Optimal development of the gut is important for nutrient absorption and for poultry to resist diseases. The aim of the study was to compare gastrointestinal tract morphometrics, small intestine microstructure, as well as the amount of pasture matter and feed ingested by the birds with outdoor access presenting either an outdoor-preferring, moderate-outdoor or indoor-preferring ranging profile. Sixty non-beak trimmed birds per strain: broiler hybrid Sasso and Polish indigenous green-legged partridge were housed from week 5 to 10 in groups of 10, under conditions of EU organic meat chicken production. Pens with outdoor ranges were video recorded, to obtain frequencies of the birds’ range use. Statistical analysis was conducted applying generalized linear mixed models, applying the ranging profile as a fixed effect and pen as a random factor. The weight of the pasture matter in bird crops was the highest in moderate-outdoor profiled green-legged partridges, as compared to other ranging profiles (p = 0.04). In Sasso, villi in the small intestines were significantly higher in the outdoor-preferring compared to indoor-preferring profiled birds (p = 0.04), while their area was larger in the outdoor-preferring Sasso birds (p = 0.01). The level of development of the gastrointestinal tract and its content may be a potential indicator of the birds’ ranging profile and forage consumption.

Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic may affect the lives of pet animals. We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the welfare of pet cats across countries, as well as the owners’ experience in relation to their cat(s). An online survey containing 21 questions was distributed internationally. Questions were related to information about the cat and its behaviour and health, changes in the household due to the pandemic, and how the owner related to the cat. The survey was completed by 324 respondents from 25 different countries. The survey showed that keeping pet cats during the COVID-19 pandemic did not create problems for the owners, except some difficulties in acquiring veterinary care. The majority (67.3%) of respondents reported no changes in their cats’ behaviour. When behavioural changes were reported, they were mostly of a positive nature. Owners who took more measures in relation to the cat to prevent the spread of the virus, e.g., reduced contact, were 1.8 times more likely to report changes in the behaviour of their cats but also 3.8 times more likely to report difficulties related to the care of the cat during the pandemic. Two-third of the respondents indicated a reduction of their own psychological tensions due to having a cat during the pandemic. We concluded that the welfare of pet cats, as reported by the owners, was not adversely affected by the pandemic and the human-cat interaction had positive effects on the owners during the lockdown.

