Infrared thermography applied to the evaluation of metabolic heat loss of chicks fed with different energy densities

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Some aspects of chicken behavior and welfare

Brazil is the world leader in broiler production and export. It achieved this position mainly to its excellent supply chain structure and climate, which favor poultry and grain production throughout its territory. Although Brazilian egg production is not as important as broiler production, this segment presents great potential of increasing its share in the global market. However, as elsewhere in the world, Brazilian poultry production faces the challenge to balance two elements within its supply chain: cruelty and productivity. The consumers of the European Union (EU) are very concerned with animal welfare issues. In order to increase its share in the European market, and eventually in the world market, Brazilian poultry producers must understand the effects of production systems on poultry welfare, and try to develop systems that are suited for its climate and other production conditions. There is a consensus that the natural behaviors performed by poultry in intensive production systems allow better welfare. This objective of this review is to present scientific research studies that relate different behaviors to chicken welfare. Poultry behavior is a reflex of their welfare status at a particular moment, and it is related to internal (physiological) and external (environmental) factors. Several natural behaviors that favor welfare, as well as undesirable behaviors, may be stimulated by environmental enrichment. The correct interpretation of the behaviors expressed by poultry, including their frequency, duration, and sequence, may be used to estimate their welfare. Animal production is an import sector of Brazilian economy. It significantly contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in terms of products destined both to domestic consumption and exports. New technologies applied to products and management practices have been developed for field application, aiming at improving producers' productivity and profitability. In order to comply with the European Union's (EU) guidelines for animal protein production, Brazilian poultry production needs to undergo a process of adaptation. In May, 2007, the EU Commission established its new guidelines for animal welfare in poultry production, pressured by consumer demand. In the EU, there is a growing concern among consumers as to how poultry are reared and slaughtered. European consumers are in the fore front of the demand of high quality products produced with under better welfare conditions, and have spread this concern throughout the world. Beaumont et al. (2010) mentioned that European consumers frequently perceive that standard commercial poultry production has poor animal welfare practices. According to Nääs et al. (2008), Brazilian poultry production today needs to find a balance between cruelty and productivity. In fact, ensuring animal welfare may provide better financial results, as it increases the producer's profit margins and allows maintaining Brazilian chicken export quotas to the EU. França (2008) noted that biological studies that define ethical limits and guidelines for poultry production foster the development of new production practices that may ensure good product quality and productivity without putting bird welfare at risk. Gonyou (1994) states that, when animal welfare started to be studied, the only behavioral factors considered were those related to feeding and reproduction. These first studies used as indicators of animal welfare reduced life expectancy, impaired growth, impaired reproduction, body damage, disease, immunosuppression, adrenal activity, behavior anomalies, and self-narcotization (Broom, 1991). However, current studies evaluate additional indicators, such as natural behaviors, behavioral needs, preferences, behavioral problems, emotional state, cognitive abilities, etc. In the field of ethology, the expression of natural behavior is a frequently used tool used to estimate the welfare of poultry destined to human consumption. According to Bracke & Hopster (2006), natural behavior can be defined as the behavior the animal normaly presents when exposed to conditions similar to its natural habitat. Natural behaviors are pleasurable and promote biological functions that are meaningful to the animal's welfare. The definition of natural behavior, though, does not include the bird's behavior when sick, in flight or during aggression, since these are not considered pleasurable situations. Considering layer behavioral needs in the design of housing facilities optimize their welfare. Mishra et al. (2005) verified that ISA Brown layers spent, during 24 hours, around 97% of the time in the nest, feeding, walking, resting, or dust bathing, and that 57% of these behaviors did not depend on environmental enrichment. It was also observed that hens had preferred behavioral sequences, which included foraging and comfort behaviors, such as wing-stretching and preening. The present review aims at discussing, albeit not exhaustively, scientific research studies on the behavior of Gallusgallus domesticus and its relationship to welfare. The following behaviors are reviewed: feather pecking, scratching, dust bathing, nesting, locomotion activities, and aggressive behaviors. These behaviors are the most frequently observed in commercial broiler, broiler breeder, and layer farming, and therefore, monitoring their incidence may contribute to measure poultry welfare.

Structural enrichment reduces aggression in Tilapia rendalli

Environmental enrichment seeks to improve the behavior of captive animals. Few studies have developed enrichment strategies for fish, particularly for use in aquaculture. Environmental enrichment for territorial and aggressive animals has the potential to increase both the amount of defensible resources and the value of a disputed territory which can increase the level of aggression. This study evaluated this hypothesis for the redbreast tilapia, Tilapia rendaIli. We used a short-term approach for evaluation of fish aggressive behavior by recording it for 30 min after introduction of a pair of fish into each experimental aquarium. Our main finding was that the latency to start a fight was lower in an enriched environment, but the frequency of attacks was higher in a non-enriched environment (control). Furthermore, we observed clear hierarchical behavior (submissive dark stripes on the body and dominant light-colored bodies without stripes) only in the non-enriched environment. Structural enrichment of the environment for redbreast tilapia leads to decreased aggression and cohabitation without hierarchical dominance. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Mild diabetes models and their maternal-fetal repercussions

The presence of diabetes in pregnancy leads to hormonal and metabolic changes making inappropriate intrauterine environment, favoring the onset of maternal and fetal complications. Human studies that explore mechanisms responsible for changes caused by diabetes are limited not only for ethical reasons but also by the many uncontrollable variables. Thus, there is a need to develop appropriate experimental models. The diabetes induced in laboratory animals can be performed by different methods depending on dose, route of administration, and the strain and age of animal used. Many of these studies are carried out in neonatal period or during pregnancy, but the results presented are controversial. So this paper, addresses the review about the different models of mild diabetes induction using streptozotocin in pregnant rats and their repercussions on the maternal and fetal organisms to propose an adequate model for each approached issue. © 2013 D. C. Damasceno et al.

