Ground-dwelling species of birds, such as domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), experience difficulties sustaining flight due to high wing loading. This limited flight ability may be exacerbated by loss of flight feathers that is prevalent among egg-laying chickens. Despite this, chickens housed in aviary style systems need to use flight to access essential resources stacked in vertical tiers. To understand the impact of flight feather loss on chickens' ability to access elevated resources, we clipped primary and secondary flight feathers for two hen strains (brown-feathered and white-feathered, n = 120), and recorded the time hens spent at elevated resources (feeders, nest-boxes). Results showed that flight feather clipping significantly reduced the percentage of time that hens spent at elevated resources compared to ground resources. When clipping both primary and secondary flight feathers, all hens exhibited greater than or equal to 38% reduction in time spent at elevated resources. When clipping only primary flight feathers, brown-feathered hens saw a greater than 50% reduction in time spent at elevated nest-boxes. Additionally, brown-feathered hens scarcely used the elevated feeder regardless of treatment. Clipping of flight feathers altered the amount of time hens spent at elevated resources, highlighting that distribution and accessibility of resources is an important consideration in commercial housing.
Producers are moving towards cage-free systems to house laying hens. These include aviary styles with multi-level wire enclosures and litter areas on the floor. In aviaries with doors hens can be confined within the tiered enclosure, which can be done to promote oviposition in nests and prevent hens from laying eggs in litter. However, there are multiple genetic strains of laying hen used in the egg industry, and some show different temporal patterns for key behaviors that could affect when they want to be on litter. For example, though dust bathing by laying hens is typically considered to peak in early afternoon, there may be variation in timing of motivation to dust bathe among strains. Differences in hens' temporal patterns, coupled with aviary configurations or management practices, may restricts birds' ability to perform important behaviors, such as dust bathing (DB), when they would most prefer to do them. Our objective was to determine if there were strain differences in the temporal pattern of DB. We examined the timing of DB in 4 strains of laying hen (Hy-Line Brown [HB], Bovans Brown [BB], DeKalb White [DW] and Hy-Line W36 [W36]) housed in aviaries using 144 hens of each strain per aviary unit (4 units/strain). We recorded the number of hens DB and on litter using instantaneous scan sampling every 5 minutes using video collected at 26 and 28 weeks of age beginning at 11:35 (when litter access began each day) to 20:00 (lights off). Brown strains acclimated to litter access more slowly than white strains. Hens of all strains DB most often soon after gaining access to litter, and more white hens (DW and W36) DB simultaneously and in the presence of more conspecifics. Further examination of diurnal rhythm of behaviors, such as dust bathing, under unconstrained conditions by a range of genetic strains of laying hens is needed to design management practices and aviary styles that best meet hens' needs.
A total of 2,145 pigs were transported for 8 h in summer (six trips) and winter (five trips) using a pot-belly trailer accommodating pigs in four locations (upper deck or UD, bottom-nose or BN, middle deck or MD and bottom deck or BD). Heart rate of pigs during loading and transportation and lactate and creatine kinase (CK) concentrations in exsanguination blood were measured. Meat quality was evaluated in the Longissimus thoracis (LT), Semimembranosus (SM) and Adductor (AD) muscles. During summer, pigs loaded in the UD and MD had higher (P < 0.05) heart rate at loading compared to those located in the BD and BN. Blood lactate and CK concentrations were higher (P < 0.001) in winter than in summer. Lactate concentration was higher (P = 0.01) in the blood of pigs transported in the BN. Pigs transported in the BN had higher pHu values in the LT, SM and AD muscles (P = 0.02, P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively) and lower (P = 0.002) drip loss values in the SM muscle. This study confirms that some locations within the PB trailer have a negative impact on the welfare of pigs at loading and during transport with more pronounced effects in the winter due to the additive effect of cold stress.
Objectives: To determine short-term effects of converting a gestation barn from individual stalls to group housing and effects of manipulating space allowance and pen size on body condition, farrowing performance, and skin lesions. Materials and methods: Pregnant multiparous Yorkshire sows (N = 285) were housed in static groups of 11 to 31 sows in SMALL (34.0 to 49.5 m2) or LARGE pens (72.5 to 74.5 m2) with 2.3 m2 (n = 2,2), 2.8 m2 (n = 3,2) or 3.2 m2 (n = 4,2) per sow. A reference population of 98 sows was housed in gestation stalls. Sows were scored for body condition upon entering and leaving their respective housing treatments. Shoulder skin lesions were assessed 24 hours premixing, 24 hours postmixing, and weekly thereafter for 5 weeks. Liveborn piglets, stillborn piglets, and individual piglet birth weights were recorded for each sow. Results: Body condition was not affected by group housing at any space allowance or pen size (P > .05). Group-housed sows had substantial numbers of skin lesions 24 hours postmixing, but these were not affected by space allowance or pen size (P > .05), and they decreased significantly over time (P < .01). Group-housed sows had larger litter sizes (P < .05) and slightly heavier piglets (P < .05) than sows in stalls. Implications: The conversion from individual stalls to group housing did not affect body condition or reduce reproductive performance of sows in this herd. Shoulder scratches were a short-term consequence of aggression that occurs after mixing.
Knowledge of animal welfare has become essential for veterinarians. However, there is no clear consensus about how to provide veterinarians and students with this critical information. The challenges associated with finding qualified instructors and fitting additional courses into an already full curriculum mean that options for learning about animal welfare beyond the veterinary school classroom must be explored. Online courses can be excellent ways for veterinary students and graduate veterinarians to become familiar with current animal-welfare science, assessment schemes, and regulations while removing geographical barriers and scheduling difficulties. Faculty at Michigan State University have created an online animal-welfare course with lecture material from experts in welfare-related social and scientific fields that provides an overview of the underlying concepts as well as opportunities to practice assessing welfare. However, to develop expertise in animal welfare, veterinarians need more than a single course. Graduate degrees can be a way of obtaining additional knowledge and scientific expertise. Traditional thesis-based graduate programs in animal-welfare science are available in animal-science departments and veterinary colleges throughout North America and offer students in-depth research experience in specific areas or species of interest. Alternatively, the University of Guelph offers a year-long Master of Science degree in which students complete a series of courses with a specialization in animal behavior and welfare along with a focused research project and paper. In summary, a range of options exist that can be tailored to provide graduate veterinarians and veterinary students with credible education regarding animal welfare beyond the veterinary curriculum.
