Evaluation of the Ingestive Behavior of Foreign Fragments and the Integrity of Gastrointestinal Tract of Broiler Chickens

ABSTRACT Fragments with vibrant colors and attractive textures in poultry house litter may be consumed considering that the confinement environment does not offer many opportunities for the development of the birds’s natural behavior. Control and quality programs aiming to reduce and to eliminate the consumption of materials from the construction of sheds have been implanted. However, it is necessary to develop studies for a better understanding of the bird’s ingestive behavior and the consequences for their health, welfare and productivity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the ingestive behavior of broilers exposed to metal, wood, glass and plastic fragments at different concentrations and sizes added to the poultry house litter and the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract of broilers. A total of 360 birds were distributed in a completely randomized design over a 2x3 factorial scheme (2 fragment sizes: 2 to 7 mm and 5 to 8 mm and 3 concentrations: 0.1, 0.5 and 1%), totaling 6 treatments and 5 replicates. The fragments used were glass, wood, metal and plastic, in respective concentrations and sizes, distributed in the poultry house litter. The supply of fragments or the accidental occurrence of similar fragments to which were analyzed in this study concerning the poultry house litter, with different sizes, colors and textures does not compromise the integrity of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract and the welfare of the birds.

摘要：家禽舍垫料（poultry house litter）中色彩鲜亮、质地诱人的碎片可能被肉仔鸡（broilers）误食，究其原因在于圈养环境无法为禽类提供足够空间以展现其自然行为模式。目前，旨在减少乃至消除禽类误食鸡舍建筑材料的质量管控方案已得到落地实施。然而，仍需开展相关研究以更深入地解析禽类的摄食行为，以及该行为对其健康、动物福利与生产性能所带来的影响。本研究的目标为评估：向家禽舍垫料中添加不同浓度、不同尺寸的金属、木材、玻璃与塑料碎片后，肉仔鸡的摄食行为，以及肉仔鸡的胃肠道（gastrointestinal tract）完整性。本试验共选用360只肉仔鸡，采用2×3析因设计（factorial scheme）的完全随机分组设计（completely randomized design）方案：设置2个碎片尺寸梯度（2~7 mm与5~8 mm）及3个浓度梯度（0.1%、0.5%与1%），共计6个处理组，每组设置5个重复。试验所用的玻璃、木材、金属与塑料碎片，将按照对应浓度与尺寸要求添加至家禽舍垫料中。向家禽舍垫料中人为投喂本研究涉及的不同尺寸、色彩与质地的碎片，或是在家禽舍垫料中意外出现本研究分析的同类碎片，均不会损害肉仔鸡的胃肠道黏膜完整性与禽类福利水平。