PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Despite the plethora of studies on the impacts of access to runs on chickens, there is a paucity of information on the welfare and behavioural repertoire of hens raised in the deep litter houses with or without access to legume- or grass-based pasture. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of access to grass or legume pastures by laying hens on behaviour, physiological responses and bacterial load. The study was conducted to evaluate the influence of exposure of egg-type chickens to runs on grass or legume pastures on their welfare and behaviours. The study involved the use of 240 ISA brown pullets from 12 weeks of age and and lasted for 48 weeks. The treatments were deep litter housing with grass-based pasture run (PG), deep litter housing with legume-based pasture run (PL) and deep litter housing without runs (LD) having 80 pullets with four replicates of twenty birds each. Behavioural observations of the hens in each pen were made at 52 weeks of age and tonic immobility was assessed by making the birds lie on their back with their head resting in a U-shaped wooden cradle. The measurements of the respiratory rate and rectal temperature of the hens were assessed at 1:00 p.m. at different laying phases. The gastrointestinal and egg bacterial counts were conducted at 60 weeks of age. Results revealed that the proportion of time spent eating was highest (p < 0.05) in the deep litter housing system, while the legume and grass pasture were similar. The hens spent most of their time standing and eating in the three treatments. However, the time spent standing in PL and PG was similar but significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in LD. Results on tonic immobility duration showed that the time spent by the hens in LD during the reaction was significantly longer than those of the PL and PG in the first, second and third phases of the experiments. However, the time spent by the hens in PL and PG was similar. The rectal temperatures of PL and PG birds were comparable and higher than those of LD during the second phase. On the other hand, there was no difference in the respiratory rate. Plasma triiodothyronine (T3) of the hens did not follow a consistent pattern. The bacterial count in the large intestine in LD and PL was similar but significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the PG. It was concluded that access to pasture influenced the behaviours of hens and that tonic immobility duration was shorter in the hens on the pasture, suggesting that access to pasture favoured hens\' welfare.
摘要：
尽管关于跑步对鸡的影响的研究过多，关于在有或没有进入豆类或草基牧场的深窝房屋中饲养的母鸡的福利和行为特征的信息很少。因此,这项研究旨在评估通过产蛋母鸡进入草地或豆科植物牧场对行为的影响，生理反应和细菌负荷。进行这项研究是为了评估蛋型鸡在草地或豆类牧场上奔跑对其福利和行为的影响。该研究涉及从12周龄开始使用240ISA棕色小母鸡，并持续了48周。处理方法是采用草基牧场（PG）的深层垃圾房，带有豆科植物牧场（PL）的深层垃圾房和无牧场的深层垃圾房（LD），有80个小鸡，每个小鸡有四个重复，每个20只鸟。在52周龄时对每个围栏中的母鸡进行行为观察，并通过使鸟类仰卧并将其头部放在U形木摇篮中来评估补品的不动性。在下午1:00在不同的产蛋阶段评估母鸡的呼吸频率和直肠温度的测量。在60周龄时进行胃肠道和卵细菌计数。结果表明，在深窝住房系统中，进食时间的比例最高（p<0.05），而豆科植物和草地是相似的。母鸡在三种治疗方法中大部分时间都在站立和进食。然而,PL和PG的站立时间相似，但明显高于LD（p<0.05）。补品不动持续时间的结果表明，母鸡在LD反应中花费的时间明显长于最初的PL和PG，实验的第二和第三阶段。然而,母鸡在PL和PG中花费的时间相似。在第二阶段，PL和PG鸟的直肠温度与LD相当，并且高于LD。另一方面,呼吸频率没有差异。母鸡的血浆三碘甲状腺原氨酸（T3）不遵循一致的模式。LD和PL的大肠细菌计数相似，但显着（P<0.05）高于PG。结论是，进入牧场会影响母鸡的行为，并且牧场上母鸡的补品不活动持续时间较短，这表明进入牧场有利于母鸡的福利。
