Developing appropriate environmental enrichment strategies for broiler breeders

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Ethology
• Poultry Husbandry

Background:

• Broiler breeder welfare requires effective environmental enrichment.
• Current housing often lacks adequate enrichment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the use and preference for different environmental enrichments in commercial broiler breeder housing.
• To identify optimal enrichment types for perching, pecking, and dust bathing behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Three types of perches (platform, round metal, rubber-coated metal) were tested.
• Three types of pecking enrichments (reflective and non-reflective gazing balls) were evaluated.
• Dust bathing substrates (oat hulls, sawdust, mix) were assessed.
• Behavioral observations were conducted via video analysis throughout a 44-week production cycle.

Main Results:

• Platform perches were preferred over round perches; rubber-coated perches were preferred over metal perches until late lay.
• Perching behavior peaked at night and decreased with increasing linear space per bird (above 23 cm).
• All gazing ball types attracted interest, though pecking rates declined over the production cycle.
• Existing litter supported adequate dust bathing, making supplemental areas unnecessary.

Conclusions:

• Platform perches and suspended gazing balls are suitable environmental enrichments for broiler breeder housing.
• Enrichment preferences can change throughout the production cycle.
• Space allowance influences perching behavior, indicating a potential capacity limit.