Poultry behaviour and welfare Dr. László Kovács University of Veterinary Medicine Department of Animal Hygiene, Herd Health and Mobile Clinic 2019 Domestic fowl and turkey behaviour and welfare Dr. László Kovács University of Veterinary Medicine Department of Animal Hygiene, Herd Health and Mobile Clinic 2019 • Konrad Lorenz discovered many analogies between summer geese and human family and social life. He proved that not only us, humans have subjective experience but also, like all higher animals, also the geese. (Source: Festetics A.: Konred Lorenz világa, 2005) Lecture thematics

• General introduction to bird behavior and animal welfare • Taxonomy of poultry • Biological characteristics of poultry • Some biological features are important from a practical point of view • Nutritional behavior • Social behavior will be emailed to the grade contact student / course contact student till 15th of Nov. will be emailed to the grade contact student / course contact student till 15th of Nov.

Classification of Poultry (taxonomy)

Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrata) Class: Aves (Aves) Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae Family: Anseridae Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Subfamily: Phasianiae Subfamily: Meleagridinae Subfamily: Numidiane Order: Columbae Family: Classification of Poultry (taxonomy)

Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrata) Class: Aves (Aves) Order: Anseriformes Family: Anatidae Genus: Anas: A. platyrhynchos domesticus Family: Anseridae Genus: Anser: Anser anser domestica Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Subfamily: Phasianiae Genus: Gallus: Gallus gallus domesticus Subfamily: Meleagridinae Genus: Meleagris: Meleagris gallopavo Subfamily: Numidiane Order: Columbae Family: Columbidae The biological characteristics of poultry Skeletal systam Muscular system Cutaneous organ, integument Digestive system Respiratory system Renal system Reproductive system, egg formation, oviposition, laying, broodiness Endocrine system Érzékszervek (vision, hearing, taste, touch/cutaneous sensitivity, olfaction, heat detection) etc. Day-old chick: 42 g Slaughtered : 2800 g

66-fold increase body weight gain during 6 weeks Day-old poult: 50 g Reared turkey: 3000 g

60-fold increase body weight gain during 6 weeks Dy-old poult: 50 g Slaughtered female: 13 000 g Slaughtered male: 21 000 g

260-fold increase body weight gain during 14 weeks (female)

420-fold increase body weight gain during 21 weeks (toms)

Featured topics from biological characteristics –

Broodiness Moulting/Shedding Vision Hearing – Voices Taste Touch, cutaneous sensitivity Olfaction Heat detection Featured topics from biological characteristics – Broodiness/Nesting • Def .: A complex process under the control of the nervous system and endocrine systems for laying, incubating, hatching eggs. • The most typical for females • It is accompanied by characteristic physiological changes and specific behavioral patterns • "Hatching/nesting spot" • Its appearing, duration and date vary by breed Featured topics from biological characteristics – Moulting/Shedding • At the end of the egg laying cycle • Artificial moulting/shedding Featured topics from biological characteristics – Moulting/Shedding Moulting is the process of shedding and renewing feathers. During the moult the reproductive physiology of the bird is allowed a complete rest from laying and the bird builds up its body reserves of nutrients. Special moulting of turkey: • "virgine moulting" at 3rd weeks of age (threaded feathers on head and neck, down on feather feathers) • ("Throwing red" at week 5-7 - skin wrinkles, very sensitive) • 8-12th weeks the second moulting • third moulting at exhausted birds, in poor light conditions in adulthood (Aug-Sep, Jun-Jul) Featured topics from biological characteristics – Vision • The chicken embryo responds to the light effect from the day 17th of hatching/incubating • Birds can distinguish colors well • Shape is more important than color • Color preferences • Lighting programme in the barns Featured topics from biological characteristics – Hearing - Vocalisation • No external ear • Excellent hearing • Chicks chirping Featured topics from biological characteristics – Taste • Well-developed sense of taste • They are able to distinguish between strong flavors • Geese are most sensitive to flavors Featured topics from biological characteristics – Cutaneous sensitivity • prefer to tactile stimuli to select feed • The most important of the tactile characteristics is the size of the feed Featured topics from biological characteristics – Olfaction • Relatively underdeveloped • So far, there is little scientific experience Featured topics from biological characteristics – Heat detection, thermoregulation • It is highly developed and especially important for intensive • Ambient temperature - water temperature • Day-old reception - vs - Natural conditions (under the hen/hatching bird) • Ducks are more sensitive to warm water than hens Featured topics from biological characteristics – Heat detection, thermoregulation Featured topics from biological characteristics – Heat detection, thermoregulation Featured topics from biological characteristics – Heat detection, thermoregulation Featured topics from biological characteristics – Heat detection, thermoregulation Featured topics from biological characteristics – Heat detection, thermoregulation Featured topics from biological characteristics – Heat detection, thermoregulation Feeding behaviour • Interrelationship between to the visual and the tactile stimuli • Interrelationship between to the taste and the tactile stimuli • Factors influencing feed selection and feed intake • Practical aspects of feed consumption of hens • Drinking behaviour Feeding behaviour • Specific order of importance of the role of the senses in feed selection • In humans: taste perception is the primary, • For birds: vision is a priority at choosing the feed (but this is not an exclusive and categorical rule) Feeding behaviour – Interrelationship between to the visual and the tactile stimuli

