Aggressive and severe feather pecking in brown and white feathered leghorn pullets - Will blue light during brooding and rearing improve future egg production?

棕色和白色羽毛来航小母鸡的攻击性和严重啄羽行为 - 育雏和饲养过程中的蓝光会提高未来的产蛋量吗？

• 批准号: 578634-2022
• 负责人: SchweanLardner, KarenKV
• 金额: $ 2.12万
• 依托单位: University of Saskatchewan
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=743514
• 关键词: Aggressive; severe; feather; pecking; brown

Aggressive feather pecking and cannibalism are significant issues affecting animal welfare and production economics in the table egg industry. Numerous mitigation techniques have been utilized, including feed form, energy levels, beak treatment, housing systems, light intensity, etc. Although these practices may reduce the incidence/severity, none stop the behaviour from occurring. This is even more concerning as producers move towards floor rearing pullets, in preparation for more extensive housing systems for laying hens. Recently, our research team completed a study comparing broilers reared on light colour treatments (blue, green, or white light) provided by LED bulbs. Light intensity was equalized by measuring with a "clux" (corrected lux, or chicken lux) meter, which measures intensity based on bird, rather than human, visual capacity. Minimal benefit of light colour was noted for production or health parameters, but blue light dramatically changed behaviour and bird affect (fear and stress). Broilers reared under blue light were less stressed and fearful than those reared under green or white light. More comfort behaviours were noted, and birds appeared calmer. Part of the reason this may have occurred is that the broilers had improved visual ability under blue light than under white light, which differs from the old industry verbiage that the use of blue light reduces aggression because birds do not see as well. In general, light components are thought to have similar effects on birds, although slight differences are noted between turkeys and broilers. If this is indeed the case, then we are particularly interested in understanding if utilizing light color, specifically blue light, could reduce the aggressive pecking damage that occurs in pullet flocks. It has been shown that light colour can have a positive effect on reproduction in laying hens. To the authors' knowledge, it is unknown if blue light during the brooding and rearing phase would negatively affect onset of egg production or egg production level as research is lacking in this area.

攻击性啄羽和同类相食是影响食用蛋行业动物福利和生产经济的重大问题。人们已经采用了许多缓解技术，包括饲料形式、能量水平、喙处理、饲养系统、光照强度等。尽管这些做法可能会降低发生率/严重程度，但无法阻止这种行为的发生。随着生产商转向地面饲养小母鸡，为蛋鸡建立更广泛的鸡舍系统，这一点更加令人担忧。最近，我们的研究团队完成了一项研究，比较了采用 LED 灯泡提供的光色处理（蓝色、绿色或白光）饲养的肉鸡。通过使用“clux”（校正勒克斯或鸡勒克斯）计测量来均衡光强度，该仪表根据鸟类而不是人类的视觉能力来测量强度。人们注意到，浅色对于生产或健康参数的好处微乎其微，但蓝光极大地改变了鸟类的行为和影响（恐惧和压力）。在蓝光下饲养的肉鸡比在绿光或白光下饲养的肉鸡压力和恐惧更小。人们注意到更多的舒适行为，鸟类显得更加平静。发生这种情况的部分原因可能是肉鸡在蓝光下比在白光下的视觉能力有所提高，这与旧的行业术语不同，即使用蓝光会减少攻击性，因为鸟类的视力不好。一般来说，轻质成分被认为对鸟类有类似的影响，尽管火鸡和肉鸡之间存在细微的差异。如果情况确实如此，那么我们特别有兴趣了解利用浅色（特别是蓝光）是否可以减少母鸡群中发生的攻击性啄食伤害。研究表明，浅色可以对蛋鸡的繁殖产生积极影响。据作者所知，由于该领域缺乏研究，目前尚不清楚育雏和饲养阶段的蓝光是否会对产蛋开始或产蛋水平产生负面影响。