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Slow and steady wins the race? No signs of reduced welfare in smaller broiler breeder hens at four weeks of age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

C Lindholm ,
A Calais ,
J Jönsson ,
N Yngwe ,
E Berndtson ,
E Hult  and
J Altimiras
C Lindholm
Affiliation:
AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
A Calais
Affiliation:
AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
J Jönsson
Affiliation:
AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
N Yngwe
Affiliation:
SweHatch AB, 247 47 Flyinge, Sweden
E Berndtson
Affiliation:
SweHatch AB, 247 47 Flyinge, Sweden
E Hult
Affiliation:
SweHatch AB, 247 47 Flyinge, Sweden
J Altimiras*
Affiliation:
AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Broiler breeder chickens are commonly reared under strict feed-restriction regimes to reduce obesity-induced health and fertility problems during adult life, and are assumed to experience a reduced welfare due to the resulting hunger. In these conditions, feed competition could influence the growth rate, so that the individuals falling behind in growth would experience more stress and hunger. We hypothesised that these chickens are poor competitors due to a reactive coping style and experience a further reduced welfare situation before size-sorting (‘grading’) at four weeks of age. Our results from open field, tonic immobility and home pen activity monitoring show signs of lower fear and higher home-pen activity levels in smaller hens and do not support the idea of reactive coping. H/L ratios of smaller hens were also found to be lower, indicating less stress in these birds. Dissections of smaller and larger four-week breeder hens may offer an explanation in the form of a relatively larger gastrointestinal tract in smaller birds. We argue that this is a form of habituation to restricted feeding, offering these birds a physiological stress coping mechanism, and that low early growth rate may not always be a sign of poorer welfare in broiler breeders.

Keywords

animal welfarebroiler breederschickenfeed restrictiongrowthstress
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , November 2015 , pp. 447 - 454
Copyright
© 2015 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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