Methods for assessment of keel bone damage in poultry.
Keel bone damage (KBD) is a critical issue facing the laying hen industry today as a result of the likely pain leading to compromised welfare and the potential for reduced productivity. Recent reports suggest that damage, while highly variable and likely dependent on a host of factors, extends to all systems (including battery cages, furnished cages, and non-cage systems), genetic lines, and management styles. Despite the extent of the problem, the research community remains uncertain as to the causes and influencing factors of KBD. Although progress has been made investigating these factors, the overall effort is hindered by several issues related to the assessment of KBD, including quality and variation in the methods used between research groups. These issues prevent effective comparison of studies, as well as difficulties in identifying the presence of damage leading to poor accuracy and reliability. The current manuscript seeks to resolve these issues by offering precise definitions for types of KBD, reviewing methods for assessment, and providing recommendations that can improve the accuracy and reliability of those assessments.
Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Casey-Trott
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Animal Sciences Unit - Farm Animal Welfare & Behaviour Research Group, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium.
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JL
Heerkens
Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Petrik
Department of Animal Science, Anthony Hall, 474 S. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI 48824 USA.
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Regmi
Research Center for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ) Division of Animal Welfare, VPH Institute, University of Bern, Burgerweg 22, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland.
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Schrader
Research Center for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ) Division of Animal Welfare, VPH Institute, University of Bern, Burgerweg 22, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland Michael.toscano@vetsuisse.unibe.ch.
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Toscano
Animal and Poultry Science, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Widowski
D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D009626:Terminology as Topic
Hen; bone; damage; keel; welfare