Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
8
thEuropean Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
EU Food-CT-2004-506508
Implementation of the Welfare Quality ® :
on-farm protocol for assessing broiler welfare
Ferrari P. 1 , Butterworth A. 2 , De Jong I.C. 3 , Brown S.N. 2 , Ferrante V. 4
1
CRPA, Research Centre on Animal Production, Italy
2University of Bristol, UK
3
University of Wageningen, The Netherlands
4University of Milan, Italy
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Integration of animal welfare in the food quality chain:
from public concerns to improved welfare and transparent quality
Fork to farm approach
Based upon
consumer demands and
marketing requirements of retailers
Integrated project
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Integrated project
approx.150 scientists
17 million with € 14.6 million EU contribution
44 partners
17 countries (13 EU, 4 Latin America)
2004-2009
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Welfare Quality aims to:
accomodate societal concerns and market demands
to develop reliable on-farm monitoring systems
to develop product information systems
to develop practical species-specific strategies to improve animal welfare
Integrated project
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Aims of a welfare assessment
Animals on farms
during transport at slaughter
Animal based measures:
assessment of animal welfare
Product information
Consummers Retailers
Environment based measures:
identification
of causes of poor welfare
Remedial solutions proposed
Producers
Assessors
Advisors Animals
on farms
during transport at slaughter
Animal based measures:
assessment of animal welfare
Product information
Consummers Retailers
Environment based measures:
identification
of causes of poor welfare
Remedial solutions proposed
Producers
Assessors
Advisors advice
certification
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Consensus on « what is in animal welfare»:
multidimensional concept
e.g. Five freedoms (FAWC 1992)
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury and disease
Freedom to express normal behaviour
Freedom from fear and distress
WQ assessment tool
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Welfare principles
Welfare criteria
1 Absence of prolonged hunger Good feeding
2 Absence of prolonged thirst 3 Comfort around resting
4 Thermal comfort Good
housing
5 Ease of movement 6 Absence of injuries 7 Absence of disease Good health
8 Absence of pain induced by management procedures
9 Expression of social behaviours 10 Expression of other behaviours 11 Good human-animal relationship Appropriate
behaviour
12 Positive emotional state
WQ assessment tool
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Overall assessment
M ea su re s C ri te ri a
Overall assessment
Pr in cp le s
~30 12 4 1
Raw data
Scale 0 - 100
Scale 0 - 100
Welfare categories Not classified
Acceptable Enhanced
Excellent Experts consulted:
animal and social scientists from WelfareQuality®
+ stakeholders (Advisory Committee)
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Measures to assess broiler welfare
Welfare Criteria Measures 1
Absence of prolonged hunger
Feed withdrawal time before slaughter At slaughterhouse % of emaciated rejected birds
Good feeding
2 Absence of prolonged thirst
Drinker space
Feed withdrawal time before slaughter 3 Comfort
around resting
Plumage cleanliness, litter quality, dust sheet test
4 Thermal
comfort Panting, huddling Good
housing
5 Ease of
movement Stocking density
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Welfare Criteria Measures 6 Absence of
injuries
Lameness, hock burn, foot pad dermatitis on farm and at slaughter
7 Absence of disease
On farm mortality, culls on farm
Ascites, dehydration, septicaemia, hepatitis, pericarditis, abscess from slaughterhouse rejection records
Good health
8
Absence of pain induced by
management procedures
No measure
9
Expression of social
behaviours
No measure
10
Expression of other
behaviours
Cover on the range, free range
11
Good
human-animal relationship
Touch Test Ratio (TTR) Appropriate
behaviour
12 Positive
emotional state Qualitative behavioural assessment (QBA)
Measures to assess broiler welfare
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Implementation of WQ protocol
CRPA + UNIVERSITY OF MILAN > 18 Italian intensive farms UNIVERSITY OF WAGENINGEN > 18 Dutch intensive farms UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL > 10 English free range farms
2,20 2,25 2,30 2,35 2,40 2,45 2,50 2,55 2,60 2,65 2,70 2,75
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range farms
(10)
k g
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Plumage cleanliness score: 1÷4 (1=clean 4=dirty)
54
40
17
2,5 2,3 0,7
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range farms (10) Cleanliness 3+4 (%) Cleanliness score
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Litter quality score: 1÷5
0. Completely dry and flaky
2. Dry but not easy to move with foot
3. Leaves imprint of foot and will form a ball if compacted, but ball does not stay together well
4. Stick to boots and sticks readily in a ball if compacted
5. Sticks to boots once the cap or compacted crust is broken
3,9
2,5 2,9
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0 4,5
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range farms (10) Litter quality score
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Lameness (gait score):
0. Normal, dextrous and agile 1. Slight abnormality, but difficult to define
2. Definite and identifiable abnormality
3. Obvious abnormality, affects ability to move
4. Severe abnormality, only takes a few steps
5. Incapable of walking
2,0
2,2
1,7
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range farms (10)
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Hock burn:
0÷4 (absent to severe)
0 0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4
7
6
1,0 0,8
0,1 5,4
5,6 5,8 6,0 6,2 6,4 6,6 6,8 7,0
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range farms (10)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Hock burn 3+4 (%) Hock burn score
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Foot Pad Dermatitis Score:
0÷4 absent to severe
0 1 2 3 4
53
35
15
1,5 1,8 0,7
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range farms
(10)
FPD 3+4 (%) FPD score
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
% On farm mortality (death + culled)
% Death On Arrival at slaughter
2,8
3,9
2,2
0,1 0,3
0,1 0,0
0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0 4,5
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range farms (10)
(% )
Mortality (%) DOA (%)
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Avoidance Touch Test Ratio: number of birds touched/number of birds in reach
Implementation of WQ protocol
0,53
0,22
0,26
0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range
farms (10)
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Novel Object Test: number of birds less than 20 cm from the novel object is counted every 30 s for 2 mins
Implementation of WQ protocol
38
13
24
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Dutch intensive farms (18)
Italian intensive farms (18)
English free range farms (10)
N O T ( n r. )
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
QBA - Qualitative Behaviour Assessment
Observe how the birds behave for 10 minutes at the entrance and in the middle of the house and score 23 adjectives qualifying the animal behaviour such as:
Active
Relaxed
Helpless
Comfortable
Fearful
Agitated
Confident
Depressed
Calm
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Measures during transport and at slaughter:
Feed and water withdrawal time
Journey time
Waiting time in lairage area
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Measures during transport and at slaughter:
Stocking density in crates
Panting huddling (% of birds)
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Measures at slaughter:
Check of the stunner settings
Stunning efficiency at the sticking point, during bleeding and at the entrance of the scalding tank
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Measures at slaughter:
Hock Burn Score
Foot Pad Dermatitis Score
Breast Burn Score
Implementation of WQ protocol
8th European Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
Potential applications
Broad categories of potential applications for animal welfare assessment systems:
As a research tool
To enforce legislation
In Voluntary / Certification systems
To Advice farmers to improve management
Product information systems
Cervia, Italy, 18-22 May 2009
8
thEuropean Symposium on Poultry Welfare Worging Group 9 of the WPSA
EU Food-CT-2004-506508
