Is the rotarod test an objective alternative to the gait score for evaluating walking ability in chickens?

Malchow, Julia; Dudde, Anissa; Berk, Jutta; Krause, E. Tobias; Sanders, O; Puppe, Birger; Schrader, Lars

doi:10.7120/109627286.28.3.261

Cited by 11 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The study is part of a comprehensive project ( Dudde et al, 2018 , 2020 ; Eusemann et al, 2018a , b , 2020 ; Krause and Schrader, 2018 ; Malchow et al, 2019 ; Jansen et al, 2020a , b ). Within this project two high-performing purebred layer lines, BLA and WLA were used.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Age and Phylogenetic Background on Blood Parameters Associated With Bone Metabolism in Laying Hens

et al. 2021

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The high laying performance of today’s laying hens places enormous demands on their mineral metabolism. While up-to-date data are rare, the present study aimed to describe blood parameters associated with egg laying and bone metabolism during the pre-laying period, in the course of the laying period and the daily egg laying cycle. Ten to 15 laying hens of two high-performing, phylogenetically divergent lines (BLA: brown-egg layer; WLA: white-egg layer), kept in single cages were blood sampled at 17, 25, 29, 49, and 69 weeks of age. Sampling was made at 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and, with the exception of week 17, 6 p.m. Blood samples were analyzed for concentrations of total and ionized calcium, inorganic phosphate (PO4), markers of bone formation (osteocalcin) and resorption [carboxyterminal crosslinked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I)], 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25(OH)D3) and estradiol-17β. In the pre-laying period (17 week), the estradiol-17β level calculated for WLA was more than twice as high as the level calculated for BLA, while no significant difference could be observed in the laying period (25 to 69 weeks). BLA hens had significantly higher total calcium concentrations at 49 weeks of age as well as up to twice as high levels of osteocalcin and 25(OH)D3 than WLA at any time of the day from 25 to 69 weeks of age. While osteocalcin, CTX-I and 25(OH)D3 concentrations were significantly higher before the onset of lay, total calcium and estradiol-17β levels significantly increased from 17 to 69 weeks of age. In contrast, PO4 values varied only slightly during the experimental period and ionized calcium was highest at 17 and 49 weeks of age and lowest around peak production (29 week). In the course of the daily egg laying cycle blood concentrations clearly reflected the stage of egg formation. Our results provide up-to-date data of bone- and egg laying-associated blood parameters of two contemporary purebred layer lines over the course of the pre- and egg-laying period and the daily egg laying cycle. Differences between brown- and white-egg layers raise questions, whether phylogenetic background determines their efficiency to cope with high calcium demands relating to egg production.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Age and Phylogenetic Background on Blood Parameters Associated With Bone Metabolism in Laying Hens

et al. 2021

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“…The test stopped when the chicken actively or passively left the rotating rod. The details of this test are described in Malchow et al (24).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Elevated Grids on Growing Male Chickens Differing in Growth Performance

et al. 2019

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Pullets, i. e., chickens of layer lines are often raised in housings equipped with perches. In contrast, broiler chickens most often are raised in a barren environment that lacks any three-dimensional structures, even though broilers also are motivated to use elevated structures. In addition, environmental enrichment may improve welfare problems in broiler chickens, such as skeletal disorders or contact dermatitis. Due to ethical reasons, currently there are attempts to fatten the male chickens of layer strains or to use dual purpose strains. However, there is only limited knowledge on the behavior of these chickens until now. The aim of this study was to test the use of elevated grids and their effect on animal-based indicators (e.g., physical condition). In two successive trials, we kept a total of 1,217 male chickens from three strains (Lohmann Dual, Lohmann Brown Plus, Ross 308) that show differences in growth performance in 24 pens (two trials × three strains × eight pens). In half of the pens, grids were offered at three different heights (enriched groups); in the other half of the pens, no elevated structures were installed (control groups). We recorded the number of birds using the grids at the different heights as well as locomotor activity, walking ability, plumage cleanliness, and the footpad health of chickens. Chickens with low and medium growth performance preferred the highest grids during both the light and dark periods. In contrast, fast-growing chickens used the lowest grid more frequently. Fast-growing chickens kept in the enriched pens tended to have a higher level of locomotor activity and reduced chest cleanliness. Chickens from the medium growth performance strain showed better walking ability when kept in the enriched pens. Enrichment did not affect any of the welfare measures in the slow-growing chickens. These findings suggest that elevated structures may improve chicken welfare, particularly for medium growing chickens. For fast-growing chickens we found evidence for an improvement of animal-based indicators although they used the elevated structures less. However, regardless of growth performance, elevated grids offer the birds an opportunity to rest in a species-specific manner.

