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ABSTRACT: This study aimed to determine the effects of infrared beak treatment on the behavior and welfare of male and female turkeys reared to 12 wk of age. To do this, poults (236 males and 324 females) were assigned to one of 2 beak treatments: infrared beak treated on day of hatch (IR) or sham untreated control (C). Data collected included heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, pecking force, feather cover, behavioral expression, and beak histology. Data were analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial of beak treatment and gender, in a completely randomized design and analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS 9.4). H/L ratio (indicative of a stress response) did not differ between treated and control poults during early life, except at 20 d of age when H/L ratio was higher for C poults than IR poults. Pecking force, measured as a method of monitoring pain, was different only at 1 wk of age, when IR poults pecked with more force than C poults. Feather cover was better in IR poults at 12 wk of age. Differences in behavior between treatments were minor over the 12-wk period. Overall, infrared beak treatment of commercial turkeys had minimal negative impacts on behavior and welfare. The results suggest that stress may be reduced in flocks that are beak treated and that the procedure itself does not cause a pain response.

ABSTRACT: Controlling injurious pecking in commercial turkeys remains a significant challenge to producers and the industry. Infrared beak treatment is an effective method of controlling injurious pecking in chickens; however, the effects of infrared beak treatment on turkey performance are still largely unknown. Two experiments were conducted to determine the impact of infrared beak treatment on the beak length and performance of turkeys raised to 12 wk of age. Experiment 1 tested both toms (n = 236) and hens (n = 324), while Experiment 2 focused on hens (n = 608). Poults for each experiment were assigned to 1 of 2 beak treatments: infrared beak treated (IR) on the day of hatch at a commercial hatchery or sham untreated control (C). Data collected included beak length, body weight, feed intake, feed efficiency, and mortality. Data were analyzed using a 1 or 2-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's range test for mean separation when interactions were found. Results showed that beak length (Experiment 1 only) was significantly shorter in IR poults from 2 to 12 wk of age. In the same experiment, IR toms had lighter body weight than C toms, but IR hens were heavier than C hens from 2 to 4 wk of age. By 12 wk, IR poults were heavier than C poults, regardless of gender. In experiment 2, IR hens had lighter body weight from 2 to 4 wk of age. In conclusion, infrared beak treatment had minimal effects on feed intake, feed efficiency, or mortality over the 12-wk periods of both experiments.

SUMMARY: Salmonellosis is a significant public health risk and is often associated with the consumption of poultry products. Colonization of poultry by Salmonella may be affected by dietary ingredients. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of hulless barley (HB) and β-glucanase (BGase) on Salmonella colonization in broiler chickens. Day-old broilers (200) were placed in battery cages and fed diets with and without high β-glucan HB (CDC Fibar; 0 and 60%) and BGase (Econase GT 200 P from ABVista; 0 and 0.1%) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Each treatment was assigned to 10 cages. All the birds were orally challenged with Salmonella Enteritidis LS101 strain at d 21. Broilers were infected with Salmonella Infantis before the S. Enteritidis challenge, and feeding HB decreased Salmonella positive cloacal swabs (%). HB decreased the percentage of birds positive for Salmonella in the spleen at pre-challenge and d 1 post-challenge, whereas increased the percentage positive for the spleen at d 4 post-challenge. BGase did not affect Salmonella colonization and translocation.