Early visual experience of food does not appear to reduce subsequent feed neophobia in turkeys

Abstract

Turkeys may reduce their feed intake because of neophobia toward a new diet; however, their feeding behavior is not well known. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effects of diet color on behavior and feed intake in turkeys. For 2 wk, 2 groups of 1-day-old turkey chicks were fed diets varying in color but of the same composition: light-colored crumbles (LC group) or dark-colored crumbles (DC group). Both groups (total n = 144) were then fed a novel diet of green crumbles for the next 2 wk. On d 30, the original groups were each divided into 3 groups and received light, dark, or green pellets. We postulated that neophobia on d 30 would be reduced for chicks fed 1) green pellets compared with diets of other colors because of the effect of recent experience, and 2) a diet of a color that was previously encountered over the first 2 wk of life. Behavior and feed intake were measured on the days before and during each feed transition at 5 min after the changeover feed to observe the short-term reaction. On the first transition day, birds in the LC group decreased their feed intake significantly at 5 min, unlike birds in the DC group, which increased their feed intake. Exploratory behavior increased in both groups when they received green crumbles on the transition day, indicating a response to the color. The changeover to pellets induced a reduction in feed intake in all groups at 5 min, but, in line with our first hypothesis, behavioral changes were less pronounced in birds receiving green pellets. However, turkeys in the DC group did not eat more dark-colored pellets than those in the other groups, and turkeys in the LC group did not eat more light-colored pellets. In the present experiment, we conclude that previous visual experience did not reduce subsequent feed neophobia but that color continuity facilitated a diet change from one feed form to another.

The response of growing native turkeys to different feed colours and forms

“…Lecuelle et al. () claimed that a change in the shape or colour of feed can induce a short‐term decrease in FC. A number of different mechanisms have been discovered which have been implicated in the control of appetite or feed intake.…”

“…Short‐term distortions of feed acceptability might be partially related to physical feed parameters such as size, colour and particle shape (Picard, Melcion, Bertrand, & Faure, ). The visual system is an important sensory system in the birds, whose behaviour is largely influenced by colour cues (Lecuelle et al., ). One protocol is of interest, offering feed in different forms with colours, which can call the attention of turkey chicks to detect the presence of offered feed rapidly.…”

Use of Feed Color and Odor as Attractive Tools for Managing Turkey Chicks at Early Feeding

“…One of the main three phases of feed intake is identifying the food using sensorial detection which follows by apprehending and then swallowing (Farghly and Mahrose, 2017). Lecuelle et al, (2011) concluded that a change in the feed color can induce a short-term decrease in FC, and the continuity in the color of feed could be a good way to lessen a reduce in feed consumption during a feed changeover. FC for orange feed color was decreased when compared to the yellow, red and green ones (Khosravinia, 2007) found that the.…”

L’ingestion chez le poulet de chair : n’oublions pas les régulations à court terme

“…Les volailles sont attirés par des particules brillantes (Rogers 1995) et les L'ingestion chez le poulet de chair : n'oublions pas les régulations à court terme / 395 particules les plus claires (Chagneau et al 2006, Lecuelle et al 2010b. Weeks et al (1997) indiquent, pour le poulet de chair, une consommation plus importante d'aliments colorés en jaune et en rouge comparés au vert et au bleu.…”