Effects of slatted floor and slow growing broilers on growth performance, animal welfare and behaviour, foot health and production economics
Tez Türü: Doktora
Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi, VETERİNER FAKÜLTESİ, ZOOTEKNİ VE HAYVAN BESLEME, Türkiye
Tez Danışmanı: Metin Petek
Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2018
Tezin Dili: Türkçe
Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
Desteklendiği Program: Diğer
Özet:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of genotype and floor housing type on broiler growth performance, animal welfare and behaviour, foot health and production economics. In the study, slow growing (Hubbard JA57) and fast growing (Ross 308) broilers with slatted floor and deep litter were used, so there were four main groups (2x2) and each main group was consisted of 5 replicates. Each replicates was consisted of 10 male chicks so 200 birds were used in total. The experimet was lasted for 8 weeks. live weight gain, feed consumption and death birds were recorded throughout the experiment. Behavioural reacording was started on week 4 and lasted until the end of experiment. The welfare parameters were recorded on week 6, 7 and 8; 10 chicks from each group were slaughtered and sent to laboratory of pathology for histopathological exemination. Variable costs of each group and its percentages within total costs were calculated, gross profit and profitability were calculated in order to analyse economic performance. As expected, growth performance of fast growing broiler was found to be better that slower growings and the effect of floor type on growth performance was found to be insignificant. Welfare paarmeters were found to be poorer in fast growing broilers and in deep litter system. Standing behaviour of the birds was more frequent in slow growing broilers and floor type had no effect on the behaviour. According to histopathological findings, foot pad and hock joint dermatitis were found to be frequent in deep litter group, however, artritis rate were higher in slatted floor group at the end of the experiment. In general, slow growing genoypes were found to be better in terms of economic benefit. As a result of this study, eventhough fast growing broilers had a better production performance, slower growing broilers had a better economic performance at the end of the experiment. The welfare of the birds raised in slatted floor was better in in ideal slaughter age and slaughter weight though some foot health and carcass problems may occur in older ages especially in fast growing broilers.