ESPW 2023: Highlights of an Enriching Symposium

Key features from this year’s conference

Anne-Marie Neeteson-van Nieuwenhoven, from Aviagen Group discussed the importance of welfare in the context of poultry meat production. Emphasizing that breeding plays a critical role in improving both welfare and sustainability. By broadening breeding goals and managing trait antagonisms, the industry has made significant progress in achieving a balance between environmental impact, productivity, robustness, and welfare. Continuous investments and feedback from stakeholders across the production chain ensure that breeding programs align with customer and societal needs. Key welfare indicators are essential tools for monitoring and improving welfare outcomes in different production systems.

Another significant topic of discussion revolved around welfare assessment and precise livestock farming. Frank Tuyttens, Alistair Lawrence, and Siobhan Mullan presented a framework for a comprehensive poultry welfare label. With numerous food labeling schemes and private animal welfare labels in existence, there is a need to simplify and enhance their impact. The proposed framework aims to create a comprehensive animal welfare label for poultry products, such as meat and eggs, that promotes sustainability transparency and ethical purchasing. This initiative seeks to address consumer confusion and increase awareness about animal welfare along the food chain.

Other notable lectures:

• Precision poultry farming and welfare: Tomás Norton highlighted the challenges faced by European poultry farmers and the need for better technologies to manage environmental emissions, animal feeding, health, and welfare. The presentation emphasized the opportunities and pitfalls of precision livestock farming (PLF) in the poultry sector and stressed the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to technology development.
• Best Practice Hens: T. Bas Rodenburg presented the Best Practice Hens project, an EU pilot project aimed at providing practical guidelines for EU egg producers transitioning to cage-free housing systems. The project developed a set of best practices for keeping pullets and laying hens in cage-free systems based on scientific literature, management guides, technical information, and stakeholder input.
• Cage-free housing systems – Laying hens between freedoms and capabilities: Sabine G. Gebhardt-Henrich, Matthew B. Petelle, and Michael J. Toscano discussed the capability approach to animal welfare and its application to individual laying hens in an aviary system. The study examined the behavior of hens that were victims of toe pecking and found that despite the injuries, the birds were still capable of accessing all zones in the aviary but changed their pattern of use.
• Environmental complexity during rearing and laying: effects on stress responsivity and fearfulness in laying hens: Lucille Dumontier, Andrew M. Janczak, Rupert Palme, and Janicke Nordgreen investigated the effects of environmental complexity during rearing and laying on fearfulness and stress responsivity in laying hens. The study found that hens housed in enriched cages exhibited lower plasma corticosterone concentration and were faster to approach novel objects compared to birds housed in standard furnished cages.
• Diet Coarseness and Stress during Rearing Affects Toe Pecking in Laying Hens:Annemarie Mens from Wageningen University, Netherlands  lectured on the incidence and severity of toe pecking (TP) in laying hens and its relationship with stress during rearing and diet coarseness. The results showed that TP negatively impacts laying hen welfare, causing wounds, pain, fear, and infections. The study revealed that both stress during specific periods in rearing and a coarse diet increased the likelihood of allo TP (pecking at conspecific toes) in hens. These findings highlight the importance of managing stress and diet during rearing to mitigate TP in laying hens.
• White Hens are from Venus, Brown Hens are from Mars – A Review and Meta-Analysis of Strain Differences in Fear Response: Ana Rentsch from the Department of Animal Biosciences, at the University of Guelph, talked about the strain differences in fear response between white-feathered and brown-feathered laying hens. Her research group has gathered information which indicates that the two strains exhibit different responses to fear-provoking stimuli. Brown birds are more responsive to novelty, whereas white birds are more sensitive to human and predatory stimuli. Additionally, the strains showed distinct responses to rapid startling stimuli, with brown birds displaying a pronounced startle reflex. Understanding these strain differences can help develop targeted management practices to reduce fear and improve laying hen welfare.
• Assessment of Hunger in Broiler Breeder Pullets Fed High-Fibre Diets or Roughage- Fernanda M. Tahamtani-Section of Behaviour, Stress and Welfare, Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University: This lecture assessed the effects of different dietary treatments on the behavior and hunger of broiler breeder females during rearing. The treatments included standard feed, feed diluted with insoluble fibers, feed diluted with both insoluble and soluble fibers, and feed supplemented with maize silage. The results showed that the type of diet influenced the birds’ behavior, feeding motivation, and comfort-seeking behavior. The study suggests that fiber-rich diets may reduce feeding motivation, but certain diets can have negative effects, such as poor litter quality, impacting bird welfare.

Recap

ESPW 2023 showcased various technological advancements and research findings that will shape the future of poultry production. The discussions emphasized the importance of considering animal welfare, sustainability, and ethical practices in the industry. By combining scientific knowledge, industry expertise, and consumer awareness, the conference fostered collaboration and highlighted the potential for a more welfare-conscious and sustainable poultry production sector.

Final remarks

Overall, the conference provided a platform for professionals to exchange ideas, build networks, and contribute to the ongoing progress of poultry welfare and sustainable production. The insights gained from ESPW 2023 will undoubtedly influence future research, policies, and practices, leading to improved welfare outcomes and more responsible poultry production worldwide.

You may also like to read: “ESPN 2023: Insights into Poultry Nutrition and Sustainability”