Effect of partial comb and wattle trim on pullet behavior and thermoregulation,1

Poultry Science
P Y HesterH-W Cheng

Abstract

The wattles and comb of chickens are important for thermoregulation allowing for heat exchange during high temperatures. These integumentary tissues are sometimes trimmed to prevent tears if caught on cage equipment and to also improve feed efficiency; however, the procedure itself could be painful to chicks. Our objective was to determine the effect of trimming the comb and wattles on behavior, BW, feed usage, and the surface temperature of pullets. The wattles and comb of Leghorns were partially trimmed at 21 d age (n = 6 cages, 13 chicks each) with another 6 cages serving as controls. Behaviors were recorded 3 times daily for 1 h starting at 0800, 1200, and 1500 using instantaneous scan sampling observations conducted every 5 min prior to, on the d of, and after the trim. Group BW at 21, 28, and 36 d age and the amount of feed used for 7 d beginning at 21 and 29 d age were measured per cage. At 1300 h on d before and after the trim, thermal images of the pullet's beak, comb, eye, wattle, and shank were randomly taken on 3 pullets/cage. Smaller proportions of trimmed chicks were eating and greater proportions were sitting on the d of the trim as compared to the controls with the opposite trend occurring on 4 d post-trim (trea...Continue Reading

References

Jul 8, 1991·Neuroscience Letters·M J GentleD Waddington
Jan 1, 1956·Internationale Zeitschrift für angewandte Physiologie, einschliesslich Arbeitsphysiologie·K L ANDERSENR H POHNDORF
Feb 8, 2013·European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging·L BodeiJohn J Zaknun

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Citations

Apr 6, 2016·Poultry Science·D S Al-RamamnehP Y Hester
May 4, 2020·Poultry Science·M G L CândidoR S Gates

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