Poultry Behavior and welfare:
strange bird (MC Bride et al, 1969). In modern
Prakash Adhikari,
B.V.Sc & A.H, 4TH sem.
Agriculture and forestry university.
ABSTRACT
The search for good welfare conditions is a global
tendency in animal production. Behavioral responses
are the most pertinent indicators of the well-being of
an animal. Poultry should get freedom from
discomfort, hunger, pain, fear, disease and injury, to
express natural behavior. Restriction in natural
behaviors, in modern poultry husbandry
(confinement in small space as in Cage system) leads
to stress and pain to the poultry bird. Poultry also
suffer stress during the transportation and these are
concern for poultry rightist. Now day consumer
becomes more concerned about the origin of their
egg, meat and the welfare of hens. So poultry men
will have to take animal welfare into consideration in
planning future operations such than they have in the
past and today.
Keywords: Welfare, behavior, freedom, rightist,
cage
INTRODUCTION:
The intensive farming system of poultry increases
day by day. The increasing advancement on poultry,
raises some problem and public are concern about its
welfare. Though the poultry behavior has received
less attention than the quantity and quality of
production, the social behavior of poultry is
interconnected with its nutrition, management and
health status and ultimately related to production.
According to Carmen et al, 1997, the most common
behaviors of poultry bird are: it being social animal
lives in flock and group, offer mutual protection.
Poultry communicate by either using voice (cackles,
clucks, craw, and squaws) or action (displays of
plumage).The other behavior are Foraging, roosting,
companionship, peck order, wing flapping, dust
bathing etc.
These behavior are very useful for farmer as it is
sign of mating, predator, egg call and helpful for so
many management event. For example, if tail is
raised by male it is due to spacing factor. The poultry
behavior are stimulated by limited resources, food
availability, physiological need, parent offspring
relationship, sexual relationship, self care need,
poultry farming system all these behavior are not
fulfill as a result poultry may suffer stress and shows
abnormal behavior(B.O.Hugus,1996). For example in
case of cage and deep litter system of poultry
housing, due to less space availability and un-
fulfillment of foraging behavior results in pecking
and cannibalism. These problems are not only
concern for animal welfare professional but also the
concern of farmer. Animal Welfare council of UK
(FAWC) established five freedoms which gained
worldwide acceptance for good animal welfare. They
are freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from
discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease,
freedom from fear and distress, freedom to express
natural behavior. Animal welfare is however issues
surrounding farm animal welfare or well-being, such
as definitions, measurements, interpretations, and
perception, continue to be controversial. Farmers say
beak trimming is necessary to stop birds living in
crowded flocks pecking each other. Without
trimming, hens can resort to cannibalism, and up to a
fifth of flocks can die, but animal welfare
campaigners disagree. They say cannibalism is a sign
of bored hens, and that birds tend not to eat each
other if they have ground to scratch and dust to bath.
Concern for animal well being has always existed
but during the past several decades, there has been a
growing movement for animal right. Now day
consumer becomes more concerned about the origin
of their egg, meat and the welfare of hens. The most
contentious issues in poultry welfare at present are
housing of laying hens, the health of broiler stock,
transport and the pace of advance in genetic
improvement.
HOUSING:
The battery and deep litter, cage system of poultry
housing are the most adopted housing system of
poultry. Although the housing in cage has several
benefits such as less floor space requirement, clean
egg production etc. from the production view point. It
also has some disadvantage like lack of extraneous
stimulation which leads to boredom and increase
fearfulness. Most hens throughout the world are
housed at high stocking density has adverse effect not
only on welfare but also on mortality and
performance (Hugehes et al, 1995). Research has
shown that adverse effect are not uniform in battery
i.e. bird in top tier cage are more frightened by
stimuli than lower tiers (Jones. 1985). A study by
Gregory et al in 1990 showed 31% fractures at
processing (stunner) in birds from cages compared to
14% fractures in free range layers. Confinement of
poultry bird in small space interferes with social
organization and habited to which through thousands
of year of evolution, the species became adopted.