Despite the existing research into the gut microbiome of meat chickens, the associations between gut microbiome composition, its activity and chicken outdoor ranging frequency remain unexplored. The aim of this study was to determine the gut microbiota composition, activity and metabolic products in chickens of 2 different lines and 3 ranging profiles. Sixty non-beak trimmed birds, either Sasso or Green-legged Partridge were housed with access to outdoor ranges from wk. 5 to 10 of age. Outdoor ranges were video recorded to obtain frequencies of the birds’ range use. The information about relative abundance of selected bacterial groups in the ceca including Lactobacillus spp., E. coli, Bifidobacterium spp., and Clostridium spp. was obtained with the PCR method. Gut microbiota activity was assessed based on the glycolytic activity of bacterial enzymes including, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, α-galactosidase, β-galactosidase, and β-glucuronidase as well as based on the concentration of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in the caecal digesta. Statistical analysis was conducted by generalized linear mixed models, applying the breed and ranging profile as fixed effects and pen as a random factor. The lowest relative abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. was found in the cecal content of indoor-preferring Sasso birds (0.01 ± 0.001), as compared to all other birds in the experiment (ranging from 0.03 ± 0.01 to 0.11 ± 0.07; P = 0.0002). The lowest relative abundance of E. coli was identified for all outdoor-preferring birds and indoor- preferring Sasso birds (0.01 ± 0.001; P = 0.0087). Cecal activity of: α-glucosidase, β-glucuronidase and β-galactosidase was higher in Green-legged Partridges, as compared to Sasso (P = 0.013; P = 0.008; P = 0.004). Valeric acid concentrations were higher in moderate Green-legged Partridges than in Sasso of the same ranging profile (2.03 ± 0.16 vs. 1.5 ± 0.17; 0.016). The majority of the current results confirmed an effect of genotype and ranging profile on the various analyzed parameters. In outdoor-preferring birds, the consumption of pasture originating feed sources as a supplement to the indoor accessible cereal-based diet likely caused the positive effects on the birds’ microbial profile.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two housing systems (free-range vs. indoor) and two slow-growing chicken genotypes (Hubbard JA 757 and JA 787) on breast meat quality traits relevant to consumer acceptance and processing. A total of 120 Hubbard broilers were divided into four groups based on genotype and housing conditions (30 birds per group). Physicochemical properties of the Pectoralis major muscle were analyzed post-slaughter (both fresh and frozen) to assess pH, color, water-holding capacity, texture, chemical composition, and incidence of muscle myopathies (Spaghetti Meat, Wooden Breast, and White Striping). Among the evaluated parameters, only the housing × genotype interaction significantly affected pH48. Housing system significantly influenced b* and C* color values (p = 0.0001), suggesting changes in meat pigmentation due to environmental conditions. JA757 birds exhibited higher thaw loss, while cooking loss was significantly affected by both genotype and housing, as well as their interaction. Texture analysis revealed that genotype significantly affected Young's Modulus at both the 0-10 % and 20-80 % ranges, while housing conditions impacted the latter. Spaghetti Meat was more prevalent in JA787 birds and those raised indoors (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.01, respectively), whereas Wooden Breast and White Striping were not significantly influenced by genotype or housing. Fat content was significantly influenced by the housing system and its interaction with genotype, while protein and moisture contents remained stable across treatments. Genotype had a stronger influence on textural attributes and myopathy incidence, while housing conditions primarily shaped pH, pigmentation, water retention, and fat content. These findings underline the importance of aligning broiler genotype with rearing environment to optimize meat quality. Free-range systems, particularly in combination with the JA757 genotype, may better suit premium markets focused on animal welfare and tenderness, while indoor systems with JA787 birds may be better adapted to processed meat production.

This study examined the influence of feeding frequency on the morphology of the reproductive tract in broiler breeder hens, with a focus on the liver, ovary, and oviduct. A total of 364 hens and 52 roosters, starting at 31 wk of age and continuing until the end of their 38th week, were divided into 13 groups with varying feeding frequencies (1, 2, or 3 times daily). Significant changes in reproductive and metabolic parameters were observed, where feeding hens twice or thrice daily resulted in significantly reduced ovary weight and follicle counts (P < 0.001), while liver weight increased (P < 0.05). These findings suggesting complex interactions between feeding practices and reproductive efficiency.

The automated assessment of footpad dermatitis and hock burn via camera systems at the slaughterline could allow continuous monitoring of these important welfare indicators in broiler chickens. This study aimed to compare the performance of a camera system (ChickenCheck software, CLK GmbH) against three human assessors. Footpad dermatitis (4 point scale based on relative size of the lesions compared to the footpad) and hock burn (3 point scale based on absolute size of the lesions) were scored on both the left and right foot and hock according to severity from images captured by the camera system. A total of 50 images (100 feet and hocks) were used in the training dataset used to train the human assessors and 500 images (1,000 feet and hocks) were used in the validation dataset to determine measures of agreement and reliability for the discrete scoring system. Additionally, 100 images were used for lesion annotation (200 feet and hock) to determine the agreement between the camera system and the human assessors in capturing the total area affected by lesions. Despite showing substantial to good intra-observer reliability (kappa: 0.78-0.98) and moderate to substantial inter-observer reliability (kappa: 0.46-0.66) during training, the human assessors showed fair to moderate agreement (kappa: 0.33-0.47) for footpad dermatitis and hock burn when the dataset included a larger number of images with greater variation in lesion severity and appearance. However, the human assessors showed moderate to substantial agreement with the scores assigned by the camera system (0.60-0.70). More importantly, human assessors and camera system are highly correlated when it comes to indicating the size of lesions on the footpad (R²: 0.93) and hock burn (R²: 0.97), suggesting that lesions are correctly annotated by the camera system. However, the small but systematic differences found in the size of the affected area of footpad dermatitis (+2.47%) and hock burn (-0.38 cm²) by the camera system compared to the human assessors need to be addressed to further improve the performance of the automated system.