Effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health, behaviour and production of commercial turkeys
Aim of study: The purpose of this study was to verify whether the insertion of a pecking object as an environmental enrichment (EE) would be sufficient to prevent the beak trimming (BT) process in turkeys. Area of study: Southern Brazil. Material and methods: A total of 3,116 female turkeys of the...
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Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research |
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| Online Access: | https://sjar.revistas.csic.es/index.php/sjar/article/view/20638 |
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| author | Josiane G. Busatta Luciana Foppa Jhonatan Sperandio Daniele S. Martins Cristiane G. Titto |
| author_facet | Josiane G. Busatta Luciana Foppa Jhonatan Sperandio Daniele S. Martins Cristiane G. Titto |
| author_sort | Josiane G. Busatta |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Aim of study: The purpose of this study was to verify whether the insertion of a pecking object as an environmental enrichment (EE) would be sufficient to prevent the beak trimming (BT) process in turkeys.
Area of study: Southern Brazil.
Material and methods: A total of 3,116 female turkeys of the Nicholas Super Select line were equally distributed across four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme with the presence or absence of EE and BT or intact beak. The turkeys were housed at a density of 21 kg/m2 and were followed-up for 62 days until slaughter. Each week, the behaviour of the turkeys, body lesions, and performance indicators such as mortality, feed conversion, feed consumption, and weight were evaluated.
Main results: The results regarding injuries and performance showed, in most cases, better results for beak trimmed animals (p>0.05). The addition of EE was not effective in reducing the number of injuries in either debeaked or non-debeaked turkeys (p>0.05). Injurious pecking of turkeys may result from vigorous investigative pecking.
Research highlights: We can conclude that debeaking decreases the number of aggressive injuries in animals, and further research needs to be conducted to search for a possible alternative to EE to avoid BT, reduce injuries, and enhance performance.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce273d2f3af64e04973059f987523606 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1695-971X 2171-9292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce273d2f3af64e04973059f9875236062025-01-31T10:29:48ZengConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research1695-971X2171-92922024-11-0122410.5424/sjar/2024224-20638Effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health, behaviour and production of commercial turkeysJosiane G. Busatta0Luciana Foppa1Jhonatan Sperandio2Daniele S. Martins3Cristiane G. Titto4University of São Paulo. Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering. Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, BrazilIndependent Research. BR 277, 3001, Curitiba, PR, 82305-100, BrazilFederal Institute of Santa Catarina. Rua das Missões, 100, Edifício Missões, Ponta Aguda, Blumenau, SC, 89051-000, BrazilUniversity of São Paulo. Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering. Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, BrazilUniversity of São Paulo. Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering. Av. Duque de Caxias Norte, 225, Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, Brazil Aim of study: The purpose of this study was to verify whether the insertion of a pecking object as an environmental enrichment (EE) would be sufficient to prevent the beak trimming (BT) process in turkeys. Area of study: Southern Brazil. Material and methods: A total of 3,116 female turkeys of the Nicholas Super Select line were equally distributed across four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme with the presence or absence of EE and BT or intact beak. The turkeys were housed at a density of 21 kg/m2 and were followed-up for 62 days until slaughter. Each week, the behaviour of the turkeys, body lesions, and performance indicators such as mortality, feed conversion, feed consumption, and weight were evaluated. Main results: The results regarding injuries and performance showed, in most cases, better results for beak trimmed animals (p>0.05). The addition of EE was not effective in reducing the number of injuries in either debeaked or non-debeaked turkeys (p>0.05). Injurious pecking of turkeys may result from vigorous investigative pecking. Research highlights: We can conclude that debeaking decreases the number of aggressive injuries in animals, and further research needs to be conducted to search for a possible alternative to EE to avoid BT, reduce injuries, and enhance performance. https://sjar.revistas.csic.es/index.php/sjar/article/view/20638animal welfarebehaviourinjurious peckingnegative interactionpecking objects |
| spellingShingle | Josiane G. Busatta Luciana Foppa Jhonatan Sperandio Daniele S. Martins Cristiane G. Titto Effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health, behaviour and production of commercial turkeys Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research animal welfare behaviour injurious pecking negative interaction pecking objects |
| title | Effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health, behaviour and production of commercial turkeys |
| title_full | Effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health, behaviour and production of commercial turkeys |
| title_fullStr | Effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health, behaviour and production of commercial turkeys |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health, behaviour and production of commercial turkeys |
| title_short | Effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health, behaviour and production of commercial turkeys |
| title_sort | effects of environmental enrichment and lack of beak trimming on aspects of health behaviour and production of commercial turkeys |
| topic | animal welfare behaviour injurious pecking negative interaction pecking objects |
| url | https://sjar.revistas.csic.es/index.php/sjar/article/view/20638 |
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