POULTRY WELFARE SYMPOSIUM Realistic Views Concerning Poultry Welfare

K. E. Anderson*1 and K.W. Koelkebeck

*Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695; and Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801 ABSTRACT The animal welfare (rights) issue we face today is not one that will be resolved through research or factual knowledge. It is an emotional issue that resides on philosophical beliefs that are often associated with the religion of an individual or his or her lack thereof. Individuals who oppose the use of animals for research, food, companionship, etc., based on personal feelings or philosophies, may never change their minds based on scientic facts. However, the opportunity we have is the minds of those people who have not yet made up their mind. We can instill in them a respect for life and a clear understanding that it is okay to utilize animals for companionship and for food production provided the animals are maintained under acceptable and reasonable conditions and that they are cared for in a humane manner. This issue will continue to be a tough battle, because, from past experience, animal rightists will sometimes stage animal abuse to prove their viewpoint. We must also realize that due to the nature of humans, not everyone who is responsible for animals, in both research and production settings, will properly care for them. Animal mistreatment or abuse is a major black eye for everyone, and it is always caused by individuals who do not handle animals in a humane and proper manner. However, we have to admit that humanity has reverted to some very deplorable states in history.

Key words: poultry, welfare, well-being 2007 Poultry Science 86:12511252

INTRODUCTION
Domestic animals are for the most part those species that have traits and behaviors which allow them to be domesticated. Their social structure, behavior, and disposition allows them to interact well and ultimately be controlled by humans. Species from primates to chickens have been domesticated in this manner. As recent events have shown, however, animals, no matter how long they have been under the care of humans, can still have primal behaviors that can be manifested at any moment. Humans forget that animals have some instinctive behaviors that may never be altered. Periodically, we are reminded of these when a pet dog attacks a child or the pets ght among themselves. We have altered these animals in looks, reproduction, and behaviors to serve humanity, but they may still retain the ability to rapidly revert to unacceptable instinctive behaviors. Domestic poultry have what many call stereotypical behaviors such as preening, dusting, and pecking, but what are these behaviors in reality? Avian species do not have the same cognitive recognition responses that we have as humans. Do the chickens performing these behav-

2007 Poultry Science Association Inc. Received January 30, 2007. Accepted February 1, 2007. 1 Corresponding author: ken_anderson@ncsu.edu

iors in our production environments recognize their situation, and, as such, are they performing these behaviors out of frustration? In many cases, the fact that a chicken is capable of performing such behaviors may be benecial, because its performance may be instinctive and serve as a release of tension. The problem arises when we fail to recognize the need for space to perform such behavioral releases. In that case, the bird may perform the behavior in a way that can cause injury and even negatively inuence its well-being. This is what poultry producers must be cognizant of and avoid. In some cases, our poultry production practices have appeared to negate this obligation to the welfare of the animal in a detrimental way. Such practices provide animal rights groups with their cause. Unfortunately, many animal rightists have a belief that all poultry and other animals are equal to humans with regard to their cognitive recognition, self awareness, belief, pain perception, and processing of those inputs. In some cases, such individuals exist within the animal agriculture research community, even though they may have limited personal experience with animals at all levels and specically with those used in animal agriculture. This situation sometimes leads to an anthropomorphic interpretation of data and observations that can cloud the observed differences in behaviors performed by animals from related behaviors performed by humans. Someone once said that those of us conducting research need to become philosophers to be able to relay the nd-

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ings to prospective readers. We believe that it is true that researchers often cite their ndings in terms of their personal beliefs and because of that sometimes lose track of the meaning of the ndings. Most of the time, we need to step back from being a scientist and explaining things in a very factual manner. Another observation is that some people tend to look for the worst in a given situation, and, as such, they sometimes become blind to the vast majority of good that is being done within production agriculture. There is still, however, a very casual attitude prevailing within production animal agriculture, as well as within the scientic community conducting research with poultry and other animals, that no one is attempting to deal with. In some cases, we are unwilling to place ourselves in the position of becoming a target, because becoming a target today constitutes a real threat to our personal safety, as well as to the safety of our family and our neighbors. Have we as scientists become too complacent? The answer has to be a resounding No. We have always addressed the issues associated with producing animals in a humane manner, because that manner produces the healthiest and most protable animal. Scientists who have worked with farm animals since the inception of the land grant university system have developed health, nutrition, housing, and management systems that have beneted livestock and poultry tremendously. Scientists have also concentrated on improving the economic health of poultry and animal producers and improving the health and safety of the animals involved. Some of the recommendations in the animal care guides that the research community have accepted and now follow were not thoroughly researched. Understandably, that is why they are called guides and are not meant to be prescriptive. However, some groups are now rewriting

these guides and are enforcing them as being prescriptive in nature. As a result, people are sometimes making poultry welfare decisions based upon ignorance and a lack of understanding. Poultry care decisions and actions taken to improve conditions for poultry are sometimes being made without the understanding of the interrelationship the changes have with the management of the bird, thereby actually destroying the conditions that provide for improved poultry welfare. It appears that these actions are sometimes taken purely on a human perception that the environment or behavior is bad when in reality the environment or behavior patterns are benecial to the well-being of the animal. Cecil Howes indicated in the mid 1980s that animal agriculture and the agricultural research community are too quiet or complacent. He indicated that we need to start educating the public and that if we didnt do so we would be in the same situation that the European agriculture sector was in. We think his prediction has come true. We should have been more vocal and forthright in our positions. As it is right now, we are in a defensive posture fending off attacks from the animal rights groups, environmentalists, consumer advocate groups, political groups, restaurants, and other food service sectors. Many very important animal welfare issues exist, and all of them are very important to poultry producers and researchers alike. This symposium, entitled Realistic Views Concerning Poultry Welfare, attempts to discuss the most important topics relevant to poultry welfare, and each topic should provide valuable insight into the welfare issues facing producers and researchers. It is our hope that the reader will develop a better understanding of the facts and realities of poultry welfare as it relates to each topic discussed herein.