Effects of flooring systems and perch cooling on growth performance, behavior, and meat quality in broiler chickens...

This study evaluated the combined effects of flooring type and perch cooling on broiler growth performance, meat quality, and behavior under high ambient temperature conditions. In a 3 × 2 factorial design, 234 male Ross 308 broilers were reared on plastic-grid flooring (PF), zeolite-amended litter (Z), or wood shavings (WS), with cooled or non-cooled perches. Performance was recorded per pen; meat quality traits were measured individually and analyzed using pen means; behavior was assessed using video-based scan sampling. Flooring type affected body weight only at 7 d of age (P = 0.037), whereas cumulative feed intake was consistently higher in broilers reared on PF throughout the experimental period (P < 0.05). Feed conversion ratio differed among flooring systems during the early rearing period and over 0-35 d (P ≤ 0.007), with broilers reared on Z showing improved feed efficiency compared with PF, while WS yielded intermediate responses. Behavioral responses were mainly influenced by flooring type, as broilers reared on PF showed higher walking (P = 0.019), wing flapping (P = 0.003), aggression (P = 0.049), eating (P = 0.002), and drinking behavior (P = 0.043), together with reduced pecking behavior (P = 0.001), compared with litter-based systems. Perch cooling reduced observed eating (P = 0.010) and drinking behavior (P = 0.040). In meat quality analyses, perch cooling affected water-holding capacity (P = 0.004), cooking loss (P = 0.001), and breast meat lightness (P = 0.001), whereas flooring type affected ultimate pH (P = 0.035), with a significant flooring type × perch cooling interaction detected for ultimate pH (P = 0.004). Overall, flooring systems and perch cooling influenced broiler chickens through largely independent yet complementary pathways under high ambient temperature conditions. Flooring type primarily affected behavioral organization and feed utilization, whereas perch cooling selectively modulated postmortem meat quality and the temporal organization of ingestive behavior.