Abstract. This study was made to investigate the long-term effects of different floor housing systems on the welfare of fast-growing broilers. The experiment was performed on 210-day-old fast-growing hybrid male chickens with identical conditions until 47 days of age. Animal-based welfare parameters were measured to investigate the welfare level in the group housed on deep litter, a litter and slat system, and a slatted floor, with five replicates for each group. Results showed that the main welfare indicators in live birds, such breast dirtiness, plumage score, footpad lesion, and hock burn lesion, were negatively affected in broilers kept on conventional deep-litter floor housing. But hemorrhage or lesion scores of the breast and shoulder of broilers in slat floor housing were found to be significantly greater than in conventional deep litter as a result of a heavy body weight at a greater slaughter age (p < 0.05). Pathologically, the prevalence of footpad and hock joint dermatitis was very high in the deep-litter housing system. Femoral head necrosis was not observed in any floor housing group. The results indicated that keeping broilers on a slat flooring system is preferable for younger slaughter ages and for a lighter slaughter weight. When considering the relationship between animal welfare and production economy, moving from one floor house system to another floor housing system should be carefully weighted in future decisions. Moreover, further investigations are needed in order to examine the incidence of joint and bone problems with muscle inflammation in heavier broilers in commercial conditions.

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Bu çalışma, farklı genotipteki genç ve kasaplık yaşta dişi bıldırcınların fiziksel et kalite özelliklerini araştırmak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Bıldırcınlarda et kalitesi özelliklerini incelemek üzere çalışmada; saf Pharaoh (Coturnix coturnix Pharaoh, yabani tip) ve bunların beyaz varyetesi ile Japon (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) ve Bob White bıldırcınların (Colinus virginianus) melezlenmesiyle elde edilen iki melez hat (sarı ve siyah renkli) olmak üzere 4 farklı genetik materyalden toplamda 80 adet bıldırcına ait taze göğüs ve but eti kullanılmıştır. Bıldırcın yaşının göğüs ve but eti pH'ı (p<0,008, p<0,001) ile genotipin but eti pH'ı (p<0.01) üzerine etkisi önemli bulunmuştur. Göğüs eti su tutma kapasitesi, genotip ve yaşdan önemli düzeyde etkilenmiştir (p<0,001, p<0,019). Bıldırcın but ve göğüs etlerinin parlaklık ve kroma değerleri üzerine genotipin etkisi önemli bulunmuştur (p<0,001, p<0,001). Sonuç olarak, incelenen et kalitesi özelliklerinin birçoğu siyah ve genç bıldırcınlarda diğerlerine göre daha iyi bulunmuştur.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of two genotypes (slow-growing and fast-growing) and three housing systems (deep litter, plastic slat and free-range) on some bone biomechanical properties of broiler chickens and to evaluate the interaction between genotype and housing systems. Broilers from two genotypes were reared at three different housing conditions. Fifteen bones were randomly selected from each housing system in both slow-growing and fast-growing groups, and the experiment was performed on 90 bones in total. To determine bone characteristic and biomechanical traits of tibiotarsi, bones collected from right leg and then weighed, cortical area measurements and three-point bending tests were applied. Both live body weight and carcass weight were significantly affected by genotype and housing systems. There was no interaction between genotype and housing system in terms of bone weight, cortical area, breaking strength, bending strength, and deflection. Also, housing systems had no statistical effect on these parameters. Fast-growing broilers were significantly had heavier tibiotarsi, larger cortical area and higher breaking strength than slow-growing broilers, while bending strength was significantly lower in fast-growing broilers. Deflection was not affected by genotype or by housing system. In conclusion, bone geometry and biomechanical properties were not affected by housing systems but by genotype. Fast-growing broilers had better bone morphology and stronger bones than slow-growing genotype. Therefore, fast-growing genotype can provide positive effects on bone growth and mechanical properties in broilers.