as a specialized cost-efficient sector of animal farming (Bennett et al, 2018; Karcher & Mench, 2018). Current commercial selection practices in the broiler industry are focusing on increased meat yield, improved feed conversion and rapid growth rate This has resulted in good early life performance in broilers that have the potential to gain 4.3 to 4.5 times their weight in the first week and 3.5 and 2.5 times in the second and third weeks. Efforts are directed at improving productivity, animal welfare organizations are keeping intense focus on promoting the rearing of birds in an environment in which they can enjoy a healthy life. Today’s consumers appreciate the products that originate from poultry sanctuaries where the welfare of birds is of good quality (Da Silva et al, 2017).There are causal relationships between environmental factors, behaviour and morphological changes in poultry, which can be helpful in making recommendations for the practice by experimental modification of the rearing environment and behaviour (Thaxton et al, 2016)
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