Meat+Poultry - June 2019 - 102

FROM THE CORRAL

Rewarding enrichments
I recently served as a judge for a
contest conducted by Perdue Farms
designed to develop environmental
enrichments for broiler chickens. In
many organic or high welfare standard
programs, additional items have
to be added to the environment to
accommodate the behavioral needs of
the animals. Chickens have a natural
instinct to roost, climb up and hide
under things. Perdue challenged their
growers to invent enrichments and
submit them in a contest. A total of 33
growers submitted their designs. To
be eligible, each design had to be built
and tested in a real broiler house. The
Perdue staff narrowed the field to five
finalists for the final judging. On the day
of the contest, the five winning entries
had all been constructed and installed
at the Perdue Research Farm.
When the judging team entered the
research barn, it was obvious that the
broilers were actively using all five
of the enrichments. The birds were
midway through the growing period
and very active. The entries were
judged for both broiler behaviors and
practicality of use for the production
procedures. During chicken catching
and cleaning of the barn, for example,
the enrichment devices must be easy to
move out of the way.

INGENUITY AT WORK
The five final entries were distinctly
different and clearly illustrated the
originality and creativity of the family
farmer producers. They included:
TH E C ARPENT ER B ENCH This
design was mounted on the barn
wall and it consisted of a 12-in. wide
by 6-ft. long shelf with two cleated
ramps. The chickens walked up the
ramps and roosted on the shelf. The
entire unit was hinged and could be
folded up against the wall for catching
and cleanout.
C H I C KEN TREE This enrichment
was constructed from old pallet boards
that pivoted on a central rod and placed
on the floor of the barn. During use, the
boards were fanned out like a tree, and
during catching, it was hung on the wall
with boards rotated flat.
S US PEN D ED ROOST ING RAM P Many
chickens climbed and roosted on
this design. It was a larger unit with a
plastic pipe frame and mesh netting
surfaces. The inventor experimented
with different types of netting to find
one that chickens could easily walk on.
During catching, it would be hoisted
up to the ceiling, the same way feeders
and waterers are raised.
E N RI C H MENT 1900 This entry
consisted of two small wooden ramps
hinged on the top like a tent. The
cleated ramp angle could be adjusted
by how wide the tent was opened. For
cleaning, it would be picked up, folded,
and hung on the wall.

CHUCK LES This entry, named by the
producer's children, was constructed
from plastic pipe and plastic lattice
material. It had ramps, a roost area, a
hiding place and a hay feeder.
The Carpenter Bench, the winner,
was entered by Four C Farms. The
whole family was involved in the
process, with the parents and two
children wearing T-shirts that read
"Happy Chickens are Healthy Chickens."

BENEFICIAL DESIGNS
Providing broilers with ramps and
devices to walk on helps improve leg
health and reduces lameness. This can
provide a real economic benefit.
Many of Perdue's growers have
older barns with low roofs. This is one
reason why the smaller devices that
could be set out on the floor would be
preferred. The larger suspended ramp
would not work in these buildings.
In larger barns, the suspended ramp
might be the preferred design. What
this shows is that designs need to be
effective in the environments and
conditions they are to be used in.
One of the finalist's families told
everybody this project changed how
they viewed chickens. Previously, they
were not very interested in the quality
of life for a chicken. After they saw
how the chickens "enjoyed" using their
device, it changed how they viewed
chickens. They were no longer just
production activities.
T E M P L E G R A N D I N | m e a t p o u l t r y @ s o s l a n d .c o m

One of the finalist's families told
everybody this project changed how
they viewed chickens.
Rosalie Winard

102

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