Locomotion of commercial broilers and indigenous chickens

Abstract

-This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the steadiness of broilers during the stance phase of locomotion, and the primary disorders of the locomotor system and gait. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a factorial arrangement (2 × 2 + 32), indicating two sexes and two genetic commercial strains, with five replications of 53 broilers each, and 32 (16 males and 16 females) indigenous chickens. Gait score and valgus and varus condition were assessed. Pictures of the birds were taken and evaluated. The broiler body was considered a spherical shape, and the centroid was calculated. From the geometric center of the body, a line was drawn perpendicularly to the sphere radius that formed an angle (ANG) with the other vertical line drawn from the centroid to the ground. The angle projected onto the ground was analyzed, and the body steadiness (EC) was estimated. At the 42nd day of growth, broilers were weighed to assess the body weight, the breast weight after slaughter, and the percentage of the breast (PB). Femoral degeneration, tibial dyschondroplasia, spondylolisthesis, and footpad dermatitis were evaluated. Fast-growing broilers presented a high prevalence of locomotor issues. The PB was not affected by sex or genetic strain. Males showed better ANG than the females, regardless of the genetic strain. More balanced EC was found in commercial broilers when compared with the indigenous chicken that stood slightly towards the back during the stance phase. A medium (in males) to high (in females) association between EC and ANG was found amongst broilers from the commercial strains in both males and females. The broilers from commercial strains presented more locomotor issues than the indigenous chicken. Commercial broiler strains show less locomotor soundness than indigenous chickens.

The effects of Environmental Enrichment on Some Physiological and Behavioral Parameters of Broiler Chicks

“…The present gait score was higher than the findings of Skrbic et al (2009) and lower than the findings of others. Alves et al (2016a) determined the gait score value (2<GS) as 5.2%. The obtained EE results in the present study were lower than findings.…”

Effects of light intensity in different stocking densities on tibial measurements and incidence of lesions in broilers

“…Broilers of commercial genotypes show more locomotor problems and FP lesions compared to autochthonous breeds and therefore poorer foot health (Alves et al, 2016), which is associated with a rapid early increase and lower broiler activity (Angel, 2007;Knowles et al, 2008). The stocking density directly, through the available space for movement, affects the activity of broilers, and in this respect, the ability to move through the gait score (Škrbić et al, 2009).…”

How Are Information Technologies Addressing Broiler Welfare? A Systematic Review Based on the Welfare Quality® Assessment

“…Locomotor problems in broilers are often correlated with litter quality [84][85][86][87][88][89][90], since the ammonia excreted by the animals can provoke lesions in their feet. Additionally, they can be consequence of the high growth rate of animals [91][92][93][94] and of the increasing genetic selection for heavier major pectoralis muscle [56,65,95]. Clark et al [96] proposed that leg problems are an animal welfare issue as a result of animals being pushed beyond their physiological limits.…”

“…The method had precision to detect 90% of meal size, 95% of meal duration, 94% of the number of meals per day, and 89% of feeding rate. Alves et al [65] 2016 Brazil…”

“…The subcategory "other image analyses" was identified in five publications, corresponding to 8.8% of total. This IT was used to study posture deviations [65], to evaluate appropriate stocking densities in broiler houses [66], and to detect locomotion problems in broiler chickens [67]. In addition to that, image analyses were verified to be part of an automated system to evaluate foot pad dermatitis in slaughterhouses [68] and to help the development of an algorithm to detect sick animals based on their posture [69].…”