Slow-growing broilers offer differentiation in the chicken meat market for consumers who have distinct preferences based on perceived higher welfare indices and willingness to pay a higher price for the product. Although breeding for slow-growing broilers is relatively advanced in Europe and the United States, it is limited in Australia. Crossbreeding is one of the approaches taken to developing slow-growing broiler strains. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare performance, immune response, leg health, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of a novel crossbred slow-growing broiler breed (SGB) with the conventional, fast-growing Cobb 500 broiler (CB) to assess their suitability as an alternative for chicken meat production in Australia. A total of 236 one-day-old broiler chicks (116 SGB and 120 fast-growing CB) were reared on standard commercial diet in an intensive production system. Birds and feed were weighed on a weekly basis and feed intake and feed conversion ratio calculated. At 21 d of age, a 2% suspension of sheep red blood cells was injected subcutaneously into 8 broilers of each breed to compare their antibody response. Birds from both breeds were grown to a final live weight of 2.0-2.2 kg, before a latency-to-lie (LTL) test, carcass analysis and apparent metabolizable energy (AME) assay were performed. The SGB reached the target weight at 55 d of age compared with 32 d in CB. However, SGB stood for longer during LTL, had higher thigh, drumstick, and wing yields (as a percentage of carcass weight) as well as darker and redder meat in comparison with the CB. The CB had better feed conversion efficiency, higher antibody (IgM) production, higher AME, heavier breast yield, and lower meat drip loss than the SGB. Although fast-growing CB outperformed the SGB for traditional performance parameters, the crossbred in this study was comparable with other slow-growing broiler breeds and strains across different countries and is thus a suitable candidate for a slow-growing alternative in Australia.

The recent increase in free-range meat and egg production and consumption has led to extensive investigation in this area and has revealed that the level of animal performance achieved in such systems is low compared with that achieved in conventional production systems. In Australia, this difference has been attributed either to the absence of in-feed antibiotics or to range access, which may result in exposure to detrimental climatic conditions, predators, disease, welfare challenges and nutrient dilution. Moreover, although poultry in free-range systems have ready access to outside runs, not all birds utilise them optimally. Pasture consumption results in dilution of energy and protein intake and may cause impaction and dietary electrolyte imbalance. This paper provides an overview of these issues to provide a conceptual framework for further study in this area.

Baseline information on demographics and practices on semi-intensive free-range egg farms with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare in Australia is presented. Free-range egg production is changing the structure of the egg industry in Australia and a broad variety and tiers of free-range systems have emerged due to lack of concrete legislative standards on outdoor stocking densities in the past. Information was extracted from a pre-existing online free-range poultry survey dataset, consisting of a total of 79 questions related to nutrition, pasture management, welfare and health, animal housing, environmental impact and economics. Forty-one free-range egg farms, with an outdoor stocking density of ≤1500 hens/hectare, were identified in the dataset from all major Australian states. Two types of semi-intensive free-range housing systems were documented: mobile (modified caravan/trailer) housing (56%), and fixed sheds (44%). Seventy-two percent of respondents reported >75% of the hens in the flock used the outdoor range. All respondents reported ingestion of range components by hens in the form of vegetation, insects, stones and grit. Up to 10% mortality was reported by 40% respondents with predation (34%), cannibalism (29%), heat stress (24%) and grass impaction (19.5%) as major causes. Biosecurity on farms was sub-optimal with 8 of the 10 actions implemented by <50% respondents. Customer demand, consumer sentiment and welfare were the major factors for farmers moving into free-range egg production. This study resulted in identification of current practices and key challenges on semi-intensive free-range egg farms. Applied research and communication of results to farmers is highly recommended to ensure optimum health and welfare of free-range laying hens and sustained egg production.

The objective of this study was to elicit experts’ opinions and gather estimates on the perceived probability of introduction and spread of avian influenza (AI) virus in the Australian broiler and layer industry. Using a modified Delphi method and a 4-step elicitation process, 11 experts were asked to give initial individual estimates for the various pathways and practices in the presented scenarios using a questionnaire. Following this, a workshop was conducted to present group averages of estimates and discussion was facilitated to obtain final individual estimates. For each question, estimates for all experts were combined using a discrete distribution, with weights allocated representing the level of expertise. Indirect contact with wild birds either via a contaminated water source or fomites was considered the most likely pathway of introduction of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) on poultry farms. Presence of a water body near the poultry farm was considered a potential pathway for introduction only when the operation type was free range and the water body was within 500m distance from the shed. The probability that LPAI will mutate to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was considered to be higher in layer farms. Shared personnel, equipment and aerosol dispersion were the most likely pathways of shed to shed spread of the virus. For LPAI and HPAI spread from farm to farm, shared pick-up trucks for broiler and shared egg trays and egg pallets for layer farms were considered the most likely pathways. Findings from this study provide an insight on most influential practices on the introduction and spread of AI virus among commercial poultry farms in Australia, as elicited from opinions of experts. These findings will be used to support parameterization of a modelling study assessing the risk of AI introduction and spread among commercial poultry farms in Australia.

Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) is a serious problem in laying hens farmed in cage-free systems. The causative organism, Campylobacter hepaticus, is regarded as having a fecal-oral method of transmission and hence may build up and spread readily in housing systems which allow ease of direct contact of hens with the flock's fecal material. The epidemiology of SLD has not been thoroughly investigated. An initial cross-sectional analytical epidemiological survey of SLD in free range and barn layer systems was conducted in Australia over 2019 to 2021.The survey involved rearing flocks (n = 32) which were then followed through into laying flocks (n = 24) up to 40 wk of age. Cloacal swabs were collected during rearing and lay for C. hepaticus detection by PCR. Flocks were classified as "Cases" (n = 18) where clinical SLD according to the case definition was observed or "Controls" (n = 6) which were clinically unaffected. No C. hepaticus was detected in cloacal swabs from rearing houses whereas the organism was detected in 18 Case flocks in lay and from 2 Control flocks in lay. All layer houses that incorporated a scratch area (n = 13) were categorized as Cases. Thus, having a scratch area is a key determinant for SLD and no analyses of further contributory factors from these flocks were able to be made. Of the remaining 11 flocks which had floors fully covered by slats, 5 were Cases (45%). Further risk factor analysis was compromised by this small sample size and identification of other significant associations was not possible. A larger survey investigating flocks laying in houses with fully slatted floors was undertaken to further the understanding of SLD epidemiology and is reported in a companion paper.