Effect of Various Types of Housing Systems in Poultry Especially Broilers

Authors

  • Umber Rauf Veterinary Research Institute, Zarar Shaheed Road, Lahore Cantt, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Fatima Batool Department of Poultry Science, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Muhammad Usman Poultry Science, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Sub Campus Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Muhammad Mohsan Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Superior University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Muhammad Ali Assad Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Malik Mohsin Ali Poultry Research Institute, Jaba, Mansehra, KP, Pakistan.
  • Muhammad Mujtaba Poultry Research Institute, Jaba, Mansehra, KP, Pakistan.
  • Ghulam Murtaza Awan Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, The University of Agriculture, Dera Ismail Khan, KP, Pakistan.
  • Muhammad Ahsan Iftikhar Poultry Research Institute, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
  • Saqib Saleem Abdullah Department of Veterinary Basic Sciences, University of Poonch, Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v2i02.254

Keywords:

Broiler Poultry, Housing Systems, Animal Welfare, Growth Performance, Environmental Sustainability, Poultry Productivit

Abstract

This study examines the impact of various housing systems on broiler chicken productivity, welfare, and overall performance. As poultry farming faces an increasing demand for meat production, understanding how different housing arrangements affect broiler growth, health, and behavior is essential. Four housing systems were analyzed such as traditional cages, deep litter, free-range, and environmentally controlled systems. Data were collected over 42 days, focusing on key performance indicators, such as weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality rates, and behavioral scores. The study used a randomized experimental design, with 400 broiler chicks randomly assigned to each housing system. The results indicated significant variations across the systems. The controlled-environment group showed the highest weight gain and the lowest FCR, suggesting improved production efficiency. However, while fostering better behavioral welfare through natural behaviors, such as foraging and dust bathing, the free-range system exhibited higher mortality rates. While efficient in terms of space, traditional cages had moderate welfare scores and were less favorable in promoting natural behaviors. Deep litter systems provided moderate welfare benefits and weight gain but were less efficient in feed conversion. Statistical analyses confirmed that all housing systems significantly affected broiler performance, with the controlled environment outperforming other systems regarding weight gain and feed efficiency, whereas the free-range system excelled in welfare. The study concluded that housing systems required balancing productivity, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability and highlighted the need for more research to optimize broiler housing designs for diverse production contexts.

References

Adewale, A., Idemudia, C., Okwandu, A. C., & Iwuanyanwu, O. (2024). Sustainable development in affordable housing: Policy innovations and challenges. Magna Scientia Advanced Research and Reviews, 11(2), 090-104. https://doi.org/10.30574/msarr.2024.11.2.0112

Bist, R. B., Bist, K., Poudel, S., Subedi, D., Yang, X., Paneru, B., Mani, S., Wang, D., & Chai, L. (2024). Sustainable poultry farming practices: a critical review of current strategies and future prospects. Poultry Science, 103(12), 104295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104295

Bonnefous, C., Collin, A., Guilloteau, L. A., Guesdon, V., Filliat, C., Réhault-Godbert, S., Rodenburg, T. B., Tuyttens, F. A. M., Warin, L., Steenfeldt, S., Baldinger, L., Re, M., Ponzio, R., Zuliani, A., Venezia, P., Väre, M., Parrott, P., Walley, K., Niemi, J. K., & Leterrier, C. (2022). Welfare issues and potential solutions for laying hens in free range and organic production systems: A review based on literature and interviews. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.952922

de Mesquita Souza Saraiva, M., Lim, K., do Monte, D. F. M., Givisiez, P. E. N., Alves, L. B. R., de Freitas Neto, O. C., Kariuki, S., Júnior, A. B., de Oliveira, C. J. B., & Gebreyes, W. A. (2022). Antimicrobial resistance in the globalized food chain: a One Health perspective applied to the poultry industry. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology: [Publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology], 53(1), 465–486. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-021-00635-8

Hofmann, T., Schmucker, S. S., Bessei, W., Grashorn, M., & Stefanski, V. (2020). Impact of Housing Environment on the Immune System in Chickens: A Review. Animals : An Open Access Journal from MDPI, 10(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10071138

Honig, H., Haron, A., Plitman, L., Lokshtanov, D., Shinder, D., Nagar, S., Goshen, T., & Druyan, S. (2024). Comparative Analysis of Broiler Housing Systems: Implications for Production and Wellbeing. Animals, 14(11), 1665–1665. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111665

Li, Y., Arulnathan, V., Heidari, M. D., & Pelletier, N. (2022). Design considerations for net zero energy buildings for intensive, confined poultry production: A review of current insights, knowledge gaps, and future directions. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 154, 111874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111874

Sánchez-Casanova, R., Sarmiento-Franco, L., Phillips, C. J. C., & Zulkifli, I. (2020). Do free-range systems have potential to improve broiler welfare in the tropics? World’s Poultry Science Journal, 76(1), 34–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/00439339.2020.1707389

Sokołowicz, Z., Dykiel, M., Topczewska, J., Krawczyk, J., & Augustyńska-Prejsnar, A. (2020). The Effect of the Type of Non-Caged Housing System, Genotype and Age on the Behaviour of Laying Hens. Animals, 10(12), 2450. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122450

Soliman, E. S., & Hassan, R. A. (2020). Influence of Housing Floor on Air Quality, Growth Traits, and Immunity in Broiler Chicken Farms. Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 8(9). https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.aavs/2020/8.9.997.1008

Tainika, B., Şekeroğlu, A., Akyol, A., & Ng’ang’a, Z. W. (2023). Welfare issues in broiler chickens: overview. Worlds Poultry Science Journal, 1–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/00439339.2023.2175343

Van Limbergen, T., Sarrazin, S., Chantziaras, I., Dewulf, J., Ducatelle, R., Kyriazakis, I., McMullin, P., Méndez, J., Niemi, J. K., Papasolomontos, S., Szeleszczuk, P., Van Erum, J., & Maes, D. (2020). Risk factors for poor health and performance in European broiler production systems. BMC Veterinary Research, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02484-3

Xu, D., Shu, G., Liu, Y., Qin, P., Zheng, Y., Tian, Y., Zhao, X., & Du, X. (2022). Farm Environmental Enrichments Improve the Welfare of Layer Chicks and Pullets: A Comprehensive Review. Animals, 12(19), 2610. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192610

Downloads

Published

2024-11-29

How to Cite

Rauf, U., Batool, F., Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Mohsan, Assad, M. A., Ali, M. M., Muhammad Mujtaba, Awan, G. M., Iftikhar, M. A., & Saleem Abdullah, S. S. (2024). Effect of Various Types of Housing Systems in Poultry Especially Broilers. Indus Journal of Bioscience Research, 2(02), 600–607. https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v2i02.254

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 02 (2024): Indus journal of Bioscience Research

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Indus Journal of Bioscience Research

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Most read articles by the same author(s)