Comparisons of longitudinal radiographic measures of keel bones, tibiotarsal bones, and pelvic bones versus post-mortem measures of keel bone damage in Bovans Brown laying hens housed in an aviary system.

Keel bone damage, include deviations and fractures, is common in both white and brown laying hens, regardless of the housing system. Radiography for assessing birds' keel bones is was proposed by previous studies. However, radiographs show only 2 out of 3 dimensions of the dissected keel bones.

Farmers' Perspectives of the Benefits and Risks in Precision Livestock Farming in the EU Pig and Poultry Sectors.

More efficient livestock production systems are necessary, considering that only 41% of global meat demand will be met by 2050. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic crisis has clearly illustrated the necessity of building sustainable and stable agri-food systems. Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) offers the continuous capacity of agriculture to contribute to overall human and animal welfare by providing sufficient goods and services through the application of technical innovations like digitalization.

Gut microbiota activity in chickens from two genetic lines and with outdoor-preferring, moderate-preferring, and indoor-preferring ranging profiles.

Despite the existing research into the gut microbiome of meat chickens, the associations between gut microbiome composition, its activity and chicken outdoor ranging frequency remain unexplored. The aim of this study was to determine the gut microbiota composition, activity and metabolic products in chickens of 2 different lines and 3 ranging profiles. Sixty non-beak trimmed birds, either Sasso or Green-legged Partridge were housed with access to outdoor ranges from wk.

β-Glucan-Functionalized Nanoparticles Down-Modulate the Proinflammatory Response of Mononuclear Phagocytes Challenged with .

Systemic fungal infections are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and is the most common causative agent. Recognition of yeast cells by immune cell surface receptors can trigger phagocytosis of fungal pathogens and a pro-inflammatory response that may contribute to fungal elimination. Nevertheless, the elicited inflammatory response may be deleterious to the host by causing excessive tissue damage.

Comparison of Behavioral Time Budget and Welfare Indicators in Two Local Laying Hen Genotypes (Atak-S and Atabey) in a Free-Range System.

Free-range systems are considered to improve bird health and welfare, thereby satisfying consumer demands. Behavioral time budget, fear level and clinical welfare indicators were compared for two Turkish laying hen genotypes, Atak-S (brown) and Atabey (white), reared in a free-range system. A total of 420 laying hens (210 Atak-S, 210 Atabey) were studied between 19 and 72 weeks of age.

Behaviour in Slower-Growing Broilers and Free-Range Access on Organic Farms in Sweden.

Two slower-growing hybrids (Rowan Ranger and Hubbard) are currently reared in organic broiler production in Sweden, but knowledge of bird welfare on commercial farms is limited. This study examined chicken behaviour, including free-range use and features of this, in order to enhance knowledge, describe the current situation and identify practical solutions on Swedish organic broiler farms. Eight of 12 available farms were visited once each, when average flock age was 55 ± 6 days.

Associations between neck plumage and beak darkness, as well as comb size measurements and scores with ranging frequency of Sasso and Green-legged Partridge chickens.

Despite the intensive genetic selection in modern poultry, variability of domestic fowl phenotypes has remained, especially in breeds adapted to local conditions. The relevance of this variability to the chicken outdoor ranging activities remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate if external features were associated with the ranging frequency of the 48 female chickens from each of the 2 breeds: Sasso and Green-legged Partridge.

Gastrointestinal Tract Morphometrics and Content of Commercial and Indigenous Chicken Breeds with Differing Ranging Profiles.

Optimal development of the gut is important for nutrient absorption and for poultry to resist diseases. The aim of the study was to compare gastrointestinal tract morphometrics, small intestine microstructure, as well as the amount of pasture matter and feed ingested by the birds with outdoor access presenting either an outdoor-preferring, moderate-outdoor or indoor-preferring ranging profile. Sixty non-beak trimmed birds per strain: broiler hybrid Sasso and Polish indigenous green-legged partridge were housed from week 5 to 10 in groups of 10, under conditions of EU organic meat chicken production.

Associations between weather conditions and individual range use by commercial and heritage chickens.

Ranging area use by domestic poultry is not always optimal and differences in it exist on the levels of breed, flock and individual bird. Outdoor shelters are usually not protective for all weather parameters and may not fulfil a protective role to all birds within the flock all time, if individuals are sensitive to different weather conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate associations between different weather parameters and the use of the range by individual Green-legged Partridge and Sasso C44 chickens.

Effect of Straw Provision in Racks on Tail Lesions, Straw Availability, and Pen Hygiene in Finishing Pigs.

Unfulfilled exploratory behavior in pigs has been linked to tail biting, which causes reduced performance and welfare. Provision of straw can reduce tail biting, but large straw rations can cause poor hygiene in pens. This study examined whether provision of straw in racks, rather than on the pen floor, can enable larger straw rations without compromising hygiene.

