Prevalence rates of health and welfare conditions in broiler chickens change with weather in a temperate climate.

ABSTRACT: Climate change impact assessment and adaptation research in agriculture has focused primarily on crop production, with less known about the potential impacts on livestock. We investigated how the prevalence of health and welfare conditions in broiler (meat) chickens changes with weather (temperature, rainfall, air frost) in a temperate climate. Cases of 16 conditions were recorded at approved slaughterhouses in Great Britain. National prevalence rates and distribution mapping were based on data from more than 2.4 billion individuals, collected between January 2011 and December 2013. Analysis of temporal distribution and associations with national weather were based on monthly data from more than 6.8 billion individuals, collected between January 2003 and December 2013. Ascites, bruising/fr

SUBMITTER: Part CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5043304 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature