environment for broilers using a laser device
PHOTO: PIXABAY
What we see today in modern broiler production is a fasting growing broiler that is usually susceptible to leg disorders and inactivity towards market weight. Devices or strategies that improve environmental enrichment might motivate broilers for better movement and feeding, all contributing to improved welfare.
MATTHEW WEDZERAI, INDEPENDENT CORRESPONDENT T
he selection for increased growth rate contributes to about 30% of modern commercial broilers suffering from leg lameness. Lameness contributes to de- creased time standing or walking. This inactivity in-
creases bird-litter contact, resulting in breast blisters and foot lesions due to contact dermatitis. Dermatitis is painful and could compromise broiler performance and welfare. In a bid to improve broiler activity and performance, researchers at Iowa State University have recently published interesting re- sults of their research on the use of a laser device to enrich broiler environment; their findings are discussed here.
The laser device and set-up The laser device aimed at stimulating broilers visually and motivate physical movement through increased walking dis- tance and improved walking ability. This was done by slowly
moving small particle-sized red laser dots projected onto broiler pen floors throughout the rearing period as special environment enrichment. A total of 10 novel laser enrichment devices designed and built specifically for this research were affixed over 20 pens, and the other 20 pens as control. Each device was designed and calibrated to cover two adjoining pens. Seven laser and seven control pens, with five focal birds/pen, were randomly selected to be video-recorded from day 0 to 8 and once weekly for the 6-week trial period. These focal birds had wing bands and were colour-marked (red, blue, green, purple, and black). The enrichment device consisted of two independent red 650 nm lasers contained within a 20.5 by 20.5 cm metal box with a glass bottom mounted on a custom-designed structure made of 3 wooden beams (2.4 m height) raised above the pens. The lasers projected in a random pattern at a range of 7.6 to 30.5 cm/s onto the pen floor for 4-min “laser periods”:
▶ SUSTAINABILITY AND WELFARE | OCTOBER 2020 37
Enriching the
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