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Environmental Complexity and Reduced Stocking Density Promote Positive Behavioral Outcomes in Broiler Chickens.

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Environmental complexity positively impacts broiler chicken behavior, increasing foraging and activity. However, high stocking density reduces resource access and activity, with some benefits persisting as birds age.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Avian Science
  • Poultry Husbandry

Background:

  • Understanding broiler chicken behavior is crucial for welfare and productivity.
  • Environmental enrichment and stocking density are key factors influencing behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effects of environmental complexity (high vs. low) and stocking density (high vs. low) on Ross 708 broiler chicken behaviors.
  • To assess how these factors influence activity, foraging, preening, and other behaviors throughout the birds' growth stages.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized eight pens with controlled high complexity (HC) or low complexity (LC) environments and high density (HD) or low density (LD).
  • Employed focal-animal sampling to continuously record behavior frequency and duration over 5-minute intervals at weeks 2, 4, and 7.
  • Analyzed data on activity levels, foraging, preening, dustbathing, play, and perching.

Main Results:

  • Birds in HC environments exhibited greater overall activity, preening, and foraging compared to LC environments.
  • HD led to more frequent but not longer active periods, with reduced foraging, drinking, and eating, indicating potential resource access issues.
  • Activity decreased with age, while preening frequency increased, suggesting potential frustration; perching motivation remained consistent.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental complexity positively stimulates broiler behavior, including foraging, locomotion, preening, and overall activity.
  • Low stocking density appears beneficial, facilitating resource access and activity.
  • The positive effects of environmental complexity and low density are observed even as birds age, despite overall activity reduction.