Keel bone damage in laying hens reared in different production systems in Serbia

: The European Union in 2012 banned conventional battery cages for the welfare reasons. However, transition to new housing systems uncovered some new problems, such as keel bone damage (KBD), which also could endanger welfare of laying hens. Although KBD is a research topic which attracts a growing attention in the EU, in Serbia it is still rather unknown phenomenon, even among the scientific and professional community. This research is the first attempt to determine the prevalence of KBD in laying hens in housing systems currently existing in Serbia. The results of conducted monitoring show presence of KBD on all observed farms, except the organic one. The occurrence of KBD was at an acceptable level (from the standpoint of hen welfare) in the free-range system, enriched cages without equipment and conventional battery cages (4%, 3% and 1%, respectively), while in the fully equipped enriched cages it was high (39%). One could assume that this high prevalence of KBD in this system is a consequence of a long roosting on a metal perches.

[1]  J. Steibel,et al.  Comparisons of bone properties and keel deformities between strains and housing systems in end-of-lay hens. , 2016, Poultry science.

[2]  A. B. Riber,et al.  Keel-bone damage and foot injuries in commercial laying hens in Denmark , 2016 .

[3]  B. Tobalske,et al.  Causes of keel bone damage and their solutions in laying hens , 2015 .

[4]  T. Widowski,et al.  On-farm comparison of keel fracture prevalence and other welfare indicators in conventional cage and floor-housed laying hens in Ontario, Canada. , 2015, Poultry science.

[5]  P. Hester,et al.  The effect of perch availability during pullet rearing and egg laying on musculoskeletal health of caged White Leghorn hens. , 2013, Poultry science.

[6]  S. Brown,et al.  Pop hole use by hens with different keel fracture status monitored throughout the laying period , 2012, Veterinary Record.

[7]  S. Gebhardt-Henrich,et al.  Prevalence of keel bone deformities in Swiss laying hens , 2011, British poultry science.

[8]  S. Brown,et al.  Influence of housing system and design on bone strength and keel bone fractures in laying hens , 2011, Veterinary Record.

[9]  V. Sandilands,et al.  Providing laying hens with perches: fulfilling behavioural needs but causing injury? , 2009, British poultry science.

[10]  B. Sonck,et al.  Welfare assessment of laying hens in furnished cages and non-cage systems: an on-farm comparison , 2008, Animal Welfare.

[11]  S. Brown,et al.  Investigation of palpation as a method for determining the prevalence of keel and furculum damage in laying hens , 2004, Veterinary Record.