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In response to concerns about animal welfare, food assurance
schemes are now incorporating standards for animal welfare. This is
particularly important in the poultry industry, where much
attention has focused on the welfare of broilers (meat birds).
However, there is as a result a greater need for
scientifically-based methods for the measurement and auditing of
welfare.This book brings together papers by international experts
from the academic, professional and industrial sectors. It examines
practical ways of measuring and auditing broiler welfare on-farm,
during transit and pre-slaughter. Related marketing issues and
future developments such as automation, are also discussed.
This collection features five peer-reviewed reviews on ensuring the
welfare of laying hens. The first chapter highlights the key
welfare issues in poultry housing and management, focussing on the
use of conventional cages to house laying hens. The chapter then
explores the emergence of enriched cages and cage-free housing, as
well as the benefits and risks of each system on bird health and
welfare. The second chapter reviews the range of welfare issues
affecting free range laying hens. The chapter also highlights the
need to improve current understanding of how laying hens behave in
free range systems to be able to adequately meet their health and
welfare needs. The third chapter discusses the use of beak trimming
methods, as well as the welfare concerns that arise as a result of
their use. The chapter highlights alternative strategies to reduce
the need for these practices which are known to incur acute pain.
The fourth chapter reviews the impact of housing and management
systems on the skeletal and cognitive development of laying hens.
It discusses how nutrition and housing can be optimised to reduce
the occurrence of bone health issues. The final chapter reviews
current research on the genetics of behavioural traits in poultry,
focussing on how breeding can be optimised to reduce aggressive
behaviour in laying hens.
World egg consumption is increasing, particularly in developing
countries. This creates new challenges, particularly for more
intensive systems which have played a major role in increasing
production and productivity. Intensive systems face a continuing
threat from zoonoses. At the same time, consumer expectations about
both safety, sensory and nutritional quality have never been
higher. There is also increasing concern about the environmental
impact of and animal welfare issues in egg production. Drawing on
an international range of expertise, this book reviews key research
addressing these issues. Part 1 looks at advances in understanding
and improving the welfare of hens, from welfare standards to
nutrition and other aspects of husbandry. Part 2 discusses
sustainability issues, from ways of measuring the environmental
impact of egg production to ways of improving sustainability such
as improved waste management. Achieving sustainable production of
eggs Volume 2: Animal welfare and sustainability will be a standard
reference for poultry and food scientists in universities,
government and other research centres and companies involved in egg
production. It is accompanied by Volume 1 which reviews safety and
quality issues.
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