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The aim of this study was to explore lameness and the associations between lameness and health/production measures of animal welfare in commercial broiler production, using the Welfare Quality ® protocol for broilers. A total of 50 flocks were included in the sample and farm visits were conducted for lameness scoring at a mean age of 28.9 days. The percentage of animals (n=7500) in the six different gait score (GS) categories were GS0: 2.53%, GS1: 44.19%, GS2: 33.84%, GS3: 16.32%, GS4: 2.36% and GS5: 0.53%. Production and other welfare data were collected for each flock after slaughter. Higher gait scores were associated with increased hock burn score (P

The European Union (EU) Broiler Directive (2007/43/EC) is unique amongst current EU Directives, which address animal welfare, in that it uses outcome data collected at abattoirs and on farm to monitor on-farm broiler welfare and vary the maximum permitted stocking density on farm. In this study, we describe how, by bringing together personnel from the competent authorities in 22 member states (MSs) who have responsibility for implementing the Directive, and engaging in exchange of information and technical methods regarding the Broiler Directive, it has been possible to identify differences in approach with regard to ‘what data is being collected, and by whom’ across EU MSs. Online questionnaires and workshop exercises enabled us to identify priority areas for knowledge transfer and training. For example, foot pad dermatitis, hock burn, dead on arrival and total rejections (birds rejected as unfit for human consumption by the meat inspection staff at slaughter) were identified by the MSs as measures of medium-to-low priority in terms of knowledge transfer because there are assessment methods for these conditions that are already well accepted by competent authorities. On the other hand, breast lesions, cellulitis, emaciation, joint lesions, respiratory problems, scratches, wing fractures and a number of environmental measures were identified as having high priority in terms of knowledge transfer. The study identified that there is significant variability in the stage of implementation between MSs, and responses from the participating MSs indicated that sharing of guidance and technical information between MSs may be of value in the future set-up process for those MSs engaged in implementation of the Directive.

To ensure health and reproductive performance, broiler breeders are feed restricted during the rearing period and, to a lesser extent, during the production period. Although restricted feeding improves health and bird welfare, on the other hand the birds are chronically hungry and suffer from frustration of feeding motivation, which has a negative effect on bird welfare. The aim of the current paper is to give an overview of the role of feed (nutritional aspects as well as feeding management) as a possible tool to improve broiler breeder welfare. Possible strategies discussed are 1) dietary dilution, by reducing the energy content and/or increasing the NSP content, by adding soluble or insoluble fibres to the diet; 2) adding appetite suppressants (e.g. calcium propionate) to the diet; 3) changing feeding management (e.g., scattering feed in the litter). Some of these strategies, i.e. dietary dilution or adding appetite suppressants, positively affect behavioural patterns of the birds, by reducing stereotypic pecking and eating motivation, and increasing the time spent sitting. Appetite suppressants have however been criticised for causing birds to feel ill. These behavioural changes, however, can only be considered as indirect parameters of improved bird welfare and there is still a need for a reliable indicator of hunger. It is clear that nutritional strategies can be helpful in reducing hunger stress in broiler breeders. Nutrition, however, cannot fully solve the broiler breeder paradox. The main reason for this paradox is related to breeding goals that are focussed on improving feed conversion and increasing breast meat percentage. Future genetic selection should aim at uncoupling the link between (re)production and welfare or reducing the conflict between these outcomes.

Studies on the prevalence of feather pecking in different commercial laying hen 23 systems and its welfare and economic impacts are reviewed in the following paper. 24 Current methods for controlling feather pecking include beak-trimming and alterations to light regimes, but these methods have significant disadvantages from the perspective of bird welfare. A substantial body of research has now identified risk factors for feather pecking during both the rearing and laying periods. It is argued that these findings can be translated into optimised management practices that can prevent and control feather pecking whilst simultaneously conferring welfare benefits. The genetic basis of feather pecking is considered, and studies that suggest group selection techniques could produce birds with a reduced tendency to feather peck in commercial flocks are highlighted. Keywords: laying hen; feather pecking; beak-trimming; light; risk factor; genetic selection

