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Methods for assessment of keel bone damage in poultry.
Journal article

Methods for assessment of keel bone damage in poultry.

  • Casey-Trott T Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
  • Heerkens JL Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Animal Sciences Unit - Farm Animal Welfare & Behaviour Research Group, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium.
  • Petrik M Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
  • Regmi P Department of Animal Science, Anthony Hall, 474 S. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA.
  • Schrader L Research Center for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ) Division of Animal Welfare, VPH Institute, University of Bern, Burgerweg 22, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland.
  • Toscano MJ Research Center for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ) Division of Animal Welfare, VPH Institute, University of Bern, Burgerweg 22, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland Michael.toscano@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
  • Widowski T Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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  • 2015-08-20
Published in:
  • Poultry science. - 2015
Hen
bone
damage
keel
welfare
Animal Husbandry
Animals
Chickens
Female
Fractures, Bone
Poultry Diseases
Reproducibility of Results
Terminology as Topic
English Keel bone damage (KBD) is a critical issue facing the laying hen industry today as a result of the likely pain leading to compromised welfare and the potential for reduced productivity. Recent reports suggest that damage, while highly variable and likely dependent on a host of factors, extends to all systems (including battery cages, furnished cages, and non-cage systems), genetic lines, and management styles. Despite the extent of the problem, the research community remains uncertain as to the causes and influencing factors of KBD. Although progress has been made investigating these factors, the overall effort is hindered by several issues related to the assessment of KBD, including quality and variation in the methods used between research groups. These issues prevent effective comparison of studies, as well as difficulties in identifying the presence of damage leading to poor accuracy and reliability. The current manuscript seeks to resolve these issues by offering precise definitions for types of KBD, reviewing methods for assessment, and providing recommendations that can improve the accuracy and reliability of those assessments.
Language
  • English
Open access status
hybrid
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/178463
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