Chickens, Turkeys and Breeders Code update: priority welfare issues for the Scientific Committee report

The Code Committee and Scientific Committee collectively identified the following list of priority welfare issues. The Scientific Committee is developing a synthesis of research on these topics, and their report will provide valuable information to the Code Committee as they update the Code of Practice. 

Production Traits & Welfare

• effects of genetics/growth rate on welfare, including lameness, foot & leg/bone health, cardiovascular problems, breast muscle myopathies, & production
• non-genetic methods of altering production traits and/or slowing growth & its effect on welfare

Enrichment

• effects of adding environmental enrichments on leg health & behaviour (specifically activity levels in broilers/turkeys & injurious pecking in turkeys)
• quality & quantity of enrichments

Hatchery Practices & On-farm Hatching

• feeding in the hatchery and/or during transport, including interruption of feeding from hatchery to placement
• welfare & management implications of on-farm hatching, including euthanasia of unhatched and/or partially hatched eggs
• embryo transport
• light, daylength, spectrum on feeding & vaccine intake in hatcheries

Feeding Programs for Breeders

• use of precision feeding, alternative diets, and/or alternative feeding schedules & their effect on welfare & behaviour
• impact of alternative genetics on signs of hunger for broiler breeders

Euthanasia

• routine, on-farm culling methods for turkeys, broilers, & breeders

Lighting

• include research on light intensity, variable light intensity, colour spectrum, daylength for turkeys & broilers, & flickering for turkeys (incl. differences due to strain)
• effect on welfare (including lameness, blood biochemistry)

Stocking Density

• differences in stocking density depending on final growth weight (broilers & turkeys)