| Approved activities | Category |
|---|---|
| body weight | 2 |
| growth | 2 |
| body proportions | 2 |
| pulse or bloodflow | 2 |
| respiration | 2 |
| temperature (non-invasive) | 2 |
| mild dietary effects — high/normal protein | 3 |
| mild dietary effects — high/normal energy | 3 |
| mild dietary effects — high/normal fat | 3 |
| palatability | 3 |
Any feeding trial must provide the normal nutritional needs for the stage of growth/production of the bird(s). The trial period must not be longer than is necessary to achieve a clearly observable result.
Measuring body weight
Only birds accustomed to being handled should be used for measurement of body weight.
Young birds can be weighed directly on a triple beam balance. Older birds may need to be restrained in a cardboard box. (Weight of box can be subtracted from final weight).
For growers and adult birds a spring balance with a suitable scale is required for weighing. A small loop of rope can be attached to the shank of both legs and connected to the balance. Ensure the bird’s head is kept down to avoid flapping. Readings should be taken as quickly as possible and the bird returned to its normal position to avoid prolonged stress.
Poultry – weighing and recording
Watch Poultry – weighing and recording. (1:34)
Narrator: Tony Butler – agriculture teacher
Okay, so once the students have collected these chickens, they then bring them down to the outdoor classroom area.
Here we have now a group of students who are going to safely weigh these chickens and keeping in mind we need to handle them correctly. And so one student will pass it onto the scales, the student will record the weight. They will then pass that weight back to the students at the blackboard. The students there will then record the results.
And so we as I mentioned before we’re only going to weigh a minimal number, in this case it’s three chickens to reduce the amount of stress. Once those chickens have then been weighed we’ll then carefully put them back into the box.
We have a group of students who brought the chickens down to the outdoor classroom area, they will then carefully take those chickens back in their container back to their location in the housing area. So, it’s really important that this part of the work is done quite quickly and efficiently because if we end up with a cool day, chickens’ temperature can be reduced dramatically and again once that can put a fair bit of stress on these chickens and therefore their overall production and weight and development can also be reduced. Students will then work out an average weight for those chickens.
Because we’ve only used three, the students will then work out that average, they will then multiply that by the total number of chickens that we have and as mentioned before we don’t need to have a great number of these chickens.
So, we have fourteen in this particular project so they simply multiply their average by the fourteen and that gives us a gross weight of the total fourteen chickens. The record management of this program is important to students because they can track the development of these chickens over that eight week period.
[End of transcript]
Measuring growth
Growth is measured by body weight changes. Recording regular measurements of weight can give an accurate measure of a bird’s growth. Growth can also be shown by photographing or drawing a bird against an appropriate background scale.
Measuring body proportions
Two handlers are required for the measurement of body proportions. One handler is required to restrain the bird while the other measures. Do not distort a bird excessively to take measurements of body parts. A soft plastic tape measure can be used to measure different body parts of the animal.
Measuring pulse/blood flow
Due to birds very high pulse rate, pulse rate is difficult to measure and a stethoscope is required. One handler should restrain the bird while a second handler measures the pulse.
Respiration
This can be measured by observing birds in warmer weather conditions as indications of respiration become more obvious. Observe and record a bird with its beak naturally open and tongue moving, recording the number of tongue movements.
Temperature
Restrain a bird by the hand and arm method and insert a clinical thermometer into the vent or cloaca. Slide the thermometer in carefully and wash after each bird. Warm the thermometer in cold weather.
Measurement of mild dietary effects
A variation in diet can be achieved by using commercially prepared foods which use a different formula than the usual one provided. Any variation in the diet should be an enhancement to, rather than deprivation of, the diet. The minimum level of protein, energy or fat selected for the trial must be the minimum acceptable for the life stage of the particular bird type. The trial period should not be longer than is necessary to achieve a clearly observable result. Ten to fourteen days is sufficient for young birds, after which the birds should be returned to their normal diet.
Where comparative food trials are being undertaken, no less than the minimum protein levels should be fed to birds. The maximum amount of protein permitted is 20% above the minimum levels.
Schools should not keep broilers for more than 10 weeks. After this period, the likelihood of stress fractures and broken legs increases.
Palatability
For adult birds, use a variety of commercially prepared layer pellets and mash, ensuring a plentiful supply of clean fresh water. Observe two adult birds in separate pens and record the food selection of the birds.