Hester and Wilson found that ovulation rate is
declined as birds are housed in small space rather
than more space. Due to the confinement in small
space, if vices develop such as feather pecking or
cannibalism these can be difficult to bring under
control.
There is ongoing concern over the
welfare implications of beak trimming in laying birds
at day old to reduce the risk of injurious
pecking/cannibalism at a later date (CLARE Knott et
al, 2012) According to him, much work has been
done into trying to reduce the need for beak trimming
and understand what factors are necessary on farm in
terms of bird management, nutrition and of course
bird genetics to overcome the risk of pecking. In the
UK, it is planned to phase out beak trimming
in laying birds but no date has yet been confirmed for
this. Hatcheries have moved from hot blade trimming
to the use of an infrared system which research has
shown to be more humane. According to M.C. Bride
et al. 1961, the abnormal behavior arises from gross
cruelty (beating, starvation, mutilation) and
psychological deprivation (lack of social contact,
play activity).
These days, various researches are conducted to find
out the technique of poultry housing and management
that is best from both economical and welfare point
of view. According to Apply and Hughes, modified
cage of laying hens is the best for both welfare and
production view point. This housing system involves
providing the bird more space and additional
facilities to carry out their normal behavior. By
incorporating a rollway nest and a littered area for
scratching, foraging and dust bathing the basic need
of most of the hen is met. Automated control of dust
bath opening allows excess to be restricted to certain
times of day. In this way the danger of egg being laid
there, and lost is removed.
In the other hand we de-beak the bird in order to
prevent cannibalism rather than to find out the
causes. The de-baeking results in stress to poultry and
reduces growth and production. There are a number
of humane methods to reduce the cannibalism in bird
(G.C Benergy, poultry). According to him the most
common cause of cannibalism is less floor space
available and deficiency of nutrition.
The cause can by providing flock more room,
sprinkling the fare salt, keeping the chicken busy by
hanging a pulled cabbage or other attractive material
in such a position that chickens have to jump up
slightly to pick at it, feeding brooder regularly,
provides good ventilation. To prevent egg eating
provide ample amount oyster shell or limestone grit
always.
TRANSPORTATION:
Transport of animal by road by hanging on motorbike
is not uncommon. Birds in transit are exposed to a
long list of potential stress or motion, vibration;
withdraw of food and water, noise, restriction of
behavior, thermal extremes. This is subject of much
more concern to the poultry welferist. The transport
of poultry required careful handling; will designated
vehicle, regulation of journey by understanding
thermal environment so we can minimize stress
during transport. (Baker, 1994)
CONCLUSION
The poultry industry has always been a leader in
innovation and trough integrated supply chain has
been dynamic in meeting the demand in placed upon
it. As we progress in 21st century the contribution of
poultry welfare is great. The advent of animal welfare
is a significant element on poultry production and
should not be taken as threat. The communication
and exchange of idea between farmer, animal rightist,
veterinarian and public is essential to ensure the
health and future of productivity of our global flock.
Research in poultry husbandry that ensures poultry
welfare as well as productivity is today need.
REFERENCES
Baker, C.J. (1994), Aerodynamics of poultry
transporters, implication for environmental control,
World poultry science journal, 62-63.
B.O Husgus (1996), welfare and behavior,
Proceedings, world Poultry congress, India, 2-5
September.
Carmen R. Parkhurst, George J.Mountney, (1997),
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and egg production, 85-96
Clare Knott, A continuous challenges for poultry
veterinarians and poultry production. Animal welfare
in poultry.
Hester, P.Y. & Wilson, E.K (1986), Performance of
white leghorn hens in response to cage density and
introduction of egg mates, Poultry science.
Huges, B.O & Gentle, M.J (1995), Beak trimming of
poultry and its implication for welfare, World poultry
science journal, 51-61.
Jones R. B (1985), Fear responses of individually
caged hens as a function of cage level. Applied
animal behavior science, 63-74)
MC Bride, G. Parer, I.P & Foenander, F. (1969), The
social organization and behavior of domesticated
fowl. Animal behavior monographs part3, pp.126-18
Baillere Tindall and Cassell, London.