VETINDEX

Periódicos Brasileiros em Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia

Evaluating two systems of poultry production: conventional and free-range

Lima, AMCNääs, IA

The improvement in production technology was the major factor that lead Brazil to become the third largest poultry producer. The improvement was world´s based on the careful control of several aspects, including which nutrition and management (environment, health and rearing systems). Nowadays, the search for good welfare conditions is a global tendency in animal production. Concomitantly, an extensive production system of free-range broilers has been increasing in Brazil. This study evaluated in situ production indexes of two different commercial broiler productions, an intensive and conventional (farm A) and a semi-extensive free-range production (farm B), in order to assess the relationship between productivity and management. It was observed that the physical environment in farm A presented higher temperatures and relative humidity. Based on the results, the production index was better in farm A than in farm B. It was not clear that the production index was related to inadequate welfare of broilers under the conventional rearing system.

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