Avaliação do bem-estar de aves poedeiras em diferentes sistemas de produção e condições ambientais, utilizando análise de imagens. / Welfare evaluation by image analysis of laying hens in different housing systems and environmental conditions.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2005

RESUMO

The battery cage system is a very polemic issue in European countries, being the most commonly raised concerns focused on the spatial restrictions of the hens, which might compromise important comfort movements affecting their welfare conditions. This work aimed to evaluate aspects related to behavior and welfare of hens comparing a conventional housing system (laying cages in battery) with another system using litter, lair and roost. In addition, the effects of environmental conditions (stress or comfort) on final egg quality and behavior responses (analyzed by precision techniques) were evaluated in different laying hen lines. Two groups of 20 birds (10 Hyline W36 and 10 Hy-line Brown) at the beginning of production phase were submitted to two environmental conditions (26°C with 60% RU or 35°C with 70% RU) and two housing systems (cages in battery or litter) during two consecutive weeks. During the evaluation period, bird behaviors were recorded by video cameras. Total egg production was analyzed according to egg weight, shell thickness, specific gravidity, Haugh unit, yolk colorimetric parameters and shell porosity. Eggs were microbiologically analyzed in order to detect Salmonella sp contamination in yolk and eggshell. A significant (P<0.05) reduction in quality parameters was observed in eggs from laying hens raised under heat stress, mainly in those from laying cage system. In relation to behavior, the housing system in litters proportioned the expression of all natural behaviors and those related to bird comfort, which permitted to improve welfare conditions. In conventional system (laying cages) was verified that birds tried to manifest their natural behavior in spite of lacking condition for it. This impossibility for executing natural behaviors promoted an increase of stress provoked by the housing system. Analyzing both systems and environmental conditions, hens from Hy-Line W36 showed the better performances.

ASSUNTO(S)

eggs linhagem animal processamento animal comportamento animal laying hens ovo – produção animal cama de galinheiro environmental conditions lines sistema de criação animal ave poedeira housing systems animal behavior image analysis cages conforto animal gaiola litter

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