The Tyson Foods Broiler Welfare Research Farm is involved in numerous research projects designed to improve the health and well-being of the birds.
“The welfare of those birds while they’re entrusted to our care is very important to us. Everything that we can learn about that is important. What makes us so unique is that we do this research on a commercial scale. The decisions that come from our research really can be applied to the commercial industry,” Karen Christensen, senior director animal welfare, Tyson Foods, said.
“The other thing that’s unique about our style of research is that we are very much concerned that the birds are part of the conversation. Preference testing is an important aspect of the work that we’re doing. We want them to have a voice in the decisions that we’re making.”
Up, over, under and around
Researchers at the farm use preference testing to try to determine the best forms of enrichment for the birds.
“Using time-lapse cameras, we’ve looked at different enrichments that ask the birds what kind of things they’d like to interact with over the life of the flock. They’ve shown us that being able to get underneath or alongside something is very important to them,” said Christensen.
“We’ve also provided them with things that they don’t interact with and I think that’s interesting information as well. They do show preference.”
How does lighting affect broiler welfare?
Recent research revealed that differences in light intensity can affect the health and well-being of poultry.
“Chickens don’t have any real defense mechanism. For them, knowing what’s in their environment is key for their safety and comfort levels. Vision is so important to them and that’s why lighting is so important to me because I want to make sure that piece is right for them,” explained Christensen.
Optimizing technology to monitor welfare
The company has also partnered with two Phase 1 SMART Broiler winners, a researcher initiative designed to aid the development of automated monitoring tools to assess broiler welfare.
OpticFlock is a novel camera/computer system that monitors bird behavior to alert producers to early signs of welfare issues such as food pad lesions and lameness, while AudioT is an audio-based monitoring tool that uses bird vocalizations to alert farms to broiler welfare and behavioral issues.
“I personally believe that the biggest improvements in welfare moving forward will be as a result of technology,” Christensen said.
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