Abstract
The first aim of this study was to investigate the effects of perch cooling and different litter thicknesses on litter quality of the housing facility, welfare criteria (incidence of footpad and hock burns, gait score, plumage cleanliness and damages), heterophil/lymphocyte ratio, growth, and carcass compositions of broilers reared at high ambient temperature. Secondly, the study was conducted to determine whether cooled perches would be preferred by broiler chickens exposed to a hot environment, and subsequently, whether the utilization of these perches would improve the welfare and performance of broilers, beyond those provided by non-cooled perches. A total of 459 1-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to nine treatment groups based on the perch treatment (no perch, non-cooled, cooled perches) and litter thicknesses (1, 7, 14 cm) with three replicates. Aerial ammonia and litter moisture levels were lower in broilers reared at 14 cm litter thickness group than in broilers reared at 1 cm thickness group. The perch-contact incidence of chickens reared under the cooled perch was found higher than the non-cooled chickens at 36 to 42 days of age. Cooled perches and 14 cm of litter thickness tended to decrease the incidence of footpad and hock burn. The body weight gain of the broilers in cooled perch group was higher than those in no perch and non-cooled perch groups at 0-42 d (p<0.05). These results suggest that cool perches have a beneficial effect on the performance and welfare of broilers.
Highlights
Excessive requirements of industrial broiler breeding have resulted in undesirable problems such as congenital bone disorders, cardiovascular and respiratory system diseases, leg abnormalities and bone fractures, ascites, and sudden death syndrome (Ventura et al, 2010, 2012; Charuta et al, 2011; Kiyma et al, 2016; Kaukonen et al, 2017)
Zhao et al (2012) reported a significant decrease in the incidence of footpad dermatitis (FPD) and hock burn (HB), and abdominal plumage status in broiler chickens subjected to cooled perches
The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of perch cooling and using different litter thicknesses on litter quality variables (ammonia (NH3), moisture, and pH), welfare criteria (FPD, HB, gait score (GS), plumage cleanliness and damage, breast blister and burn), and heterophil/ lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, behavior, and performance parameters in summer conditions
Summary
Excessive requirements of industrial broiler breeding have resulted in undesirable problems such as congenital bone disorders , cardiovascular and respiratory system diseases, leg abnormalities and bone fractures, ascites, and sudden death syndrome (Ventura et al, 2010, 2012; Charuta et al, 2011; Kiyma et al, 2016; Kaukonen et al, 2017). Ambient temperatures over 25°C can cause heat stress and decrease feed intake to reduce metabolic heat production and maintain homeothermy, resulting in lower body weight (BW), reduced breast muscle yield, higher feed conversion ratio (FCR) (Lara & Rostagno, 2013; Mello et al, 2015), possibly higher mortality, and poor health and welfare (Khan et al, 2012). In this context, perch cooling is drawing attention as a new alternative system in hot conditions. Shao et al (2015) reported that birds reared on thicker sawdust litter scored better concerning welfare parameters such as plumage cleanliness, FPD, hock swelling, and breast blister
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