The quail populations are considered to be one of the largest among the poultry species. Although quail egg and meat production are growing rapidly, still, quail farming practices and welfare aspects are not well established. Stocking density is one of the factors that can significantly affect the ...

The broiler industry has come under sustained pressure from welfare organizations to improve broiler welfare. Breed and stocking density are important factors for broiler welfare and are often specified as criteria for higher welfare systems. However, it remains unknown how slower-growing broilers...

Perching is a natural behaviour of wild and domesticated fowl. Perch availability has been used to improve the welfare of laying hens. However, the effect of perch availability on broiler rearing systems remains unclear. The present study investigated the effect of the interaction between perch...

Broiler production in semi-arid tropics must contend with high levels of heat stress, which have implications on stocking density, bird welfare, and profitability. Under these conditions, optimal stocking densities are likely to be lower than expected, thus must be experimentally determined....

Excretion and lying are key behavioral factors that cause pen fouling, thereby affecting pig welfare, pathogen fecal-oral transmission, and air quality in pig housing. This study investigated the effect of space allowance and toy provision on the spatiotemporal distribution of pigs' excreting and...

There is an increasing trend toward broiler production systems with higher welfare requirements. Breed and stocking density are considered key factors for broiler welfare that are often specified as criteria for such higher welfare systems. However, it remains unknown how slower-growing broilers...

Concern about the welfare of broilers kept under intensive management systems is raised mainly in industrialized countries. Most welfare problems are related to early growth. Fast growing broilers were susceptible to sudden death syndrome (SDS), Ascites and leg problems. Using slow growing breeds...

The aim of this study was to compare the growth performance, slaughter results, and carcass and meat quality of rabbits reared in different housing systems. To this purpose, 456 Hyplus crossbred rabbits were reared from weaning (35 d of age) until slaughter (77 d) in 40 bicellular wire net cages...

Commercial practice in poultry production management has been susceptible to increased problems, driven by concerns about safety of food and animal welfare. Thus, the main proposal of the present study was to evaluate the influence of different stocking densities on performance, blood, and carcass...

The present study investigated the interaction of stocking density and cool perch availability on broiler chickens raised at high ambient temperature (>30.8°C). Behavior, live performance, and the incidence of footpad and hock burns and abdominal plumage damage were investigated over a 4-wk...