Saraiva Sónia, Santos Sara, García-Díez Juan, Simões João, Saraiva Cristina
Animal and Veterinary Science Center (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Aug 25;14(17):2468. doi: 10.3390/ani14172468.
The objective of this study was to assess the health and welfare of 70 commercial broiler flocks (transport batches) in three distinct slaughterhouses based on various indicators including emaciation, dirty feathers (DFs), footpad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn (HB), breast burn (BB), breast blister, breast ulcer, ascites, septicemia/abnormal color, cellulitis, extensive traumatisms, dead on arrival (DoA) and condemnation rate. Assessment scales ranging from 0 (absence) to 2 (severe) were used for DFs, FPD, and HB, while a 0 (absence) to 1 (present) scale was applied to BB, breast blisters, and breast ulcers. The prevalence of total condemnation causes (emaciation, ascites, septicemia/abnormal color, cellulitis, and extensive traumatism) and DoA were recorded and presented in percentages. Three flocks presented condemnation rates higher than 4% and 11 flocks presented DoA rates higher than 0.5%. Twenty-one flocks achieved grade 1 (warning) for FPD and 14 achieved grade 2 for FPD (alarm). Extensive trauma was observed in 0.01% of the slaughtered animals, and no flock reached the threshold of 2%. Breast blisters and breast ulcers lesions were not observed in the studied flocks. The significant positive associations observed for the presence of severe footpad dermatitis (FPD2), severe hock burns (HB2), and breast burns (BB1) indicate simultaneous occurrences. Absences of hock burns (HB0) and breast burns (BB0) were also associated. Eleven houses that obtained the worst results for welfare indicators at slaughterhouses were audited. FPD, HB, DoA, and the condemnation rate were the most crucial indicators for identifying farms with inadequate welfare conditions. These indicators should be systematically integrated into the welfare monitoring of broilers in slaughterhouses. Audits conducted on farms detected some noncompliance with regulatory welfare standards and suggested improvements in environmental and structural conditions, as well as the reduction in stocking densities and improvements in the water systems.
本研究的目的是基于包括消瘦、脏羽毛（DFs）、脚垫皮炎（FPD）、跗关节灼伤（HB）、胸部灼伤（BB）、胸部水泡、胸部溃疡、腹水、败血症/颜色异常、蜂窝织炎、广泛性创伤、到场死亡（DoA）和判废率等各种指标，评估三个不同屠宰场中70个商业肉鸡群（运输批次）的健康和福利状况。DFs、FPD和HB的评估量表范围为0（无）至2（严重），而BB、胸部水泡和胸部溃疡的评估量表为0（无）至1（有）。记录并以百分比形式呈现总判废原因（消瘦、腹水、败血症/颜色异常、蜂窝织炎和广泛性创伤）和DoA的患病率。三个鸡群的判废率高于4%，11个鸡群的DoA率高于0.5%。21个鸡群的FPD达到1级（警告），14个鸡群的FPD达到2级（警报）。在0.01%的屠宰动物中观察到广泛性创伤，没有鸡群达到2%的阈值。在所研究的鸡群中未观察到胸部水泡和胸部溃疡病变。观察到严重脚垫皮炎（FPD2）与严重跗关节灼伤（HB2）和胸部灼伤（BB1）同时出现存在显著正相关。跗关节灼伤（HB0）和胸部灼伤（BB0）的不存在也存在关联。对在屠宰场福利指标方面取得最差结果的11个鸡舍进行了审核。FPD、HB、DoA和判废率是识别福利条件不佳农场的最关键指标。这些指标应系统地纳入屠宰场肉鸡福利监测中。对农场进行的审核发现一些不符合监管福利标准的情况，并建议改善环境和结构条件，以及降低饲养密度和改善供水系统。
