This study examined the impact of dietary supplementation with the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) on performance, welfare, and fatty acid metabolism in broiler chickens under conventional and organic production systems. Under conventional conditions, two identical trials involving a total of 30,000 fast-growing broilers were conducted at a teaching and research farm. Birds received either a standard diet or the same diet supplemented with 0.5% C. vulgaris. Over the 34-day fattening period, performance parameters, footpad health, litter quality, and environmental indicators were recorded. Algae supplementation did not impair growth; in fact, the second trial showed significantly improved final body weights in the Chlorella group. Footpad health was markedly better in the supplemented group throughout both trials, with consistently higher litter dry matter content (trial 1) suggesting improved housing hygiene. In parallel, two feeding trials were conducted under certified organic conditions using slow-growing Hubbard ColorYield broilers. From weeks 7 to 14 of life, birds were fed diets supplemented with either 0.5% C. vulgaris or A. platensis. In the first trial, both algae improved body weight after day 16, with Chlorella-fed birds showing the highest daily gains and Spirulina-fed birds exhibiting the highest feed intake and feed conversion. Fatty acid analysis revealed species-specific effects: Chlorella significantly reduced polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in serum and liver, while Spirulina increased stearic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid concentrations. In the second trial, Spirulina again led to numerically higher body weights without statistical significance. Footpad scores were generally high (necrosis area more than half area of footpad) across all groups, with no significant differences in litter moisture. Overall, the results highlight the functional potential of microalgae in broiler nutrition, particularly for improving performance and modulating lipid metabolism. Further standardized trials are warranted to validate these findings under varying management conditions
White striping (WS), a growth-associated myopathy of the breast muscle according to literature, has become a visible hallmark of modern high-performance broilers. Intramuscular fat (IMF) and the partitioning of body fat across abdominal, subcutaneous, intermuscular and intramuscular depots behave was examined, and to what extent rearing intensity modulates these patterns. Literature reports (1988-2025; focusing on Ross series for carcass weight, abdominal fat and-where available-IMF) were combined with uniformly collected dissection data from heavy Ross 308 broilers in commercial flocks (intensive rearing, 41 d; reduced intensity, 46 d); the extensively reared ISA JA 757 line served as a reference. High breast yields in Ross 308 were achieved only under intensive conditions; this coincided with elevated breast IMF alongside low abdominal fat. A central finding was an inverse relationship between abdominal fat and IMF in Ross 308; at 46 d the direction persisted while absolute levels shifted (more abdominal fat, lower IMF). Severe WS (WS3) was rare (4/125) and occurred exclusively under intensive rearing; no WS3 cases were observed at 46 d, and ISA showed predominantly low grades. In Ross-41d, higher breast mass was associated with higher WS categories, whereas no gradation was evident for Ross-46d or ISA. Across groups, there was no consistent "more IMF-more WS" pattern. These findings suggest relevant relationships and offer initial pointers for discussing breeding and management strategies at the interface of performance improvement, breast yield, fat-depot distribution, and muscle health.
For broiler chicks, the entire hatching process and hatching itself take place in specialized hatcheries. After hatching, the chicks are transported to the broiler farm and raised there. Hatching in the barn is an alternative in which the incubated eggs are transported on the 18th day of incubation and the broiler chicks are hatched in the barn. The aim of the present field study consisted in comparing the behaviour, in particular the drinking and eating behaviour and vocalization of broiled chicks hatched conventionally in a hatchery (HH) with chicks hatched in the barn (OH) within the first days of life. For this, video-based behavioural analyses were conducted and individual calls were recorded based on continuous audio recordings and noise level measurements. The results showed that both hatching forms first consumed food (p < 0.001) and then water intake took place (p = 0.02), whereby the OH-chicks performed all types of behaviour comparatively earlier. The focal animal observation of the OH-chicks showed that they fed for the first time after hatching on average after 9:42:10 h (SD: 10:15:17 h) and drank from the nipple drinkers on average 16:04:40 h (SD: 13:01:19 h) after hatching. The HH-chicks fed for the first time 27:58:20 h (SD: 00:05:06 h) after hatching and drank at the nipple drinkers for an average of 29:37:30 h (SD: 03:53:47 h) after hatching. In addition, the HH-chicks, with a difference of 4.6 dB to the OH-chicks, showed a higher noise level (p < 0.001) and a higher maximum frequency of calls (p = 0.015), which was on average 61.8 Hz higher compared to the OH-chicks. Concerning the duration, the calls of the chicks of both hatching forms did not differ significantly on average. Based on the time until the first feed and water intake and the resulting duration of feed and water deprivation after hatching as well as the vocalization of the included broilers, it can be concluded that hatching in the barn promotes well-being and potentially reduces the stress level in the first phase of life.
Biochar is made from plant material by heating at high temperatures in a low-oxygen environment, and has been used in agriculture since ancient times because of its positive effect on soil fertility. In feed for livestock, biochar is also allowed, and there are numerous reports about positive effects on performance, feed efficiency and manure quality. In this study, the inclusion of 5-10 g biochar/kg feed in diets for fast-growing broilers was tested, and data on animal performance, meat quality and both gaseous and olfactory emissions were collected. The inclusion of biochar did not affect broiler performance, except for differences in proportion of breast fillet and meat quality that were most likely related to a slight dilution of the amino acids in the diet because of the biochar. Emissions of NH3, N2O and CH4 were not reduced, but a tendency towards reduced olfactory emissions was found. Based on these results, under Austrian and Central European conditions biochar cannot be recommended as a measure to improve broiler performance and reduce emissions. However, the use of biochar is still relevant due to its proven positive effects on soil fertility, and the application already in the feed is one possible way to introduce it in the agricultural nutrient cycle.
Poultry farming contributes only minimally to both German and global greenhouse gas emissions. However, in order to identify targeted mitigation measures at the farm level, it is necessary to consider the various gases emitted from poultry production that are relevant to climate change, as well as the conditions under which they are formed. A literature review on greenhouse gas emissions from poultry farming has highlighted two key findings. First, there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding the generation and release of direct greenhouse gas emissions from typical poultry housing systems. Second, due to the relatively low overall levels of greenhouse gas emissions, the potential for reductions is also limited. Only in the case of ammonia emissions do many farms have an opportunity to reduce emissions and thereby also decrease indirect nitrous oxide emissions from soils. Since the carbon footprint is also strongly influenced by the energy consumption of the housing system, studies were conducted to quantify the impact of the heating system in broiler production. These studies have shown that energy consumption depends on the type of heating technology used. The models developed to estimate heating demand correspond relatively well with the measured data and survey results. Consequently, these models are suitable for comparing system variants, quantifying physical changes, and optimizing housing systems with respect to their carbon footprint.
