Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Poult Sci. 2022 Aug;101(8):101973. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2022.101973. Epub 2022 May 21.
Improving leg health will support broiler health and welfare. Known factors to improve leg health are: replacing inorganic by organic macro minerals in the diet, providing environmental enrichments and using slower-growing broilers. However, it remains unknown how fast- and slower-growing broilers respond to a combination of providing organic macro minerals and an elevated platform as enrichment with regard to leg health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify whether a combined treatment of organic macro minerals and a platform affected leg health, tibia characteristics, behavior and performance of fast- and slower-growing broilers in a semicommercial setting. The experiment had a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with 12.800 fast-growing (Ross 308) and 12.800 slower-growing (Hubbard JA757) broilers that were randomly allocated to a control (i.e., inorganic macro minerals without enrichment) or adapted treatment (i.e., organic macro minerals and a platform). Broilers were housed in groups of 800 per pen (47.5 m), with 8 replicates per treatment (total of 32 pens). Performance was measured weekly and over the total rearing period. Behavior was observed via scan sampling at a target weight of 0.6 and 1.9 kg for both breeds. Walking ability (gait score), footpad dermatitis, and hock burn were assessed in 10 broilers per pen just prior to slaughter weight. Leg disorders and tibia characteristics were assessed in the same broilers at slaughter weight (2.3 kg). Hardly any interaction effects between breed and treatment were found on leg health, tibia characteristics, behavior or performance, suggesting fast- and slower-growing broilers responded to the treatment similarly. The adapted treatment improved tibia characteristics, and increased locomotion and performance, but did not affect leg disorders, walking ability or contact dermatitis in both fast- and slower-growing broilers. The positive effects of the adapted treatment on tibia characteristics in both fast- and slower-growing broilers may improve leg health, although the current study did not confirm this for leg disorders, walking ability or contact dermatitis.
改善腿部健康状况将有助于肉鸡的健康和福利。改善腿部健康的已知因素包括：在饮食中用有机宏量矿物质替代无机宏量矿物质、提供环境丰富度和使用生长速度较慢的肉鸡。然而，目前尚不清楚生长速度较快和较慢的肉鸡对提供有机宏量矿物质和作为丰富度的高架平台的组合如何反应。因此，本研究的目的是确定有机宏量矿物质和平台的联合处理是否会影响腿部健康、胫骨特性、快生长和慢生长肉鸡的行为和性能在半商业环境中。该实验采用 2×2 因子设计，共有 12800 只快生长（罗斯 308）和 12800 只慢生长（哈伯德 JA757）肉鸡随机分配到对照组（即无富集的无机宏量矿物质）或适应处理组（即有机宏量矿物质和平台）。肉鸡每栏 800 只一组（47.5m），每处理 8 个重复（共 32 个栏）。每周和整个饲养期都测量性能。行为通过扫描采样在两个品种的目标体重为 0.6 和 1.9kg 时进行观察。在每栏 10 只肉鸡屠宰前测量行走能力（步态评分）、脚垫皮炎和跗关节烧伤。在同一栏肉鸡屠宰时（2.3kg）评估腿部疾病和胫骨特性。腿部健康、胫骨特性、行为或性能几乎没有发现品种和处理之间的相互作用效应，这表明快生长和慢生长肉鸡对处理的反应相似。适应处理改善了胫骨特性，提高了运动和性能，但对快生长和慢生长肉鸡的腿部疾病、行走能力或接触性皮炎没有影响。适应处理对快生长和慢生长肉鸡胫骨特性的积极影响可能会改善腿部健康状况，尽管本研究并未证实腿部疾病、行走能力或接触性皮炎的情况。
