Recent interest in how poultry are housed and managed in order to ensure profitability, sustainability, and good levels of animal welfare, are challenging issues that commercial poultry keepers face, particularly where legislation is bringing about legal requirements for housing. Alternative Systems for Poultry compares and contrasts alternative housing with conventional and traditional systems for commercial poultry (laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, waterfowl and gamebirds) with regards to welfare, disease, health, nutrition, sustainability and genotype-environment interaction. It is suitable for researchers and students in poultry science and production and related subjects.
Part 1: Introduction, Legislation, Economics and Sustainability
1.1: What are Alternative Systems for Poultry?
1.2: The Impact of Legislation and Assurance Schemes on Alternative Systems for Poultry Welfare
1.3: Politics and Economics
Part 2: Disease and Health
2.1: The Effects of Alternative Systems on Disease and Health of Poultry
2.2: Production Systems for Laying Hens and Broilers and Risk of Human Pathogens
Part 3: Village and Backyard Poultry
3.1: Introduction to Village and Backyard Poultry Production
3.2: Technology and Programmes for Sustainable Improvement of Village Poultry production
Part 4: Waterfowl and Game Birds
4.1: Production Systems for Waterfowl
4.2: Game Bird Breeding, Brooding and Rearing - Health and Welfare
Part 5: Laying Hens
5.1: Housing and Management of Layer Breeders in Rearing and Production
5.2: Furnished Cages for Laying Hens
5.3: Performance, Welfare, Health and Hygiene of Laying Hens in Non-cage Systems in Comparison with Cage Systems
Part 6: Meat Birds
6.1: Housing and Management of Broiler Breeders and Turkey Breeders
6.2: Alternative Systems for Meat Chickens and Turkeys: Production, Health and Welfare
Part 7: Challenges and Opportunities
7.1: Nutritional Challenges of Alternative Production Systems
7.2: Genotype Environment Interaction: Breeding Layers with Different Requirements for Varying Housing Systems
7.3: Is There a Future for Alternative Systems?
Victoria Sandilands gained a PhD in poultry behaviour and has been employed as a behaviour and welfare scientist at the Scottish Agricultural College since 2001. Her work focuses on finding ways to house and manage poultry that is sensitive to their needs while still being profitable for the poultry farmer. As well as conducting research and writing over 50 articles, journal papers and editing journal issues, she teaches at undergraduate and master's level and supervises PhD students. Victoria is on the board of directors of British Poultry Science journal, is currently senior vice president of the International Society for Applied Ethology and vice president of WPSA UK branch.