Alternative housing systems for laying hens provide mechanical loading and help reduce bone loss. Moreover, achieving greater peak mass during pullet phase can be crucial to prevent fractures in the production period. The aim of this study was determine system effects on quality pullets. Tibiae humeri White Leghorn pullets reared conventional cages (CCs) a cage-free aviary (AV) were studied. At 16 wk, 120 birds at random from each euthanized. Right left tibiae collected further analyzed....

Hen housing for commercial egg production continues to be a societal and regulatory concern. Controlled studies have examined various aspects of safety, but comprehensive assessment hen systems in the US has not been conducted. The current study is part holistic, multidisciplinary comparison diverse conventional cage, enriched colony cage-free aviary focuses on environmental microbiology. Environmental swabs eggshell pools were collected from all during 4 periods. Total aerobes coliforms...

Keel bone damage, which presents as fractures and/or deviations of the keel, has been detected in laying hens housed all types systems. Factors leading to keel damage with limited vertical space, such those furnished systems, are not well understood, and topic this study. Ten focal from each 12 cages (4 rooms 3 cages) were fitted mounted tri-axial accelerometers. Their behavior was video recorded continuously over two 3-wk trials: first when between 52 60 wk age, second approximately 20...

Though circular exercise is commonly used in equestrian disciplines, it may be at the detriment of horses’ musculoskeletal system. To investigate effects on bone and joint health, 42 lambs were randomly assigned to a non-exercised control, straight-line, small circle, or large circle regime slow (1.3 m/s) fast (2.0 speed for 12 wk. Blood samples taken biweekly. Animals humanely euthanized upon study completion, fused third fourth metacarpals collected biomechanical testing density analysis....

Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts 01545, U.S.A. (Received 8 November 1974) Oestrogens have been found to stimulate prolactin release in the rat (Chen & Meites, 1970) and increases circulation reported be essential maintenance growth of dimethylbenz(α)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary carcinomata (Pearson, Molina, Butler, Llerena Nasr, 1972). Non-steroidal anti-oestrogens retard DMBA-induced carcinoma (Schulz, Haselmayer Hölzel, 1971; Terenius, 1971) one...

The housing of laying hens is important for social, industrial, and regulatory aspects. Many studies have compared hen systems on the research farm, but few fully examined commercial management strategies. current study housed in cage-free aviary, conventional cage, enriched colony cage systems. Environmental eggshell pool samples were collected from selected cages/segments throughout production cycle monitored Salmonella Campylobacter prevalence. At 77 wk age, 120 per system colonization...

Many laying hen companies in the United States are pledging to move away from intensive conventional cages extensive housing systems. Enriched colony (ECC) a practical alternative cage Scientific research is limited on effects of ECC production and welfare. Therefore, objective this study was evaluate stocking density welfare performance with overall outcome provide guidance for ECC. At 16 wk, W-36 pullets were placed into 2 commercial Within each enclosure, hens allocated 1 6 densities: A)...

The rapid growth meat birds, including ducks, undergo requires skeletal integrity; however, fast may not be conducive to adequate bone structure. A relationship likely exists between changes and duck mobility. Reduced mobility in ducks have impacts on welfare production. This study examined the relationships among gait score, parameters, hip angle. Commercial Pekin ages 14 d (n = 100), 21 32 100) were weighed scored with a 3-point score system by an observer as they walked over Tekscan...

Management choices during the pullet phase can affect behavior, welfare, and health later in life, but few studies have evaluated phase, particularly extensive housing systems. This study was a 2 × factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two strains stocking densities. The Lohmann LB-Lite LSL-Lite were housed on floor at high-stocking density (619–670 cm2/bird) low-stocking (1249–1352 cm2/bird), which changed age from to 16 weeks of (WOA). Bird-based measures appearance, blood...

Laying hen skeletal health continues to be an industry priority. Bone ash and bone Ca quantification in laying long bones provides valuable information on health. Unfortunately, these measurements can only accomplished by sacrificing hens, thus making longitudinal the same impossible. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT), used with a calcium hydroxyapatite phantom, has been determine density of wings legs as well live hens throughout production cycle scanning phantom. QCT also scan cycle....

