Productivity, leg health and range use of individual broiler chickens on a free-range commercial farm

Abstract

Individual broiler chicken range access was monitored until final pick up for slaughter. Birds were weighed and gait scored prior to and post range access (35 and 45 days of age) to investigate the relationships between body weight, leg health and range use. There were no weight differences prior to range access between birds that did and those that did not access the range. Birds that did access the range more than once had lower body weights at first and final pick up than birds that did not access the range. No birds were observed with a gait score ⋝ 3 prior to range access. However by final pick up, birds that used the range more than once had more normal gaits than birds that never used the range. This study provides evidence of relationships between accessing an outdoor range and production and welfare characteristics in commercial free-range broiler chickens.