In organic farms, hens can freely access the outdoor areas, a potential source of helminth infec-tions. This study aimed to evaluate the effective use of free-range access in organic laying hen’sfarms located in Italy. The other objective was to quantify the major risk factors for endo- andectoparasite infestation and its effect on performance, health and welfare, correlated to the useof free-range access. Fifteen organic farms of laying hens were assessed and visited twice. Thetotal number of hens in the three zones was counted and recorded three times daily. Indirectindicators (characteristics of vegetation cover, amount and weight of droppings) were recorded.To evaluate parasite infestation, 15 fresh faecal samples per flock were collected from theground/floor or perches. From seven farms, 15 gastrointestinal tracts from end-of-lay hens werequalitatively and quantitatively examined for the presence of endoparasites at different develop-mental stages. The percentage of hens observed outdoors in zone 3 was affected by free-rangefeatures. As expected, zone 1 was more frequented by hens than the others. The correlationsamong number and weight of droppings collected outside, vegetation score and the percentageof hens showed interesting results. Only three species of parasites were found during faecalsamples analysis. There was a significantly and positively correlation between the number ofCapillaria and Ascaridia eggs. The results showed that the presence in the free-range area ofmounds, trees and bushes attracted more animals outside and allowed them to show their nat-ural behaviour.

Effect of range use on endo- and ectoparasite infestation in Italian organic egg production / S. Lolli, G. Grilli, L. Ferrari, P. Ferrari, V. Ferrante. - In: ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE. - ISSN 1828-051X. - (2019 Mar 08), pp. 1-6. [Epub ahead of print]

Effect of range use on endo- and ectoparasite infestation in Italian organic egg production

S. Lolli
Primo
;
G. Grilli
Secondo
;
L. Ferrari;V. Ferrante
Ultimo
2019

Abstract

In organic farms, hens can freely access the outdoor areas, a potential source of helminth infec-tions. This study aimed to evaluate the effective use of free-range access in organic laying hen’sfarms located in Italy. The other objective was to quantify the major risk factors for endo- andectoparasite infestation and its effect on performance, health and welfare, correlated to the useof free-range access. Fifteen organic farms of laying hens were assessed and visited twice. Thetotal number of hens in the three zones was counted and recorded three times daily. Indirectindicators (characteristics of vegetation cover, amount and weight of droppings) were recorded.To evaluate parasite infestation, 15 fresh faecal samples per flock were collected from theground/floor or perches. From seven farms, 15 gastrointestinal tracts from end-of-lay hens werequalitatively and quantitatively examined for the presence of endoparasites at different develop-mental stages. The percentage of hens observed outdoors in zone 3 was affected by free-rangefeatures. As expected, zone 1 was more frequented by hens than the others. The correlationsamong number and weight of droppings collected outside, vegetation score and the percentageof hens showed interesting results. Only three species of parasites were found during faecalsamples analysis. There was a significantly and positively correlation between the number ofCapillaria and Ascaridia eggs. The results showed that the presence in the free-range area ofmounds, trees and bushes attracted more animals outside and allowed them to show their nat-ural behaviour.
organic egg production; welfare indicators; layinghens; free-range use; parasites
Settore AGR/20 - Zoocolture
Settore VET/05 - Malattie Infettive degli Animali Domestici
8-mar-2019
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/631670
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