Regionaal voeder in een pluimveerantsoen: welke mogelijkheden?

Biologische landbouw streeft naar het sluiten van kringlopen op regionaal en bedrijfsniveau. Voor gevogelte moet 20% van het veevoeder afkomstig zijn van het eigen landbouwbedrijf of van een landbouwbedrijf uit de regio. Vlaamse biologische leghennenbedrijven hebben, naast de vrije uitloop, meestal geen extra ruimte die kan dienen voor het telen van voedergewassen of om zelf een gedeelte van de kippenmest te plaatsen. Om te kunnen voldoen aan de regionaliteitsvoorwaarde voor het voeder zullen zij op zoek moeten gaan naar samenwerkingsverbanden op regionaal niveau om kringlopen te sluiten. De bedrijven die wel extra ruimte hebben, geven aan dat ze nood hebben aan advies voor de mogelijkheden op hun bedrijf. Deze CCBT-studie van Proefbedrijf Pluimvee en Inagro wil een samenvatting geven van de mogelijkheden voor akkerbouwers en pIuimveehouders die geïnteresseerd zijn om zelf gewassen te telen die passen in een pluimveerantsoen. Ook voor pluimveehouders die zelf grondstoffen willen aankopen en deze zelf op het bedrijf verwerken in het rantsoen, of akkerbouwers en pluimveehouders die nauwer met een voederleverancier willen samenwerken rond regionale voedering, kan deze studie interessant zijn. Voor verschillende componenten van het voeder (granen, peulvruchten en oliehoudende gewassen) werden teeltfiches opgemaakt. Daarnaast werden in samenwerking met ILVO een aantal voorbeeldrantsoenen samengesteld

Mestverwerkingsplicht: een sociale bijsturing?

Het mestbeleid in Vlaanderen kent een bewogen ontwikkelings- en verbeterproces. Sinds de introductie van het mestdecreet in 1991 zijn er verschillende aanpassingen en bijsturingen nodig gebleken waaronder de verplichte mestverwerking. In deze publicatie wordt nagegaan welk effect de verwerkingsplicht heeft op de totale kostenstructuur van de sector. Welke betrokkenen hebben baat bij de invoering en welke stakeholders zien hun lasten stijgen? Hierbij komen zowel de landbouwsector, de transporteurs als de verwerkingssector aan bod. Er wordt ook beschreven welke kosten en opbrengsten er verschuiven tussen de individuele bedrijven, welk type bedrijven wint en of de initiële doelstellingen van het beleid daadwerkelijk behaald werden

Characteristics of general practice care: What do senior citizens value? A qualitative study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In view of the increasing number of senior citizens in our society who are likely to consult their GP with age-related health problems, it is important to identify and understand the preferences of this group in relation to the non-medical attributes of GP care. The aim of this study is to improve our understanding about preferences of this group of patients in relation to non-medical attributes of primary health care. This may help to develop strategies to improve the quality of care that senior citizens receive from their GP.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Semi-structured interviews (N = 13) with senior citizens (65-91 years) in a judgement sample were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The analysis was conducted according to qualitative research methodology and the frame work method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Continuity of care providers, i.e. GP and practice nurses, GPs' expertise, trust, free choice of GP and a kind open attitude were highly valued. Accessibility by phone did not meet the expectations of the interviewees. The interviewees had difficulties with the GP out-of-office hours services. Spontaneous home visits were appreciated by some, but rejected by others. They preferred to receive verbal information rather than collecting information from leaflets. Distance to the practice and continuity of caregiver seemed to conflict for respondents.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Preferences change in the process of ageing and growing health problems. GPs and their co-workers should be also aware of the changing needs of the elderly regarding non-medical attributes of GP care. Meeting their needs regarding non-medical attributes of primary health care is important to improve the quality of care.</p

Risk factors associated with keel bone and foot pad disorders in laying hens housed in aviary systems

