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Associations between neck plumage and beak darkness, as well as comb size measurements and scores with ranging frequency of Sasso and Green-legged Partridge chickens

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

DOI

  • Patryk Sztandarski, Polish Academy of Sciences
    • ,
  • Joanna Marchewka, Polish Academy of Sciences
    • ,
  • Franciszek Wojciechowski, Polish Academy of Sciences
    • ,
  • Anja B. Riber
  • Stefan Gunnarsson, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    • ,
  • Jarosław Olav Horbańczuk, Polish Academy of Sciences

Despite the intensive genetic selection in modern poultry, variability of domestic fowl phenotypes has remained, especially in breeds adapted to local conditions. The relevance of this variability to the chicken outdoor ranging activities remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate if external features were associated with the ranging frequency of the 48 female chickens from each of the 2 breeds: Sasso and Green-legged Partridge. In each of 6 single-breed pens, 8 hens and 2 roosters were housed under conditions of EU requirements for organic meat chicken production, including free access to an outdoor range, from wk 5 to 10 of age. The birds were video-recorded during the experiment to obtain frequencies of individual birds' use of the ranges. Comb size (length and height) was measured using a digital ruler, while the sizes of the dark area of neck plumage and beak were processed and analyzed using ImageJ software. The same traits were scored using direct visual assessment by a trained observer on a scale of 1-3. In addition, the eye color of the bird was recorded. Statistical analysis was conducted independently for each breed using regression models, ANOVAs and Spearman correlations. Significant positive associations between neck plumage (P < 0.01), beak darkness (P = 0.03) measurements, comb length (P < 0.01) and comb height (P < 0.01) and frequency of range use were identified for Sasso. Sasso hens scored with darkest neck plumage (P = 0.03) and biggest comb size (P = 0.04) ranged the most, while their external features were significantly and positively correlated between each other, except beak darkness and comb length. No significant associations between ranging and external features were found in Green-legged Partridge birds, except that their comb height was significantly and positively correlated with neck plumage and beak darkness (r = 0.39 and 0.33, respectively). In some genetic strains, better understanding of the associations between chickens’ external features with ranging behavior could contribute to improve selection programs and bird welfare, assuring production of breeding stock suitable for outdoor conditions.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer101340
TidsskriftPoultry Science
Vol/bind100
Nummer9
ISSN0032-5791
DOI
StatusUdgivet - sep. 2021

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
This work was funded within the project entitled: Optimising the use of the free-range as the key to improve organic chicken production; Acronym: ?FreeBirds? under Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food and Farming System Cofund (CORE Organic Cofund) by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 727495. We would like to thank The National Centre for Research and Development in Poland for help in managing and executing this project under agreement No. COREORG/COFUND/FREEBIRDS/2/2018. The authors would also like to thank technicians, students and animal caretakers for their work during the project. All authors have participated in (a) conception and design, or analysis and interpretation of the data; (b) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and (c) approval of the final version. This manuscript has not been submitted to, nor is under review at, another journal or other publishing venue. The authors have no affiliation with any organization with a direct or indirect financial interest in the subject matter discussed in the manuscript.

Funding Information:
This work was funded within the project entitled: Optimising the use of the free-range as the key to improve organic chicken production; Acronym: “FreeBirds” under Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Food and Farming System Cofund (CORE Organic Cofund) by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 727495. We would like to thank The National Centre for Research and Development in Poland for help in managing and executing this project under agreement No. COREORG/COFUND/FREEBIRDS/2/2018. The authors would also like to thank technicians, students and animal caretakers for their work during the project.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors

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