TY - JOUR
T1 - Potential risk factors associated with contact dermatitis, lameness, negative emotional state, and fear of humans in broiler chicken flocks
AU - Bassler, AW
AU - Arnould, C
AU - Butterworth, A
AU - Colin, L
AU - De Jong, IC
AU - Ferrante, V
AU - Ferrari, P
AU - Haslam, S
AU - Wemelsfelder, F
AU - Blokhuis, HJ
PY - 2013/11
Y1 - 2013/11
N2 - The objectives of this study were to 1)
identify determinants of poor welfare in commercial
broiler chicken flocks by studying the associations between
selected resource-based measures (RBM, potential
risk factors), such as litter quality and dark period,
and animal-based welfare indicators (ABM), such as
foot pad dermatitis and lameness, and 2) establish the
breadth of effect of a risk factor by determining the
range of animal welfare indicators associated with each
of the risk factors (i.e., the number of ABM related to a
specific RBM). Eighty-nine broiler flocks were inspected
in 4 European countries (France, Italy, the United
Kingdom, and the Netherlands) in a cross-sectional
study. The ABM were contact dermatitis (measured using
scores of foot-pad dermatitis and hock burn, respectively),
lameness (measured as gait score), fear of humans
(measured by the avoidance distance test and the
touch test), and negative emotional state (measured
using qualitative behavior assessment, QBA). In a first
step, risk factors were identified by building a multiple
linear regression model for each ABM. Litter quality
was identified as a risk factor for contact dermatitis.
Length of dark period at 3 wk old (DARK3) was a risk
factor for the touch test result. DARK3 and flock age
were risk factors for lameness, and the number of different
stockmen and DARK3 were risk factors for QBA
results. Next, the ABM were grouped according to risk
factor and counted. Then, in a second step, associations
between the ABM were investigated using common factor
analysis. The breadth of a risk factor’s effect was
judged by combining the number (count) of ABM related
to this factor and the strength of association between
these ABM. Flock age and DARK3 appeared to
affect several weakly correlated ABM, thus indicating
a broad range of effects. Our findings suggest that manipulation
of the predominant risk factors identified in
this study (DARK3, litter quality, and slaughter age)
could generate improvements in the related ABM and
thereby enhance the birds’ overall welfare status.
AB - The objectives of this study were to 1)
identify determinants of poor welfare in commercial
broiler chicken flocks by studying the associations between
selected resource-based measures (RBM, potential
risk factors), such as litter quality and dark period,
and animal-based welfare indicators (ABM), such as
foot pad dermatitis and lameness, and 2) establish the
breadth of effect of a risk factor by determining the
range of animal welfare indicators associated with each
of the risk factors (i.e., the number of ABM related to a
specific RBM). Eighty-nine broiler flocks were inspected
in 4 European countries (France, Italy, the United
Kingdom, and the Netherlands) in a cross-sectional
study. The ABM were contact dermatitis (measured using
scores of foot-pad dermatitis and hock burn, respectively),
lameness (measured as gait score), fear of humans
(measured by the avoidance distance test and the
touch test), and negative emotional state (measured
using qualitative behavior assessment, QBA). In a first
step, risk factors were identified by building a multiple
linear regression model for each ABM. Litter quality
was identified as a risk factor for contact dermatitis.
Length of dark period at 3 wk old (DARK3) was a risk
factor for the touch test result. DARK3 and flock age
were risk factors for lameness, and the number of different
stockmen and DARK3 were risk factors for QBA
results. Next, the ABM were grouped according to risk
factor and counted. Then, in a second step, associations
between the ABM were investigated using common factor
analysis. The breadth of a risk factor’s effect was
judged by combining the number (count) of ABM related
to this factor and the strength of association between
these ABM. Flock age and DARK3 appeared to
affect several weakly correlated ABM, thus indicating
a broad range of effects. Our findings suggest that manipulation
of the predominant risk factors identified in
this study (DARK3, litter quality, and slaughter age)
could generate improvements in the related ABM and
thereby enhance the birds’ overall welfare status.
KW - Animal welfare
KW - Behaviour
KW - Broiler chicken
KW - Leg health
KW - Risk factor
U2 - 10.3382/ps.2013-03208
DO - 10.3382/ps.2013-03208
M3 - Article
SN - 1525-3171
VL - 92
SP - 2811
EP - 2826
JO - Poultry Science
JF - Poultry Science
ER -