Comparisons of management practices and farm design on Australian commercial layer and meat chicken farms: Cage, barn and free range

Abstract

There are few published studies describing the unique management practices, farm design and housing characteristics of commercial meat chicken and layer farms in Australia. In particular, there has been a large expansion of free range poultry production in Australia in recent years, but limited information about this enterprise exists. This study aimed to describe features of Australian commercial chicken farms, with particular interest in free range farms, by conducting on-farm interviews of 25 free range layer farms, nine cage layer farms, nine barn layer farms, six free range meat chicken farms and 15 barn meat chicken farms in the Sydney basin bioregion and South East Queensland. Comparisons between the different enterprises (cage, barn and free range) were explored, including stocking densities, depopulation procedures, environmental control methods and sources of information for farmers. Additional information collected for free range farms include range size, range characteristics and range access. The median number of chickens per shed was greatest in free range meat chicken farms (31,058), followed by barn meat chicken (20,817), free range layer (10,713), barn layer (9,300) and cage layer farms (9,000). Sheds had cooling pads and tunnel ventilation in just over half of both barn and free range meat chicken farms (53%, n = 8) and was least common in free range layer farms (16%, n = 4). Range access in free range meat chicken farms was from sunrise to dark in the majority (93%, n = 14) of free range meat chicken farms. Over half of free range layer farms (56%, n = 14) granted range access at a set time each morning; most commonly between 9:00 to 10.00am (86%, n = 12), and chickens were placed back inside sheds when it was dusk.

Low- and High-Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5 and H7 Spread Risk Assessment Within and Between Australian Commercial Chicken Farms

“…Most of the input values used in this model were parameterized using data collected from a survey on commercial chicken farms in Australia ( 8 , 21 ). This study defined commercial layer farms as those with more than 1,000 birds, and commercial meat chicken farms as those with more than 25,000 birds.…”

“…A survey was conducted from mid-2015 with on-farm interviews on 73 commercial chicken farms; nine cage layer, 9 barn layer, 25 free range layer, 15 non-free range meat chicken, and 15 free range meat chicken farms ( 8 , 21 ). The farms were located in the Sydney basin region in New South Wales (NSW) and in South East Queensland.…”

“…A greater proportion of layer farms and of free range farms were surveyed due to the greater perceived risk of AI occurrence on these farm types. Further details on the survey methodology, including the region and farm selection, questionnaire development, and conduct of the on-farm interviews can be found in the study by Scott et al ( 21 ).…”

“…The calculation of R and the proportion of birds showing clinical signs are presented in the description of the Establishment of LPAI after infection in one chicken node in the Supplementary Material. The shed size and percentage threshold for LPAI detection and reporting differ for each farm type and are described by Scott et al ( 21 ). If there is no detection and reporting, the potential pathways by which LPAI and HPAI can spread between sheds and between farms are evaluated for each farm type.…”

Occurrence and Characterization of Salmonella Isolated from Table Egg Layer Farming Environments in Western Australia and Insights into Biosecurity and Egg Handling Practices

“…S. Typhimurium is the key endemic serovar in the Australian egg production industry and is the most frequent serovar isolated from human cases [4]. In recent years, there has been a significant expansion of non-cage (free-range and barn-laid) egg production systems around Australia [5] arising from an increase in consumer demand and concerns regarding caged bird welfare [6]. Nevertheless, some researchers hypothesize that non-cage egg production systems may lead to a higher exposure of layer flocks to the outdoor environment, pests, and wildlife vectors [4,7,8].…”