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Evelyne Delezie, Johan De Tavernier, Stuart Spencer en Eddy Decuypere
CABME, K.U.Leuven, Belgium
Traditionally broilers are caught by the leg, inverted, and carried by a catcher with 3 or 4 birds in each hand. This task is labour intensive, repetitive and dirty. Catching and loading is also a potential source of stress, injury and mortality for poultry. To avoid reduced product quality and improve welfare, it’s very important to handle the birds gently during catching and (un)loading. Various harvesting systems have been introduced to facilitate the catching of broilers.
Experiments were conducted to determine whether different harvesting methods (manual vs. mechanical) influence the welfare of the broilers and the quality of their carcass and meat. A comparative assessment of the consequences of both harvesting methods was done by means of physical (injuries) and physiological (corticosterone, glucose and lactate concentrations in blood plasma) indicators. To investigate the acceptability about alternative harvesting methods by society, inquiries had to be completed to evaluate if the scientific criteria are supported by the preferences of the people.
The benefits of mechanical to manual harvesting include fewer injuries to broilers and improved working conditions for the catchers by eliminating most bending and lifting. The corticosterone concentrations after mechanical or manual harvesting were similar, while glucose and lactate concentrations at slaughter were slightly higher after manual harvesting. The harvesting method did not influence meat quality as indicated by pH-measurements.
These results suggest that at present mechanical harvesting will improve bird welfare with regard to injuries. From a perceptual point of view, as reflected by the inquiry analysis, mechanical harvesting was preferred above manual, especially when the respondents knew the manual harvesting procedure.
Further improvement of mechanical catching procedures in interaction with transport conditions may offer a valuable alternative for the stressful conditions for man and animals during animal catching.
Keywords: broiler harvesting, welfare, product quality
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| Keywords: broiler harvesting, welfare, product quality |
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