1. On-farm quantification of sustainability indicators (SI) is an effective way to make sustainable development measurable. The egg production sector was used as a case study to illustrate this approach. 2. The objective was to select SI for economic, ecological and societal issues, and to analyse the performance on selected SI of different production systems. …
The commercial, welfare and environmental impacts of rearing small colonies of free-range chickens in newly planted woodland at two sites in the UK, during the first 2 years of the enterprise, were investigated. Newly planted rather than established trees were used so that commercially viable species could be planted in a way that would suit …
The poultry sector in the Netherlands is confronted with the EU ban on conventional cages, the public debate on the …
Corn and soyabeans may not be available in many countries particularly those which do not have sufficient foreign currency or …
Concerns regarding the welfare of laying hens raised in battery cages have led to the development of enriched cages that allow hens to perform natural behaviors including nesting, roosting, and scratching. This study was conducted to compare indices of production and welfare in birds housed in 2 different caging systems. Shaver White hens were housed …
This article presents a model to calculate the level of ammonia emission from commercial layer houses. The first part of …
Livestock and poultry producers face a number of challenges including pressure from the public to be good environmental stewards and adopt welfare friendly practices. In response, producers often implement practices beyond those required for regulatory compliance to meet consumer demands. However, environmental stewardship and animal welfare may have conflicting objectives. Examples include pasture-based dairy and …
Limited data on pollutant emissions from poultry operations are available to assess the effect of these operations on the environment …
For the poultry industry, concerns about ammonia are multifaceted and include issues of live production performance, animal health, and welfare, and environmental impact. Retail industry marketers, as a component of their evolving animal care audit programs, are issuing guidelines for the control and reduction of ammonia within poultry facilities to address animal welfare concerns. At …
In the last few years, regulatory focus has been on nutrient management from animal feeding operations with recent emphasis on air emissions. The main challenge is establishing current emission levels and determining best methodologies for measuring these accurately. Methodologies to measure air emissions under field and research conditions are currently available and are being further …
Practical means to decrease aerial emissions will enhance the ability of the US egg industry to improve environmental stewardship while …
Ammonia gas is one of the most abundant aerial pollutants of modern poultry buildings. The current chronic exposure limit for ammonia of 25 ppm is set for human safety rather than animal welfare. This study assessed the behavioural preferences of laying hens (Gallus gallus domesticus) for different concentrations of ammonia found in commercial poultry houses. …
An observational study was carried out to investigate the level and variation of water input through fresh droppings to the litter in a tiered wire floor aviary housing system from 17 to 30 weeks of age of the hens. The mass balances of droppings (all excreta), manure on the belts and litter on the floor …
Experimental research was carried out with laying hens of 47-60 weeks of age to validate a physical model of the evaporation rate of water from litter in a tiered wire floor aviary system. Variation of the evaporation rate of water from the litter was achieved by varying air velocities above the litter between 0.07 and …
The effects of a litter drying system are reported on the composition of the litter and the emission of ammonia from a tiered wire floor aviary housing system for laying hens. Air velocities above the litter, a mixture of droppings and sand, were increased by means of air that was sucked from the top of …
Poultry farmers in the European Union and especially in Holland have been dealing with environmental legislation for some years already. The most important regulations are the directives 2001/81/EC; National Emission Ceilings for certain pollutants and 96/61/EC; Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control, and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). These directives state that the emission of ammonia …