Positive impacts of a covered veranda on broiler chicken welfare
F. Mocz, J-P. Moysan, L. Warin, A. Keita, V. Michel, M. Guinebretière

TL;DR
Adding a covered veranda to broiler chicken housing improves their welfare by encouraging activity and reducing hock burns without affecting growth or health.
Contribution
This study demonstrates that covered verandas enhance broiler welfare through increased activity and reduced hock burns.
Findings
Broilers with veranda access showed lower hock burn prevalence.
Veranda group exhibited more active behaviors compared to the control group.
Veranda usage increased with age and was highest in the morning.
Abstract
In standard broiler production systems, birds do not have outdoor access and spend their entire lives in the same environment. A covered veranda can improve broilers’ living conditions by providing access to different environments and to areas with varying space availability (i.e. different stocking densities), while also allowing them to experience outdoor sensory stimulations and protecting them from predators and the risk of disease. This study aimed to evaluate the welfare and health of broilers with access to a covered veranda. Redbro broilers were randomly assigned to six identical enriched rooms (with elevated platform and alfalfa bales), each containing 2,478 birds (final stocking density of 26 kg/m²). Three rooms had access to a covered veranda from 22 days of age (D22), while the other three had no such access (control). Footpad dermatitis, hock burns and gait were assessed on…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAnimal Nutrition and Physiology · Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies · Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock