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“…Gait scores were assessed while the chickens were walking. Directly after the assessment of gait scores, the chickens were transferred to a rotarod test (15) installed in the corridor of the barn. The test chicken was placed on a stationary rod.…”

Section: Walking Abilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After the chicken grasped the rod, the rotarod test started, and the rod started to rotate after 1 s. The test was completed when the chicken left the rod actively or passively. Detailed information on the rotarod test is given in (15). As a proxy for walking ability, the latency to leave the rod in seconds was recorded.…”

Section: Walking Abilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An advantage of the rotarod test is that, in this test, the latency to leave the rotating rod as a proxy for walking ability is measured as a continuous variable, in contrast to the gait score system with its categorical variable. In addition, the validity of the gait score system is vulnerable to differences in subjective assessment (15). Thus, with the rotarod test, walking ability can be assessed more sensitively, and smaller differences can be recorded.…”

Section: Walking Abilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of an Elevated Platform on Welfare Aspects in Male Conventional Broilers and Dual-Purpose Chickens

Malchow

Schrader

2021

Front. Vet. Sci.

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To avoid killing day-old male chicks, one possibility is to keep dual-purpose chicken strains. Here, the hens were kept for egg production, and the roosters were kept for meat production. Both sexes had moderate performances compared to the respective hybrid chicken strains. However, until now, little has been known about whether male dual-purpose chickens may profit from enrichment in the environment in which broiler chickens are raised under conventional conditions. This study aims to further investigate the suitability of elevated structures for dual-purpose chickens (Lohmann Dual) with moderate growth and for fast-growing male broiler chickens (Ross 308). In two consecutive trials, we kept 686 Ross and 672 Dual chickens in 24 compartments (2 trials × 2 strains × 6 compartments). Half of the compartments were equipped with elevated grid platforms at a height of 50 cm (enriched group). In the other half of the compartments, no platforms were installed (control group). We analyzed the usage of the elevated platforms by scan sampling and assessed animal-based (walking ability, plumage cleanliness, and foot health) and management-based (litter quality) indicators. Both strains showed increasing use of the elevated platforms from the first week of life onwards. However, the fast-growing chickens used the elevated platform less than the slow-growing chickens. At the end of the fattening period, the birds used the elevated grids more at night than during the daytime. Slow-growing chickens kept in enriched compartments showed a better walking ability. In general, slow-growing chickens had better plumage conditions and foot health compared to fast-growing chickens. Our results show that natural behaviors such as perching can be supported by offering elevated platforms and that animal-based indicators such as walking ability can be improved, at least in slow-growing chickens. Moreover, the use of an alternative chicken strain avoids killing day-old male chicks, and in addition, these chickens show fewer animal welfare problems than a conventional fattening strain. Thus, the use of male chickens of a dual-purpose strain can substantially contribute to improving animal welfare in broiler meat production.

show abstract

Is the rotarod test an objective alternative to the gait score for evaluating walking ability in chickens?

Cited by 11 publications

References 32 publications

Influence of Age and Phylogenetic Background on Blood Parameters Associated With Bone Metabolism in Laying Hens

Influence of Age and Phylogenetic Background on Blood Parameters Associated With Bone Metabolism in Laying Hens

Effects of Elevated Grids on Growing Male Chickens Differing in Growth Performance

Effects of an Elevated Platform on Welfare Aspects in Male Conventional Broilers and Dual-Purpose Chickens

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