Poultry: slow growth creates healthier and happier birds

Published Sep 22, 2020

Tridge summary

A recent agricultural trial, involving FAI Farms, the University of Bristol, and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, has found that slower-growing chicken breeds are healthier and happier. The study, a first of its kind in a commercial environment, highlighted that the choice of breed significantly impacts animal well-being more than density or space. Slow-growing birds showed better health and positive behaviors compared to fast-growing ones, indicating that providing more space and switching to slower-growing breeds can improve chicken welfare. The research underscores the importance of positive experiences in animal welfare studies and suggests that demand for chickens bred for well-being is on the rise, with companies like Danpo planning to phase out fast-growing breeds by 2021.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

A slower-growing chicken is healthier and happier, according to the results of an independent agricultural trial involving the University of Bristol Veterinary School in the United Kingdom. The study points out that the choice of slower-growing chicken breeds possibly has more impact on animal health than the production of less density or more space. The study, carried out by researchers from FAI Farms, the University of Bristol and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, is the first to highlight the differences in well-being between fast-growing and slow-growing birds in a commercial environment, through a set of positive and negative well-being indicators. “Our study found that slow-growing birds are in better health and have more positive behaviors than conventional fast-growing chickens. A change in fast-growing breeds would provide the most significant improvement in the lives of the 142 million chickens produced in Europe every week, ”explained Annie Rayner, principal ...

Source: PTvidarural