By Greg Cima
Suzanne Millman, PhD, said veterinarians can serve as a bridge between animal producers and the public to facilitate dialogues on animal welfare.
Dr. Millman, an associate professor of animal welfare at the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, delivered the statement during the opening session of the North American Broiler Welfare Symposium, a day-long series of sessions about the welfare of chickens raised for meat. The symposium was sponsored by the American Association of Avian Pathologists. Its aim was to help veterinarians determine how broiler husbandry practices affect welfare in chickens and what veterinarians can do to improve the situation.
Dr. Millman also encouraged attendees of the symposium to work toward welfare goals that can be explained to the public. She said science is only one important tool for assessing welfare of broilers.
Dr. Gail C. Golab, director of the AVMA Animal Welfare Division, said veterinarians must find common ground and may have to deal with people they dislike to resolve welfare issues and address other perspectives. "We need to look at animal welfare challenges as an opportunity to explain what we do and why," Dr. Golab said.
Dr. Michael P. Martin, assistant professor of poultry health management at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, talked about genetics, breeding, and the implications for broiler welfare across breeds. Veterinarians have to provide for the health of chickens as well as behaviors such as aversion and fear and the ability of chickens to express normal behaviors, he said.
Dr. Martin said management systems do not always allow birds to achieve their genetic potential, and past management practices may no longer work. He said there is potential for developments through research into different management practices, and good management typically improves the welfare, health, and productivity of chickens.
Dr. Donna L. Hill, of HatchTech Incubation Technology in Mountain Home, Ark., described hatcheries as a cradle for the first few hours of a chick's life. She said monitoring welfare throughout a chicken's life improves production and profit, and hatchery workers should strive for chick comfort.
Hatchery automation has increased in recent years, and veterinarians should give special attention to areas in which humans interact with chicks, said Dr. Hill.
Dr. Timothy S. Cummings, clinical professor in the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, talked about the methods used to keep chicks comfortable while housed and transported. He said practices that actually provide comfort for chickens may be perceived as uncomfortable by the public. For example, a person may call housing with low-intensity lighting "unacceptable," but this light level decreases cannibalism, aggression, and death among chickens.
"I think the chicken is quite content with it," Dr. Cummings said.
Dr. Millman said animal welfare science involves walking a fine line between avoiding anthropomorphism and denying traits common to humans and other animals. For example, she noted studies have indicated hens can teach one another to complete tasks, and roosters use different vocal cues to indicate to hens whether there is a predator in the air or on the ground, or whether there is good- or poor-quality feed nearby.
As long as people want poultry products, said Dr. Millman, attention to housing systems should focus on fixing flaws in each system, rather than debating over which system is best.
