Jacobs Leonie, Delezie Evelyne, Duchateau Luc, Goethals Klara, Ampe Bart, Lambrecht Evelien, Gellynck Xavier, Tuyttens Frank A M
Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Animal Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium.
Poult Sci. 2016 Sep 1;95(9):1973-9. doi: 10.3382/ps/pew155. Epub 2016 May 3.
Broiler chicks are transported to production sites within one to 2 d post-hatch. Possible effects of this transportation are poorly understood and could vary among chicks from breeder flocks of different ages. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of transportation duration and parental flock age on chick welfare, productivity, and quality. After hatch in a commercial hatchery, 1,620 mixed-sex chicks from 29-wk old (young) and 1,620 chicks from 60-wk old (old) breeders were subjected to transportation of 1.5 h or 11 h duration. After transportation, 2,800 chicks were divided among 100 pens, with each pen containing 28 chicks from one transportation crate (2 or 3 pens per crate). From the remaining chicks, on average 6 chicks (min 4, max 8) per crate (n = 228) were randomly selected and assessed for chick quality, weighed, and culled for yolk sac weighing (one d). Chicks that had not been assigned to pens or were not used for post-transportation measurements, were removed from the experiment (n = 212). Mortality, ADG, BW, and feed conversion ( FC: ) of the experimental chicks were recorded until 41 d. Meat quality was measured for breast fillets (n = 47). No interaction effect of parental age and transportation duration was found for any variables. BW and yolk sac weight at one d were lower for chicks transported 11 h than 1.5 h and for chicks from young versus old breeders. The effect of parental flock age on BW persisted until slaughter. Additionally, parental age positively affected ADG until slaughter. Chick quality was lower in chicks from old versus young breeders. Chick quality and productivity were not affected by transportation duration. Mortality and meat quality were not affected by either parental age or transportation duration. To conclude, no long-term detrimental effects were found from long post-hatch transportation in chicks from young or old parent flocks. Based on these results, we suggest that 11 h post-hatch transportations under similar conditions do not impose long-term welfare or productivity risks.
肉仔鸡在出壳后1至2天内被运输到生产场地。这种运输可能产生的影响目前了解甚少,且不同年龄种鸡群的雏鸡所受影响可能存在差异。本研究的目的是调查运输时长和种鸡群年龄对雏鸡福利、生产性能和品质的影响。在一家商业孵化场出壳后,将来自29周龄(年轻)种鸡的1620只混合性别雏鸡和来自60周龄(年老)种鸡的1620只雏鸡分别进行1.5小时或11小时的运输。运输后,将2800只雏鸡分到100个鸡栏中,每个鸡栏包含来自一个运输箱的28只雏鸡(每个箱子2至3个鸡栏)。从剩余的雏鸡中,每个箱子平均随机选取6只雏鸡(最少4只,最多8只)(n = 228),评估雏鸡品质、称重,并宰杀以称量卵黄囊重量(1日龄)。未被分配到鸡栏或未用于运输后测量的雏鸡被移出实验(n = 212)。记录实验雏鸡直至41日龄的死亡率、平均日增重(ADG)、体重(BW)和饲料转化率(FC: )。测量胸肉的肉质(n = 47)。未发现种鸡年龄和运输时长对任何变量有交互作用。运输11小时的雏鸡以及年轻种鸡的雏鸡在1日龄时的体重和卵黄囊重量低于运输1.5小时的雏鸡以及年老种鸡的雏鸡。种鸡群年龄对体重的影响一直持续到屠宰。此外,种鸡年龄对平均日增重有积极影响,直至屠宰。年老种鸡的雏鸡品质低于年轻种鸡的雏鸡。雏鸡品质和生产性能不受运输时长影响。死亡率和肉质不受种鸡年龄或运输时长影响。总之,未发现年轻或年老种鸡群的雏鸡在出壳后长时间运输会产生长期有害影响。基于这些结果,我们建议在类似条件下进行11小时的出壳后运输不会带来长期的福利或生产性能风险。