Adding foliage such as hedgerows to pasture-raised chicken operations could help reduce heat stress, improving growth rate and immune response, according to the findings of a study published in Frontiers in Animal Science.
“The addition of hedgerows may improve the welfare of pastured broiler chickens. Our research suggests that hedgerows decrease heat stress in Cornish cross chickens and improves immune parameters in red ranger Chickens,” explained Marissa Pollak, one of the authors of the paper, and a fourth-year student in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University.
A lack of sweat glands and relatively high body temperatures can put poultry, especially fast-growing chickens, at a higher risk of heat stress. This is a concern for farmers, especially as temperatures rise in the northern hemisphere.
How the research was conducted
The research evaluated the rate of growth and immune response of Cornish cross and Red ranger chicks. The chicks were divided into experimental and control groups, where half of each breed lived in a pasture with access to a pasture with a hedgerow. The remaining lived in a space with no hedgerow.
The Cornish crosses that lived with a hedgerow displayed increases in growth rate, while the Red rangers showed improved immune responses.
These modest increases occurred as a result of additional shade and decreased heat stress, the researchers hypothesized.
“Cornish cross chickens are the breed where heat stress can become a problem. They are bred for a high rate of growth, in order to produce large quantities of meat. They are typically raised in controlled environments where the environment can be carefully controlled. A good proportion of their energy is directed towards putting on weight, but the trade-off is that they are not able to regulate their temperature as well as some other breeds,” Pollak added.
Hedgerows could have additional benefits to pasture-raised chickens, serving as a source of enrichment and protecting the birds from direct sunline and predators.
Pasture-raised chicken production is gaining in popularity. Perdue Farms recently announced plans to scale-up their pasture-raised chicken program.
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