Do broilers prefer to eat from a certain type of feeder?

Abstract

This study compared three types of feeders for broilers: Fênix, Tube and Automatic feeders. Bird's feeding behavior and preference were considered in this the evaluation. Preference was assessed by examining birds' behavioral activities, such as eating, standing and lying around the equipments, and meal duration as function of the environmental variables. Data on the behavioral activities and meal size were collected in a broiler commercial farm using a portable video camera, and the direct footages were analyzed. The time spent in each activity, feeding bout duration and time spent near the trough were statistically analyzed using the test of means and medians. Pearson's correlation test was used to evaluate the relationship between ambient environmental data and the time of feeding. A prospective scenario was established and data were pair wised compared to it. There were interactions between environmental characteristics and feeding and lying down activities during the experiment. Eating behavior was more frequent in the area around the Tube feeder. The duration of feeding time was higher when the birds used the Tube feeder (214 ± 28s), followed by the use of the Fênix feeder (123 ± 17s) and the Automatic feeder (77 ± 29s). Birds preferred eating from the Tube feeder probably due to the absence of the partition grid above the feeder plate

Detection of flock movement and behaviour of broiler chickens at different feeders using image analysis

“…On average, lesser birds stayed nearby automatic-type feeder (F3 = 3.7), but 79.7% of them were effectively eating. The higher percentage of birds eating in F2 could be explained by the easiness to access the feed, as previously suggested by [16], since this type of feeder without partition grid presented the larger free area in the feed tray ( Table 1).…”

“…It has been also suggested that design features like size, location, geometry, spacing and angle of feeders can affect the behaviour of animals [14,15]. Partition grids over feed trays are extensively used in the poultry industry as it is believed to promote a better distribution of the birds around the feeders and reduce feed competition and wastage [16].…”

Feeding behaviour of broiler chickens: a review on the biomechanical characteristics

“…In some models, a partition grid is provided over the feed trough, which function is to homogenize the distribution of birds, reducing competition and decreasing wastage when the birds are feeding. Neves et al (2010) reported that broilers tend to spend more time at the feeders without a partition grid, and this can be explained by the ease of access to the feeding area. Although it cannot be claimed that the birds had a higher intake, the foraging behaviour related to environment exploration was more evident.…”

Effects of Heat Stress on the Daily Behavior of Wenchang Chickens

“…The behavior of chickens can significantly influence their growth rate, consequently influencing production costs (Neves et al, 2010(Neves et al, , 2014. Young chicks present high metabolism rates.…”