In 2018, over nine billion chickens were slaughtered in the United States. As the demand for chickens increases, so too have concerns regarding the welfare of the chickens in these systems and the damage such practices cause to the surrounding ecosystems. To address welfare concerns, there is large-scale interest in […]
Abstracts: In pursuit of a better broiler
In this study, the mobility, incidence, and severity of contact dermatitis and litter moisture content were assessed in 14 strains of broiler chickens differing in growth rate. The strains encompassed 2 conventional (CONV; ADG0-48 > 60 g/d) and 12 slower growing (SG) strains categorised as FAST (ADG0-62 = 53-55 g/d), MOD (ADG0-62 = […]
Abstracts: Simplifying the Welfare Quality assessment protocol for broiler chicken welfare
Welfare Quality (WQ) assessment protocols place the emphasis on animal- based measures as an indicator for animal welfare. Stakeholders, however, emphasise that a reduction in the time taken to complete the protocol is essential to improve practical applicability. We studied the potential for reduction in time to complete the WQ […]
Campylobacter jejuni is not merely a commensal in commercial broiler chickens and affects bird welfare
Campylobacter jejuni is the leading cause of bacterial food-borne infection; chicken meat is its main source. C jejuni is considered commensal in chickens based on experimental models unrepresentative of commercial production. Here we show that the paradigm of Campylobacter commensalism in the chicken is flawed. Through experimental infection of four […]
Physiological responses to low atmospheric pressure stunning and the implications for welfare
In low atmospheric pressure stunning (LAPS), poultry are rendered unconscious before slaughter by gradually reducing oxygen tension in the atmosphere to achieve a progressive anoxia. The effects of LAPS are not instantaneous, so there are legitimate welfare concerns around the experience of birds before loss of consciousness. Using self-contained telemetry logging units, […]