In The Netherlands, laying hen chicks are often reared without litter on the raised slatted area of a barn system or confined in the aviary system during the first two to five weeks after hatching, with chick paper or chicken wire on the floor. In the absence of a suitable pecking substrate, chicks may redirect their pecking behaviour to other birds, which possibly increases the risk of developing feather-pecking behaviour. The aim of this study was to determine whether housing on wood-shavings (WS treatment; n = 15 groups) as compared to housing on chicken wire (CW treatment; n = 15 groups) between day 1-20 could reduce feather pecking in adult birds. After day 20, all chickens were allowed wood-shavings as litter. Behavioural observations showed that CW chicks performed significantly less ground-pecking behaviour compared with WS chicks up to day 20. More CW chicks showed gentle feather pecking at day 7 and 14 as compared to WS chicks, and more CW chicks pecked at the feeder or drinker than WS chicks up to day 20. CW chicks showed rebound behaviour: the day after they were introduced to wood-shavings they displayed more ground-pecking behaviour compared to the WS chicks. Later on in the rearing period no noticeable differences between treatments were found in frequency of gentle and severe feather-pecking bouts. During laying, more gentle feather-pecking bouts were observed in CW than in WS groups but no differences in severe feather-pecking bouts were observed, nor in feather damage at the end of the trial. The results indicate that hens can display substantial flexibility in their pecking behaviour and that, despite more gentle feather pecking in CW hens in laying, the absence of substrate in early rearing does not increase the risk of developing severe feather-pecking behaviour when adult.

The introduction of the UK Protection of Animals Act 1911 demonstrates that animal welfare has been of concern for at least a century. The matter came to the fore about 50 years ago, when the welfare of hens in battery cages became an issue. Since then poultry welfare research and the development of superior management and housing systems for poultry have been stimulated by the lobbying of animal welfare organisations along with subsequent policy decisions and legislation. WPSA WG9 was formed in 1972 to encourage scientific studies to inform the poultry welfare debate; its members have positively influenced research and development of welfare-friendly housing systems and husbandry throughout Europe. They have also been active in EU projects aimed at improving the wellbeing of poultry e.g. LayWel, EFSA Opinions and Welfare Quality®. Information derived from such projects has influenced EU Directives and national legislation on the protection and welfare of laying hens and broilers, in particular.

For monitoring purposes there is a need for a protocol to measure foot-pad dermatitis (FPD) on-farm. Therefore, we studied the effect of number of birds sampled, number of locations sampled and sampling location in a broiler house on the accuracy of measurement, in order to construct a protocol that can be applied in practice. Samples were taken from eight commercial flocks (Ross 308) at up to ten locations with up to 25 birds sampled per location. Foot-pad lesions were scored in all birds for both feet using the Swedish scoring method. No significant differences in FPD score were found between the first five birds and all birds sampled at a particular location. Although locations near the walls did not differ in FPD score from locations in the central area of a house, the severity of foot-pad lesions was unevenly distributed over the house. A model was constructed showing the inaccuracy related to the number of locations sampled in the house and the number of birds sampled per location. The model shows that in situations with at least five locations differences in inaccuracy are relatively small when a total of 100 birds or more is sampled. Inaccuracy is largest in a flock with variation in foot-pad scores, as compared to flocks with little variation. The results of this experiment can be used to determine the optimal sample size in a commercial broiler house.

International audience; Under current practices, broiler parent stock (broiler breeders) encounter several welfare problems, such as feed restriction and injury during mating. Intensive selection for production traits, especially growth rate, is associated with increased nutritious requirement and thus feed consumption, but also reproductive dysfunctions and decreased sexual activity in broiler breeders. A resulting serious welfare problem is the subsequent severe feed restriction which is applied during rearing, in order to prevent health problems and to achieve better egg production. This severe feed restriction has negative effects on bird welfare as it causes chronic stress resulting from hunger. Recent research has focused on management practices to alleviate the negative effect of this feed restriction. Using both a more fibrous feed and an appetite suppressant seems most successful. There are welfare concerns involved in the mating of broiler breeders. In many countries mutilations (beak trimming, despurring and toe clipping) are carried out in male broiler breeders as a standard procedure to prevent excessive damage to the hens during mating. It has been reported that broiler breeder males show low libido but, at the same time, may be aggressive and show rough behaviour during mating, which can cause severe injuries to the hens, although some injuries may be caused by over-mating hens. Current studies aim to develop management practices to reduce hen injury due to over-mating and improve the sexual behaviour in both males and females. In the last part of the review, an examination of how breeding companies are taking welfare into consideration in their commercial selection scheme is made. In practice, although for example reduced mortality and some health criteria are included in selection programs and some alternative breeds as used, other welfare issues remain, such as feed restriction during rearing.

