Column: Better for animal and farmer

Water restriction results in more stress in the pullets which leads to increased susceptibility to disease and other negative side effects. Photo: Koos Groenewold

Over the past few decades there has been more and more discussion about poultry welfare. At many events and congresses we constantly discuss ways of improving welfare and behaviour in poultry. Over and over again. From my perspective as a broiler breeder researcher I think this a worthwhile discussion to have.

A good discussion and some pressure from the government is necessary to get us thinking about adjusting habits and management practices. Without that we run the risk of continuing to apply old ways of thinking without considering new and innovative methods and management that will improve poultry husbandry. We need these triggers and stimuli as a wake-up call to get to a better poultry-friendly future.

Topics such as mutilations, restricted access to feed and water, aggressive mating behaviour and impaired feather cover are all important welfare topics in fast-growing breeders. In my breeder research projects, I focus on these topics and try to diminish or solve the issues. I try to approach these issues from an opposite positive standpoint and ask myself the question: what are the effects when we implement new legislation? For example, the discussion about unrestricted access to water during the rearing and laying phase of broiler breeders.

Restricted access to water is common practice due to the problem of water spoiling and thus bad litter quality resulting in footpad issues and dirty feather cover. Water is restricted to 3 hours during the rearing phase and to 6-7 hours during the laying phase. Water restriction, however, also results in more stress in the pullets which leads to increased susceptibility to disease and other negative side effects. Reducing stress in breeder pullets is very important to ensure a healthy and productive life.

Unrestricted access to water for breeder pullets fits in very well with my recently developed way of thinking, called the BAF approach. BAF stands for Better for Animal and Farmer. In the example of unrestricted access to water, this means that pullets have better welfare because there is no restriction on water (the animal part) on the one hand, and health and performance are improved (the farmer part) on the other hand.

Implementing new welfare legislation is much easier when not only the welfare of the birds improves, but the farmer also reaps the rewards of that investment or modified management. Research is necessary, of course, for its smooth implementation in practice. My call to the poultry sector and policymakers therefore is: go for a BAF poultry future.