Effect of hatching in the stable vs hatched at the hatchery on corticosterone levels in feathers of broilers

Abstract

Animal welfare plays an important role in discussions in society today. There are various methods to gain insight into well-being of broilers. The measurement of corticosterone (CORT) may be a method for mapping the welfare of poultry. CORT is the main glucocorticoid hormone in birds and CORT is incorporated into feathers only during the growth of the feathers. The measurements of CORT in feathers are used for assessing the effects of chronic stress. Vencomatic has developed a system (X-treck) which makes it possible for chickens to emerge from the egg in the stable in which they will be housed instead of in the hatchery. The goal of this study was to gain insight into differences in wellbeing between broilers that hatch in the stable(X-treck) and broilers hatching in the hatchery (control). This study was performed on commercial broiler farms, which have both an X-treck stable and an equivalent control stable. The down feathers were collected at day 1 and the primary feather 2 and 8 were collected on day 35. We found no significant differences in the concentration of CORT between the X-treck stables and control stables in down feathers. CORT in down feathers was higher compared to primary feather 2 and 8. There was a significant effect between the control and x-treck stable for primary feather 8 at farm 4, but these are only 6 animals at each stable. The results of this research could indicate that broilers are able to actively adapt to their living conditions. Future studies should therefore evaluate a better understanding of the meaning of CORT as a welfare indicator for large animals and what the best method is for the determination of the concentration CORT in feathers and down feathers.