1. In previous studies, a lack of agreement in measurements of plasma corticosterone concentrations and heterophil:lymphocyte (H/L) ratio as physiological indices of stress, caused by hunger and frustration in restricted-fed broiler breeders, was observed. It could be suggested that the differences between previous studies were caused by differences in duration of restriction and time of the day of the measurements. Therefore, in the present study the plasma corticosterone concentration and the H/L ratio were again determined in restricted- and ad libitum-fed growing broiler breeders, taking possible causes of disagreement between previous studies into account. In addition, we measured the daily rhythm in body temperature and heart rate, and the corticosterone responses to an acute stressor as physiological indices of stress. 2. Female broiler breeders (64 per treatment, housed in groups of 4 birds) were used in the experiment. Behaviour, baseline plasma corticosterone concentrations and H/L ratio were determined at 21 d of age (immediately after the start of food restriction), and at 42 and 63 d of age. Body temperature, heart rate and activity were measured by radiotelemetry for 36 h at 49 and 70 d of age. In addition, the plasma corticosterone response to acute stress (5 min manual restraint) was measured at 77 or 78 d of age. 3. Restricted broiler breeders had higher plasma corticosterone concentrations at 42 and 63 d of age, but no differences in H/L. ratio were found between restricted birds and unrestricted control birds. Restricted broiler breeders had a higher corticosterone response to 5 min manual restraint than unrestricted birds. Restricted birds displayed a clear day-night rhythm in body temperature, heart rate and activity whereas such a rhythm was blunted in ad libitum-fed birds. 4. It is discussed that some physiological differences (plasma corticosterone concentrations, body temperature and heart rate) between ad libitum-fed and restricted broiler breeders may have been caused by differences in metabolic rate as well as by differences in the level of stress. It is concluded that a combination of behavioural measurements and a wide range of physiological parameters should be used for the assessment of stress in growing broiler breeders.

This part updates the underlying report: The welfare of chickens kept for meat production (2000, available at http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scah/out39_en.pdf).

To study the effects of environmental enrichment on physiological responses to stressors and behavior in growing pigs, pigs were housed in either a poor environment (standard farrowing pens followed by standard rearing and fattening pens) or in an enriched environment (larger farrowing pens followed by larger rearing and fattening pens, provision of straw). Body temperature, heart rate and salivary cortisol were measured during baseline conditions and in response to relocation, isolation and restraint. Pigs housed in the poor environment performed more manipulative social behavior directed to penmates than pigs housed in the enriched environment. Physiological responses to the stressors were the same for enriched- and poor-housed pigs. Surprisingly, enriched-housed pigs had significantly higher baseline salivary cortisol concentrations, especially at 14 and 17 weeks of age. Moreover, enriched housed pigs had a lower baseline body temperature at 17 weeks of age. Thus, provision of straw has an effect on behavior, baseline HPA-axis activity and baseline body temperature in growing pigs. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether body temperature is a sensitive parameter to measure long-term effects of stress in pigs. Mixing of unacquainted pigs is a severe stressor that has detrimental effects on health, production and welfare. We measured deep body temperature after mixing growing pigs. Five pigs of 15 weeks of age, each individually housed with a companion pig, were mixed with two unacquainted congeners. Deep body temperature, heart rate and activity were recorded by radiotelemetry 9 days prior to until 8 days after mixing. These parameters were also recorded in five control pigs (individually housed with a companion pig) during the same time span. Behaviour during the light period was recorded on videotape on the day of mixing and on three subsequent days. Mixing induced a significant rise in body temperature that lasted for 8 h after mixing. Although heart rate and general activity level did not significantly differ between mixed and control pigs, mixing significantly increased the frequency of fighting and reduced the frequency of eating. In conclusion, the present experiment shows that mixing induces a long-lasting hyperthermia in pigs. Thus, deep body temperature may be used as a sensitive parameter to measure long-term effects of stress in pigs.