Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T11:02:26.230Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Developing a Welfare Assessment System for Use in Commercial Organic Egg Production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

L Hegelund ,
J T Sørensen  and
N F Johansen
L Hegelund*
Affiliation:
Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS), Department of Animal Health and Welfare, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
J T Sørensen
Affiliation:
Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences (DIAS), Department of Animal Health and Welfare, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
N F Johansen
Affiliation:
The National Department of Poultry Production, Udkaersvej 15, DK-8200 Skejby, Denmark
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: Lene.Hegelund@agrsci.dk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A welfare assessment system is being developed for commercial organic egg production based on indicators of behaviour, health, system, and management, which is the general Danish Institute for Agricultural Science (DIAS) concept for assessing animal welfare at farm level. The welfare assessment system works as an advisory tool for farmers, helping them to improve welfare in their flocks. Identification of individual animals in organic egg production is impossible; therefore, management and welfare assessment are based on flock evaluation. Mortality is often a major welfare problem in organic egg production, to some extent caused by inefficient disease detection and control. Health indicators are therefore closely monitored, including variations in live weight, mortality, food and water consumption, and autopsies. Severe outbreaks of feather pecking and cannibalism causing excess mortality are often induced by the presence of stressors. Various stressors, as well as indicators of stress, are therefore included in the welfare indicator protocol. Finally the daily management effort and routines are evaluated on the basis of a management plan prepared by the farmer and a consultant in cooperation, as well as by use of interviews.

Keywords

animal welfaredecision supporton-farm studiesorganic poultry production
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 12 , Issue 4: Proceedings of the 2nd International Workshop on the Assessment of Animal Welfare at Farm and Group Level , November 2003 , pp. 649 - 653
Copyright
© 2003 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Anonymous 2000 Ægproduktion og dyrevelfærd. Spørgsmål & svar. Det Danske Fjerkræraad: København, Denmark [Title translation: Egg production and animal welfare. Questions and answers.]Google Scholar
Bestman, M W P 2000 The role of management and housing in the prevention of feather pecking in laying hens. In: Hovi, M and Bouilhol, M (eds) Human-Animal Relationship: Stockmanship and Housing in Organic Livestock Systems. Proceedings of the 3rd NAHWOA Workshop (Network for Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture), Clermont Ferrand, France pp 79–88. Reading University: Reading, UKGoogle Scholar
Gunnarson, S, Odén, K, Algers, B, Svedberg, J and Keeling, L 1995 Poultry health and behaviour in a tiered system for loose housed layers. Sveriges Lantbrugsuniversitet, Institutionen för husdjurshygien: Rapport 35, Skara, SwedenGoogle Scholar
Hörning, B 2000 Scoring systems to assess housing conditions of farm animals — examples from dairy cows and laying hens. EAAP Publication No 102 pp 89-97. Wageningen, The NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
Jones, R B 1996 Fear and adaptability in poultry: insights, implications and imperatives. World's Poultry Science Journal 52: 131–174CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jordan, F, Pattison, M, Alexander, D and Faragher, T (eds) 2001 Poultry Diseases, Edn 5. W B Saunders: UKGoogle Scholar
Koene, P 1999 Animal welfare in extensive keeping conditions: an example of free-range laying hens. Abstracts from an International Workshop by DIAS p 14. The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark, 27-28 August 1999Google Scholar
Odén, K, Keeling, L J and Algers, B 2002 Behaviour of laying hens in two types of aviary systems on 25 commercial farms in Sweden. British Poultry Science 43: 169–181CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Permin, A, Ambrosen, T, Eigaard, N M, Flensburg, M F, Bojensen, M, Christensen, J P and Bisgaard, M 2002 Sygdomme og velfærd i økologiske fritgående hønsehold. Dansk Veterinærtidsskrift 85(6): 12–16 [Title translation: Diseases and welfare in organic free-range egg production systems]Google Scholar
Rousing, T, Bonde, M and Sørensen, J T 2001 Aggregating welfare indicators into an operational welfare assessment system: a bottom-up approach. Acta Agriculturæ Scandinavica (Section A — Animal Science) 30: 53–57 (Suppl)Google Scholar
Sørensen, J T, Sandøe, P and Halberg, N 2001 Animal welfare as one among several values to be considered at farm level: the idea of an ethical account for livestock farming. Acta Agriculturæ Scandinavica (Section A — Animal Science) 30: 11–16 (Suppl)Google Scholar
Tauson, R, Ambrosen, T and Elwinger, K 1984 Evaluation of procedures for scoring the integument of laying hens — independent scoring of plumage condition. Acta Agriculturæ Scandinavica 34(3): 400408Google Scholar