Husbandry Conditions and Welfare Outcomes in Organic Egg Production in Eight European Countries.

In the European research project HealthyHens, welfare indicators as well as husbandry and management conditions were recorded in 107 organic laying hen farms in eight countries. Farms were visited at peak and end of lay. Egg production was on average comparable to breeder specifications.

Bird Health, Housing and Management Routines on Swedish Organic Broiler Chicken Farms.

Slower-growing broilers on organic farms have replaced fast-growing hybrids to increase bird welfare. Due to limited knowledge of broiler welfare and management on organic farms in Sweden, the study aim was to gather information regarding health, housing and management routines, in order to describe the current situation on these. Farm visits performed in 2018 included 8 out of 12 established organic farms, on which either Rowan Ranger or HubbardJA57/HubbardJA87 were reared.

Impact of amount of straw on pig and pen hygiene in partly slatted flooring systems.

Background: Straw is a beneficial enrichment material for pigs, shown to improve welfare through reducing tail biting. Straw has previously been identified as one of the means of how to raise pigs without tail docking, through improving natural exploratory behaviour. Straw has however been linked to poor pen hygiene, making farmers reluctant to use straw and has largely not been implemented in commercial farming worldwide.

Dual topography of laminin corona on gallium arsenide nanowires.

Nanowires (NWs) are novel nanomaterials with applications in everything from medical implants to solar cells. With increasing number of applications, it is increasingly likely that organisms are exposed to these materials either intentionally or by accident. It is, therefore, important to study their interactions with biological systems and biomolecules.

Associations between welfare and ranging profile in free-range commercial and heritage meat-purpose chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus).

Despite consumers' belief that access to an outdoor range improves chicken welfare, still little is known about whether this is true and whether individual ranging profiles relate to the birds' welfare. The aim of the present study was to identify and compare welfare issues of the traditional broiler hybrid Sasso and the Polish heritage chicken Green-legged Partridge, having outdoor access, and examine if the birds' welfare status was associated with the ranging profile: outdoor-preferring, moderate-outdoor, and indoor-preferring. In August 2018, 60 non-beak trimmed birds per genetic strain were housed in groups of 10 from weeks 5 to 10, under conditions exceeding EU requirements of organic meat chicken production.

Rearing Pigs with Intact Tails-Experiences and Practical Solutions in Sweden.

Tail biting is a common issue within commercial pig production. It is mainly an indicator of inadequate housing environment and results in reduced health welfare and production. To reduce the impact of tail biting, pigs are commonly tail docked, without pain relief, within the first week of life.

Analysis of complexes formed by small gold nanoparticles in low concentration in cell culture media.

New nanomaterials are constantly developed with applications in everything from cosmetics to high tech electronics. Assessing their biological impact has been done by analysis of their adsorbed protein corona, in vitro cell assays, and larger scale ecotoxicological studies. This has proved to be a huge challenge due to the wide range of available nanomaterials and their unpredictable behaviour in different environments.

Tail Posture as an Indicator of Tail Biting in Undocked Finishing Pigs.

Tail posture (i.e., hanging or curled) has been suggested to be an indicator of tail biting, and hanging tails predisposed to damage.

Nanoplastics formed during the mechanical breakdown of daily-use polystyrene products.

Large amounts of plastics are released into the environment every day. These released plastics have a clearly documented negative effect on wildlife. Much research attention has been given to large plastic pieces and microplastics.

Analysis of nanoparticle biomolecule complexes.

Nanoparticles exposed to biological fluids adsorb biomolecules on their surface forming a biomolecular corona. This corona determines, on a molecular level, the interactions and impact the newly formed complex has on cells and organisms. The corona formation as well as the physiological and toxicological relevance are commonly investigated.

Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture: a comprehensive review.

This review summarises existing evidence on the impact of organic food on human health. It compares organic vs. conventional food production with respect to parameters important to human health and discusses the potential impact of organic management practices with an emphasis on EU conditions.

A survey of straw use and tail biting in Swedish pig farms rearing undocked pigs.

Background: Tail biting is a common problem in intensive pig farming, affecting both welfare and production. Although routine tail docking is banned within the EU, it remains a common practice to prevent tail biting. Straw as environmental enrichment has been proposed as an alternative to tail docking, but its effectiveness against tail biting and function in manure handling systems have to be considered.

Impact of litter size on sow stayability in Swedish commercial piglet producing herds.

Background: Sows' ability to produce an excessive amount of piglets has shaped modern piglet production and there has been a steady increase in litter size during the last decades. This development has caused some negative side-effects, such as an increase in the proportion of stillborn piglets, a decrease in the proportion of weaned piglets and a larger variation in quality of piglets. Swedish commercial piglet producing herds have, like other countries with high production levels, high piglet mortality and high annual removal rate of gilts and sow.