CHICKEN MEAT 
6 pages
Published: 29 Jun 2023
Author(s): Peta Taylor, Jean-Loup Rault, Carolyn De Koning, Dr Cheryl McCarthy
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DownloadCurrently, 18-20% of chicken meat produced in Australia comes from accredited free-range farms. Increased production of free-range chicken meat has largely been driven by consumer demand and the perception that free-range chicken meat is a welfare-friendly product. However, meat chicken ranging behaviour is highly variable and not all birds in a flock will access the outdoor range when provided with the opportunity. Reports of low range use in commercial flocks may concern consumers. Sustainability of the free-range chicken meat industry depends on optimised range use by birds in a way that promotes good welfare.
This project altered rearing and range environments to determine the optimal conditions to promote ranging behaviour. Visual access during rearing increased ranging behaviour in controlled and commercial conditions, and surpassed the effect of preferred range environments. Additionally, the research team validated a machine vision learning technology to quantify range use, showing it to be reliable under various environmental conditions. Therefore, the research provides a successful method to optimise and quantify range use by meat chickens on commercial farms.
The main objectives of this project were to evaluate commercially available Newcastle disease virus (NDV) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits and determine their suitability as...
As we head into a new research, development and extension (RD&E) period for the Australian chicken meat industry (2022–2027), it is timely to reflect on...
The Australian chicken meat industry is continually improving management practices in poultry sheds to ensure the best possible animal health and welfare, product quality and...
The AgriFutures Chicken Meat Program invests in research, development and extension (RD&E) to increase knowledge and understanding that fosters an innovative, adaptive and valuable chicken...
Currently, 18-20% of chicken meat produced in Australia comes from accredited free-range farms. Increased production of free-range chicken meat has largely been driven by consumer...
Currently, 18-20% of chicken meat produced in Australia comes from accredited free-range farms. Increased production of free-range chicken meat has largely been driven by consumer...
The age of broilers has a significant effect on how well they digest and absorb energy-yielding nutrients and amino acids (AA). The capacity of the...
Mother hens teach chicks important life skills that lead to lifelong benefits for the chicks. However, providing chicks with mother hens in industry is impractical...