Aviary systems for laying hens offer space and opportunities to perform natural behaviors. However, hen welfare can be impaired due to increased risk for keel bone and foot pad disorders in those systems. This cross-sectional study (N = 47 flocks) aimed to assess prevalences of keel bone and foot pad disorders in laying hens housed in aviaries in Belgium to identify risk factors for these disorders and their relation to egg production. Information on housing characteristics and egg production were obtained through questionnairebased interviews, farm records, and measurements in the henhouse. Keel bone (wounds, hematomas, fractures, deviations) and foot pad disorders (dermatitis, hyperkeratosis) were assessed in 50 randomly selected 60-week-old laying hens per flock. A linear model with stepwise selection procedure was used to investi-gate associations between risk factors, production parameters, and the keel bone and foot pad disorders. The flock mean prevalences were: hematomas 41.2%, wounds 17.6%, fractures 82.5%, deviations 58.9%, hyperkeratosis 42.0%, dermatitis 27.6%, and bumble foot 1.2%. Identified risk factors for keel bone disorders were aviary type (row vs. portal), tier flooring material (wire mesh vs. plastic slats), corridor width, nest box perch, and hybrid. Identified risk factors for foot pad disorders were aviary type (row vs. portal), free-range, and hybrid. Percentage of second-quality eggs was negatively associated with keel bone deviations (P = 0.029) at the flock level. Keel bone and foot pad disorders were alarmingly high in aviary housing. The identification of various risk factors suggests improvements to aviary systems may lead to better welfare of laying hens

Effects of on-farm and traditional hatching on welfare, health, and performance of broiler chickens

In on-farm hatching systems, eggs that have been incubated for 18 D are transported to the broiler farm. After hatching around day 21, the chicks have immediate access to feed and water. By contrast, traditionally hatched chicks are in early life exposed to dust and pathogens in the hatcher, handling procedures, and transport and remain without feed and water until they have arrived on the farm 1 to 3 D after hatching. We compared welfare and performance of on-farm hatched (OH) and traditionally hatched control (C) Ross 308 broiler chickens from day 0 to 40, housed under semicommercial conditions. The experiment included 3 production cycles in 4 rooms, with each room containing 1 OH and 1 C pen with 1,150 chickens in each pen. Per cycle, C and OH chicks were from the same batch of eggs of 1 parent stock flock. Day-old chick quality was worse for OH than C chickens (hock and navel score; P < 0.05). On-farm hatched chickens were heavier than C chickens until day 21 of age (P < 0.05). Total mortality was significantly lower in OH compared with C pens (P < 0.05). A tendency for lower footpad dermatitis scores was found in OH pens compared with C pens (P < 0.10), probably because of the dryer litter in OH than C pens (P < 0.05). No differences between treatments were found in gait, hock burn, cleanliness, and injury scores, and no or only minor, short lasting differences were found in pathology and intestinal histology. In conclusion, the present study showed that on-farm hatching may be beneficial for broiler welfare, as it reduced total mortality and resulted in dryer litter which is known to be beneficial for reducing footpad dermatitis.</p

Specific characteristics of the aviary housing system affect plumage condition, mortality and production in laying hens

Feather pecking and high mortality levels are significant welfare problems in non-cage housing systems for laying hens. The aim of this study was to identify husbandry-related risk factors for feather damage, mortality, and egg laying performance in laying hens housed in the multi-tier non-cage housing systems known as aviaries. Factors tested included type of system flooring, degree of red mite infestation, and access to free-range areas. Information on housing characteristics, management, and performance in Belgian aviaries (N = 47 flocks) were obtained from a questionnaire, farm records, and farm visits. Plumage condition and pecking wounds were scored in 50 randomly selected 60-week-old hens per flock. Associations between plumage condition, wounds, performance, mortality, and possible risk factors were investigated using a linear model with a stepwise model selection procedure. Many flocks exhibited a poor plumage condition and a high prevalence of wounds, with considerable variation between flocks. Better plumage condition was found in wire mesh aviaries (P <0.001), in aviaries with no red mite infestation (P = 0.004), and in free-range systems (P = 0.011) compared to plastic slatted aviaries, in houses with red mite infestations, and those without a free-range area. Furthermore, hens in aviaries with wire mesh flooring had fewer wounds on the back (P = 0.006) and vent (P = 0.009), reduced mortality (P = 0.003), and a better laying performance (P = 0.013) as compared to hens in aviaries with plastic slatted flooring. Flocks with better feather cover had lower levels of mortality (P <0.001). Red mite infestations were more common in plastic slatted aviaries (P = 0.043). Other risk factors associated with plumage condition were genotype, number of diet changes, and the presence of nest perches. Wire mesh flooring in particular seems to have several health, welfare, and performance benefits in comparison to plastic slats, possibly related to decreased feather pecking, better hygiene, and fewer red mite infestations. This suggests that adjustments to the aviary housing design may further improve laying hen welfare and performance