• Hatched day-old birds feed-chossing: • Picture of the starter feed (crumble) • Structure of beak • The diameter of pharynx/throat

Beak size and preferred feed of different poultry species – Curints (1954)

Beak size Size of length height width capacity preferred feed (mm)

Day-old lapwing

Day-old chicken

Day-old poult Feeding behaviour – Interrelationship between to the visual and the tactile stimuli Feeding behaviour – Interrelationship between to the taste and the tactile stimuli

• Insignificant importance at poultry farming • : Consuming green plants Feeding behaviour – Factors influencing feed selection and feed intake Student presentation topic! • Inherited behavior • Hunger, appetite • Changes of the prefering of the types of feed • Energy content of feed

Feeding behaviour – Practical aspects of feed consumption of hens • Feed intake movements • Changes in feed intake intensity • Feeding of day - old chicks Feeding behaviour – Drinking behaviour • Frequency and daily distribution in close correlation by feeding behaviour Social behaviour

• Behaviour of the chicken embryo • Behaviour of the day-old chicks • Artificial environmental technological factors affecting the development of day-old chicks • Behavior of the young birds • The fighting/struggeling mode • Behavior of adult roosters Student presentation topic! • Behaviour of the capons • Behaviour of the hens • Duel/fightining of the roosters • Sexual behavior • Laying of eggs • Hatching/Incubation • Adaptation to poultry farm management • Binding to the nest • Impact of technological factors on hen behavior Social behaviour – The fighting/struggeling mode

Fighting chicks before sexual maturity – Videl (1970) Bogner-Grauvogl (1984) Social behaviour – Duel/fightining of the roosters Social behaviour – Sexual behavior

Courting and mating behavior of roosters Social behaviour – Sexual behavior

Lighting

Feed consumption

day

/

hour

, ,

time Lighting

Weeks of rearing (weeks of age) Lighting and feeding program (example) at the first 30 weeks of rearing (Rafai, 1999) Social behaviour – Artificial insemination of the turkeys Social behaviour – Artificial techniques of poultry insemination

Massage of back and abdomen of Rooster semen collecting rooster before semen collecting

Duck semen collecting Artifical insemination of a hen Social behaviour – Adaptation to poultry farm management • Poultry management with litter • Poultry management with cages • Poultry management with individual and/or extensive type • Aggression (see at: Abnormal behaviors) Social behaviour – Binding to the nest • Prefer for less lightened nests • Nest eggs - Litter eggs • Group - Individual nest • Cannibalism (placing nests in the less lit part of the barn) Social behaviour – Impact of technological (management) factors on hen behavior • Artificial lighting, lighting programs, sleeping periods • Intensive feed intake already 4-8 hours after hatching

Stocking density, group size, spacing behaviour • Different for each bird species • Needs to take into consideration: • Bird species / Hibdrid type space requirements (technology requirements, guidelines) • Number of feeders, drinkers (- manufacturer's recommendations) • Other factors (season, customer requirements, etc.) Day old poults reception • K. Lorenz in 1973 at the award of the Nobel Prize.

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Képek forrása: https://cdn1.spiegel.de/images/image-610445-860_poster_16x9-jyrn-610445.jpg és https://wjc.imgix.net/production/news/image/28381/konrad_lorenz.jpg?ixlib=rails-3.0.2&w=1200&h=780&fit=crop&q=60&auto=format&trim=auto&lossless=true&s=651e31b74fafe89ead4c877c18ad4898 Thank you for your attention! Literature, obligatory and suggested reading:

Obligatory literature: • P.L.M. Van Horne - T.J. Achterbosch: Animal welfare in poultry production systems: impact of European Union standards on world trade (2008) • Christine Janet Nicol és Anna Davies: Poultry welfare in developing countries Suggested reading: • Michael C. A. – Joy A. M. – Barry O. H.: Poultry Behaviour and Welfare, CABI Publishing, 2003 • Poultry-Hub: Poultry behaviour: http://www.poultryhub.org/production/husbandry-management/poultry- behaviour/ • Farm health online: Poultry Behaviour: https://www.farmhealthonline.com/health-welfare/poultry/poultry-behaviour/ • Joy A. Mench (eds.): Advances in Poultry Welfare (2018)