Behaviour of poultry has a strong relation with its welfare and physical condition. Healthy animals show less stress and perform better. Political power also stimulates better treatment of animals, in order to improve welfare and food quality. In this section, you can find articles about behaviour and welfare management.
Behaviour and welfare
Latest article
Phytochemicals improve semen quality and fertility
Plants can produce phytochemicals with sex-enhancing powers able to stimulate the reproductive performance of birds. This results in increased fertility, improved hatchability, and a higher number of day-old chicks. The ultimate objective of poultry breeder management is the production of fertilised eggs.
Fertility (the number of fertile eggs produced or chick hatched per parent bird) has great economical importance in poultry breeder operations as it determines the... read more »
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Key role for Selenomethionine and Vitamin E to boost fertility
Organic selenium in poultry diets outperforms inorganic selenium in terms of improving fertility for both sexes, according to research. read more >
Feeding embryos to reduce mortality and stimulate health
Giving the day-old chick a better start may have a tremendous effect on early mortality as well as health and feed efficiency during the whole growing period. That was the aim of an Israeli and an American researcher when looking for opportunities to provide nutrients to unhatched chicks. read more >
Hygienic water vital to successful poultry operation
A successful broiler farmer monitors every facet of the watering system on a regular basis, from its origin to the point of delivery to the birds. He knows lack of vigilance can turn the system from a source of life-giving water to a breeding ground for pathogens. Farmers who use enclosed watering systems generally experience better results than those who use open systems or catch cups. read more >
Wet litter problems relate to host-microbiota interactions
Wet litter is of major concern in broiler production because of its negative impact on animal health, welfare and production performance. Poor litter quality stimulates the incidence and severity of foot pad lesions which, in turn, induce pain and discomfort to the animal. As foot pad lesions are proposed as one of the main welfare indicators in the EU Broiler Directive, the severity of foot pad dermatitis in broilers will limit stocking density in the future.
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Less environmental effects from granulated litter
Poultry litter granulation supports the sustainable use of this organic resource as a fertiliser, especially when materials are added during granulation that increase the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio closer to crop requirements. read more >
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