Mathematical Welfare Assessment Model of Chicken Breeder Flocks
2012
Bozhakova, N., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Popova-Ralcheva, S., Institute for Information Serving of the System, Sofia (Bulgaria) | Sredkova, V., Institute for Information Serving of the System, Sofia (Bulgaria) | Gerzilov, V., Agricultural University, Plovdiv (Bulgaria) | Atanasova, S., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Atanasov, A., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Sotirov, L., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) | Georgieva, N., Thracian University, Stara Zagora (Bulgaria)
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the mathematical welfare assessment model of New Hampshire breeder flocks reared under different production systems and to examine the effect of welfare improvement during the hot period by dietary supplementation with zinc and vitamin C. For this purpose, changes in poultry behaviour, blood corticosterone concentrations and some biochemical blood indices were determined. Using a mathematical welfare assessment model, the integrated assessment of poultry welfare of breeders reared indoor on litter was PW=33.33 %. It was based upon statistically significant changes in different behavioral traits, higher blood corticosterone - P0.001, cholesterol - P0.001, glucose P0.001, triglycerides P0.01, compared to birds reared in the free-range system. Free range- reared breeders had a PW
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