Damage to the keel bone is a major issue in laying hen industry. The goal of this study was compare palpation results live hens digital computed tomography (CT) images, assess changes reliability as training and familiarity increased, examine morphology over time. longitudinal consisted 2 trials 3 observation periods using 40 different (n = 120) W-36 housed enriched colony cages. first trial began when were 52 58 wk age repeating same birds 74 81 age. At age, each hen's palpated by single...

Previous research has determined that maintaining young animals in stalls is detrimental to their bone health, while the addition of 50 82-m sprints 5 d/week aids counteracting reduction strength from confinement. The current aims determine if 1 or 3 sprinting affords same benefits as compared confined with no sprinting. Twenty-four Holstein bull calves were obtained Michigan State University Dairy Cattle Teaching and Research Center. At 9 wk age, randomly assigned treatments 1, 3, sprint...

More than 90% of the commercial egg production in United States is pledged to be cage-free systems by 2025. Management practices like induced molting and litter area management have come under scrutiny because housing system change. The aim this study was determine welfare implications different substrates also evaluate hens a system. Bovan White were housed multi-tier aviary with daily access open either Astroturf (AT), wood shavings (SH), or straw (ST) bare concrete floor (CO) serving as...

Keel bone damage may be painful to birds and affect their production. In order better understand the frequency, position, timepoint of keel that occur during production, integrity W-36 laying hen bones housed in enriched colony cages at 748.4 cm2 (116 in2) was evaluated. At four time points, 120 (10 per cage; three each rooms) had Each placed a motion limiting restraint, scanned using computed tomography (CT), fitted vests containing tri-axial accelerometers, back for 21 d. After d, hens...

Because leg injuries produce welfare concerns and impact production for broilers, numerous interventions have been suggested as potential solutions. One mineral which may affect bone quality is silicon. The objective of this study was to determine if supplementing bioavailable silicon could morphology, mineralization, strength without negatively influencing meat quality. Male broilers were raised from d 1 after hatching until 42 age randomly assigned treatment groups supplementation in...

Keel bone fractures and osteoporosis are prevalent damaging skeletal issues in the laying hen industry. There is a large interest improving quality parameters to reduce or eliminate these conditions, thus bird welfare. Both essential fatty acids (EFA) vitamin D can play role metabolism. The hypothesis of this study was that birds supplemented with lower n-6:n-3 EFA ratio would have improved properties compared control diet. A total 3,520 Lohmann Brown-Lite pullets were used study. Pullets...

Third-generation cephalosporins such as ceftiofur are critically important antibiotics because human pathogens with resistance to these drugs contribute high mortality rates. These also frequently given dairy cattle for treating infections, emphasizing the critical role they play in both and veterinary medicine. To investigate impact of intramuscular treatment on concentration resistant bacteria gut, we focused cows metritis, a common bacterial infection that requires antibiotic...

Footpad dermatitis (FPD), damage and inflammation of the plantar surface foot, is concern for poultry because FPD affects birds' welfare production value. painful causes costly chicken paw downgrades, carcass condemnations, reduced live weights. However, a universal preventative has not been found. The hypothesis was that diets containing orange corn, when compared with yellow or white would reduce severity footpad in broiler chickens on wet litter. When corn contains higher quantities...

Fast growth rate in broiler chickens comes with welfare concerns and the contribution of to pathogen resistance sickness behavior is relatively unknown. The objective this study was evaluate physiological behavioral responses conventional (CONV) slow-growing (SG) male broilers challenged Salmonella Typhimurium. CONV (n = 156) SG chicks were raised a pen wood litter shavings until day 7 age, when birds transferred 24 isolators 11 chicks/isolator). On 14 half 12 isolators) S. Typhimurium (ST)...

Circular exercise is used in many equestrian disciplines and this study aimed to determine if circle diameter impacts juvenile animal forelimb bone joint health. On day 0, 24 calves at 9 weeks of age were assigned the following treatments: small (12 m clockwise), large (18-m treadmill, or non-exercised control. Exercise was initiated 1.1–1.5 m/s for 5 min/d increased min weekly until reaching 30 min/d. 49, synovial fluid collected from multiple joints, cartilage proximal surface fused third...

Disease outbreaks can dramatically impact a producer's production schedule by disrupting the pullet movement into hen house. One alternative is to early molt laying hens as they are coming production. Early molted birds had lower compared controls with no differences in egg weight or components percentages. Bird welfare impacts were minimal result of molt. This management practice could be employed allow pullets held minimizing disruptions disease outbreak.