Caracterização do transporte rodoviário de bovinos de corte e efeitos no bem-estar animal e na qualidade as carcaças

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Insensibilização de frangos de corte em atmosfera controlada na promoção do bem estar animal: Diego Augusto Bitencourt. -

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação de programas de treinamento em manejo racional de bovinos em frigoríficos para melhoria do bem-estar animal

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Strategies to improve the efficiency of genomic selection in animal breeding programs

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Bem-estar animal e suas implicações na qualidade da carne bovina: diagnóstico da situação nos segmentos iniciais da cadeia produtiva no Estado de Mato Grosso

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeito de sistemas silvipastoris no conforto térmico e nos índices zootécnicos de bezerros bubalinos criados na Amazônia Oriental

Sistemas silvipastoris são alternativas para aliar conforto animal a índices produtivos mais elevados, principalmente em regiões de clima tropical, como a Amazônia, onde o estresse calórico é constante. Este trabalho teve como objetivo propor uma metodologia para criação de bezerros bubalinos em sistema silvipastoril na Amazônia Oriental, capaz de conferir conforto térmico e maior capacidade de desenvolvimento aos animais. O experimento foi realizado na Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, em Belém–PA, região de tipo climático Afi, em dois períodos do ano: Período menos chuvoso (abril/2007 a setembro/2007) e Período mais chuvoso, (outubro/2007 a março/2008). Os bezerros foram inseridos no Sistema Silvipastoril 1 (SSP1; n=10), com área de sombreamento útil nas pastagens, ou no Sistema Silvipastoril 2 (SSP2; n=9), com pouco sombreamento e um lago para banho. Foram aferidas variáveis fisiológicas, dados morfométricos, e calculados o ITU e o ICB, para os dois SSPs nos dois períodos do ano, e comparados pelo Teste F (P<0,05). O ITU mostrou “nível de alerta” durante os dois períodos experimentais (Período 1: 78,9±3,7 e Período 2: 77,5±3,5). A FR ficou acima dos níveis considerados normais, com amplitude de 32,2±9,2 a 56,5±19,0 mov/min. A TR (38,3±0,26 a 39,3±0,38 °C) e a FC (64,6±15,2 a 76,6±13,9 bat/min) estiveram dentro dos padrões normais para bubalinos. A temperatura da pele ficou entre 23,6±8,3 e 31,7±5,4 °C. Os ICBs no SSP1 ficaram na faixa de 2,46±0,33 a 3,31±0,62 e no SSP2 estiveram entre 2,42±0,30 a 3,45±0,66 (P>0,05). O ganho de peso dos bezerros nos dois sistemas silvipastoris estudados foi considerado excelente (0,917±0,4 a 1,052±0,5 kg/dia), bem como o desenvolvimento ponderal, considerados bem superiores à média encontrada para búfalos. O sombreamento das pastagens forneceu tanto conforto aos bezerros quanto a água para banho, além de agregar valor a propriedade e preservar os ecossistemas aquáticos amazônicos.

Influência do sistema de aspersão e tempo de descnaso de suínos sobre o bem-estar e a qualidade da carne

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Bem estar animal no transporte e a influência na qualidade da carne suína

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Evaluation of a commercially available organic acid product on body weight loss, carcass yield, and meat quality during preslaughter feed withdrawal in broiler chickens: A poultry welfare and economic perspective

The effect of a commercial organic acid (OA) product on BW loss (BWL) during feed withdrawal and transportation, carcass yield, and meat quality was evaluated in broiler chickens. Two experiments were conducted in Brazil. Commercial houses were paired as control groups receiving regular water and treated groups receiving OA in the water. Treated birds had a reduction in BWL of 37 g in experiment 1 and 32.2 g in experiment 2. In experiment 2, no differences were observed in carcass yield between groups. Estimation of the cost benefit suggested a 1: 16 ratio by using the OA. In experiment 3, conducted in Mexico, significant differences on water consumption, BWL, and meat quality characteristics were observed in chickens that were treated with the OA (P < 0.05). These data suggest this OA product may improve animal welfare and economic concerns in the poultry industry by reducing BWL and improving meat quality attributes.

Qualidade do manejo no frigorífico: efeitos no bem-estar animal e na qualidade da carcaça e da carne

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

O bem-estar animal: como avaliá-lo e promovê-lo

The traffic of wild animals can be identified as the main cause of finding captive animals in zoos and sorting centers in Brazil. The maintenance of these animals in captivity is usually justified by the prevention of total loss of individuals of that specie, if it becomes extinct in the wild, and also, the importance of these subjects in studies of basic biology of the species. Keeping animals in captivity environment brings the need to ensure the welfare of them. The high population density and limited space are some of the possible stressors that these individuals face in capivity. Even the low pressure feeding and food easily available could be stressors, since they change the budget activities typical of the specie, causing sedentary behavior and sometimes depression. The captive environment and activities related to it (handling, transport, social change and social isolation) could compromise the animal welfare. Reduction in life expectancy, impaired growth and reproduction, personal injury, illness, immunosuppression, exacerbated adrenal activity and abnormal behavior, are events often lonked to compromised welfare. Hence, assessment and promoter methods are used to provide the welfare to captive animals. The assessment can be made by hormonal and/or behavioral measures. Both are extremely important, and usually are used in combination, to provide more tangible results about the condition of the animal. The promotion of animal welfare can be accomplished through environmental enrichment, a technique which aims to provide a more complex and diverse environment, increasing the possibility of the animal express more natural behavior, or characteristic of the species. Thus, the objective of this dissertation is discuss the importance of animal welfare and the ways this can be evaluated and promoted... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)