Maintaining leg and bone structure in commercial poultry
Principal Investigator - Doug Korver, University of Alberta
Year the work was done - 2010-2013
Overall objective -
To determine the effects of dietary HyD on male turkey production, physiology and immune function.
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Assessing the behaviour and welfare of broiler breeders using alternative feeding strategies
Principal Investigator - Stephanie Torrey, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (at the University of Guelph)
Year the work was done - 2010-2013
Overall objective -
To investigate the implications of feed restriction strategies in broiler breeder chickens.
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Implications of toe clipping on the welfare of commercial turkeys
Principal Investigator - Hank Classen, University of Saskatchewan
Year the work was done - 2010-2013
Overall objective -
To determine the impact of toe trimming hen and turkey toms on bird welfare, performance and carcass grades at processing.
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Epigenetic transfer of behaviour and stress susceptibility in the laying hen: influence of rearing and housing of different strains of parent stock on offspring phenotype
Principal Investigator - Tina Widowski, University of Guelph
Year the work was done - 2013-2018
Overall objective -
Investigate the transfer of behavioural traits and stress susceptibility from laying hens to their offspring, determine whether egg traits and offspring behaviour differ with age of breeder flock, and whether some genotypes are more sensitive to these effects than others.
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Development of flight and locomotion in laying hens
Principal Investigator - Alexandra Harlander, University of Guelph
Year the work was done - 2013-2018
Overall objective -
To investigate the development of locomotion in the air and on the ground in pullets and laying hens, the birds’ preferences for flying and walking, and the significance of this knowledge for the proper rearing and housing of pullets and laying hens in aviary systems.
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Impact of ammonia on welfare of poultry
Principal Investigator - Alexandra Harlander, University of Guelph
Year the work was done - 2013-2018
Overall objective -
Investigate feeding behaviour in relation to the presence of manure.
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Improving foot pad quality in commercial broilers: benchmarking and practical strategies
Principal Investigator - Clover Bench, University of Alberta
Year the work was done - 2014-2016
Overall objective -
To determine which in-barn moisture strategies and philosophies yield the highest quality broiler foot pads, e valuate on-farm foot pad assessment techniques, and cultivate stronger communication linkages between producers, researchers and processors.
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Investigating the influence of extreme exposure temperature during simulated transport on turkey physiology, welfare and meat quality
Principal Investigator - Trevor Crowe, University of Sasktachewan
Year the work was done - 2014-2017
Overall objective -
To investigate the effects of extreme exposure temperature, age (gender) and transportation duration on turkeys during simulation transport.
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Study of the impact of various stocking densities on the performance, health and welfare of turkey broilers and heavy turkeys
Principal Investigator - Karen Schwean-Lardner, University of Saskatchewan
Year the work was done - 2015-2018
Overall objective -
To determine the impact that increasing graded levels of stocking density have on various parameters (productivity, health and welfare, and behaviour) of turkey production.
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The impact of stocking densities on performance, health and welfare in turkey hens
Principal Investigator - Karen Schwean-Lardner, University of Saskatchewan
Year the work was done - 2018-2021
Overall objective -
Determine the impact of graded levels of stocking density on turkey hen performance, health and welfare, and determine the peaks in performance, health and welfare parameters via regression analyses.
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Identifying developmental determinants of successful behavioural adaptation and musculoskeletal health of egg-laying hens
Principal Investigator - Tina Widowski, University of Guelph; Karen Schwean-Lardner, University of Saskatchewan; Bettina Willie, McGill University
Year the work was done - 2018-2023
Overall objective -
Advance understanding of the bone biology of laying hens and identify practices for housing and managing of different strains of pullets that result in a successful adaptation to a complex housing environment and a healthy hen to end-of-lay.
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