Early training of hens: effects on the animal distribution in an aviary system

Submitted 2020-07-23 | Accepted 2020-08-12 | Available 2020-12-01https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.269-275The study aimed at evaluating if the training of hens at their arrival in the production farm affected the distribution of animals in the aviary. Training consisted in raising by hand animals found on litter after turning off the light during the first two weeks. A total of 1,800 hens, aged 17 weeks, were allocated in 8 pens of the aviary and assigned to the trained or untrained groups. From 18 to 26 weeks of age, two operators recorded the number of animals on the different parts of the aviary at two observation hours (morning and afternoon). The training decreased the rate of hens on the floor (23.5% vs. 24.5%; P<0.05) and increased the rate of those on the third level (9.26% vs. 8.73%). The rate of animals on the floor (24.4% vs. 23.6%; P=0.05) and on the second tiers (36.9% vs. 33.2%; P<0.001) was significantly higher at morning hours compared to afternoon, whereas the rate of animals on the first tiers (29.6% to 33.7%; P<0.001) and on the perches of the third level (8.84% to 9.25%; P<0.05) was lower. As the age advanced, the rate of hens on the floor significantly increased (21% to 25% from week 18 to 26); animals at the first tiers decreased from week 18 (35.3%) to weeks 20-25 to reach the minimum value at week 26 (27.9%); differences in animals on the second tiers were erratic; rate of animals on the third level was the lowest (7.13%) at week 18 and the highest (11.7%) at week 26.Keywords: aviary, laying hens, space use, nest lighting, observation hourReferencesAli, A. et al. (2016). Influence of genetic strain and access to litter on special distribution of 4 strains of laying hens in an aviary system. Poultry Science, 95, 2489–2502. 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Effects of stunning methods on pre rigor changes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared at two different temperatures

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USO DELLA TERMOGRAFIA AD INFRAROSSI PER L’ANALISI DELLA TEMPERATURA SUPERFICIALE DEL CAPEZZOLO DI BUFALE SOTTOPOSTE A DIVERSE MODALITA’ DI MUNGITURA

The milking machine may affect blood and lymphatic circulation in teat walls, because the radial and longitudinal stretching action exerted by the milking vacuum, inducing teat congestion and oedema, altering the defence mechanisms against bacterial penetration of teat duct. Milking duration, pulsation parameters and vacuum levels have been recognized as factors influencing the integrity of teat tissues. Thermography is a non-contact, noninvasive technique that detects surface heat emitted as infrared radiation. Because skin temperature reflects the status of underlying tissue metabolism and blood circulation, abnormal thermal patterns can signify areas of superficial inflammation or circulatory impairments. The effect of milking procedures and liners on udder and teat skin temperature was investigated in buffaloes, showing short and longer-term tissue reactions to machine milking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the vacuum levels on udder and teat temperature changes during milking procedure via infrared thermography. Two groups of 14 buffaloes were milked at 42 kPa, high vacuum (HV) and, after 3 weeks of adaptation to progressively lower vacuum levels, at 36 kPa (LV), using the same pulsation parameters (60 cycles/min and 65:35 ratio). Milking was carried-out at intervals of 9 hours (daytime) and 15 hours (over-night). Tests were performed in a 28+28 units parallel parlour with low line milking system equipped with light weight clusters (1.78 kg), automatic cluster removers and electronic herd management system. Thermographic images (Flir System, ThermaCam P25) of teats (base-teat â BT; middle-teat â MT and tip-teat â TT) were taken pre-milking (PM), immediately after milking (IAM) and up to 5 minutes after milking (M+). Temperatures were recovered by processing the thermoimages in ThermaCam Researcher Basic 2.8 Software. The results of vacuum level effects on teat tissue temperature show evident differences among BT and TT, and among MT and TT in all stages

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) farmed at two different temperatures: Post rigor mortis changes in function of the stunning method

Post rigor mortis changes of texture, chemical and sensory properties in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared at two different temperature conditions (8 and 12 \ub0C) were examined to better understand how different stunning methods, i.e. electroshock (E) and asphyxia with carbon monoxide (CO), can influence their evolution during refrigerated storage. Seven days after rigor resolution (TRR7), considering ATP catabolites (K- and K1-values), the freshness remained well preserved regardless of the stunning method applied and water temperature. During refrigerated storage fillets from fish reared at 8 \ub0C maintained significantly higher (P < 0.001) pH at the day of rigor resolution (TRR0), whereas at the end of the storage time (TRR7), 8 \ub0C-reared fish showed a significantly lower pH value (P < 0.05). CO treatment was effective in ensuring a more intense red colour of the fillet and high chroma, whereas E treatment exhibited the lowest a*, b* and chroma values. The texture profile analysis showed a significant effect of the stunning method (S), water temperature (T) and S 7 T interaction on fillet cohesiveness. TBARS values were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in fish stunned by CO when compared to E group in the first 76 h post mortem (TRR0). At the end of the storage period (TRR7), no TBARS value difference was detected between treatments. The stunning method had a relevant impact on fillet sensory traits, revealing that CO fillets were the juiciest (P < 0.05) and presented the lowest saltiness (P < 0.05), aroma (P < 0.05) and odour (P < 0.01) intensity. Rearing temperature, instead, had a moderate effect on fillet sensory traits and indicated that the water temperature of 12 \ub0C enhanced juiciness (P < 0.05) and tenderness (P < 0.05) attributes. Overall results suggested that CO is a suitable stunning method for trout that, coupled with 12 \ub0C water temperature, are able to preserve fillet freshness, enhance colorimetric characteristics which are maintained during refrigerated storage, and provide desirable sensory traits

Effects of stunning methods on pre rigor changes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared at two different temperatures

The effects of two stunning methods (carbon monoxide asphyxia, CO, and electroshock, E) on blood plasma parameters, rigor index, fillet pH and shape changes, ATP breakdown and Adenylate Energy Charge (AEC) in muscle immediately post mortem were investigated in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) kept in tanks containing water set at 8 °C or 12 °C. Both the methods here adopted induced a stress-response which, however, was not able to affect the rigor mortis development and fillet pH. The fillets from the E group showed the strongest length contraction and width increase at 48 h post mortem. The CO stunning method exhibited the highest levels of both ATP and AEC in the muscle immediately after death, equal to 2.28 µmol/g and 0.83, respectively, while 1.12 µmol/g and 0.64 values were found in the E group. In addition, we found that the water temperature might interact with the stunning method and minimise the stress response. In the present trial, the most suitable use of the CO stunning method would be coupled with 12 °C of rearing water temperature to better preserve ATP and AEC in muscles