1. Most people in the developed world agree on what 'animal welfare' is, although it is impossible to give it a precise scientific definition. 2. The argument is made that animal welfare is all to do with the feelings of animals and not the primary needs that these feeling have evolved to protect. 3. Acceptance of subjective feelings as a legitimate subject for scientific investigation has a long and well-established history in science. This acceptance was interrupted by the rise of Behaviorism in the 20th century, but now seems to be re-established. 4. Subjective feelings cannot be studied directly. However, in the animal welfare debate, indirect evidence on feelings is extremely useful, and methods for obtaining this indirect evidence are described. 5. The poultry species are capable of feeling several states of suffering including fear, frustration and pain. A start has been made to elucidate these states and the conditions that cause them, but much remains to be done. Recent evidence suggests that the poultry species may also be capable of experiencing pleasure. 6. It is concluded that, although poultry welfare is all to do with the subjective feelings of the birds, it is possible to be objective and scientific about these feelings. Investigation into poultry welfare, therefore, really is science rather than subjectivity.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0007166021000025109 | DOI Listing |
Poult Sci
January 2025
Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, Epidemiology Health and Welfare Unit, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), BP53 22440 Ploufragan, France. Electronic address:
Appropriate disposal of dead farming animals is required to guarantee effective disease control while protecting the environment. In crisis situations, alternatives to rendering can be used, including on-farm burial. The objectives of this study were to: (i) describe the burial and monitoring protocols used on poultry farms in France in response to major avian influenza outbreaks; (ii) assess the effectiveness of the burial protocol, in terms of both technical and biosecurity aspects, and microbiological, physical and chemical changes of the buried materials and the environment over time; (iii) provide recommendations for future burial and follow-up protocols.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Computer Engineering, CCSIT, King Faisal University, Al Hufuf, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The health of poultry flock is crucial in sustainable farming. Recent advances in machine learning and speech analysis have opened up opportunities for real-time monitoring of the behavior and health of flock. However, there has been little research on using Tiny Machine Learning (Tiny ML) for continuous vocalization monitoring in poultry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Med Sci
January 2025
Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
Background: Parasites are a major concern for profitable poultry production worldwide as they impede the health, welfare and production performance of poultry.
Objectives: The present study was designed to detect the diversity of parasitic fauna and associated factors of gastrointestinal (GI) helminths and lice in indigenous chickens.
Methods: A total of 310 indigenous chickens were collected from different villages at Gauripur and Mymensingh Sadar, Mymensingh, and Bangladesh, and various parasites were identified.
BMC Vet Res
January 2025
Specialized Mining Company "Górtech" Sp. z o.o, ul. Wielicka 50, Krakow, 30-552, Poland.
Background: Diatomite is a source of biologically available silicon but in feed industry its insecticide and anti-caking properties have been also widely recognized. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of dietary diatomite-bentonite mixture (DBM) supplementation on the quantitative and qualitative composition of the bacterial microbiome of the broiler chicken gut. The trial was carried out on 960 Ross 308 broiler chickens divided into 2 experimental groups throughout the entire rearing period lasting 6 weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Parasitol
January 2025
Graduate School of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-58 Rinku Orai Kita, Izumisano, Osaka, 598-8531, Japan.
Purpose: Flotation methods are widely used to detect oocysts/cysts of protozoans and eggs of helminths, except trematodes. However, details regarding the concentration and recovery rates of these parasites are poorly understood.
Methods: Using Eimeria tenella oocysts as a model parasite, the present study evaluated three check points: (1) the proportion of parasites that remain floating in flotation solution (sucrose or saturated saline) during centrifugation, (2) the proportion of oocysts that naturally float after addition of flotation solution after centrifugation, and (3) the rate of recovery on cover slips after completion of the flotation protocol.
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