RESPONSE OF NICHOLAS WHITE TURKEYS TO INDOOR–OUTDOOR REARING SYSTEMS, GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND WELFARE PARAMETERS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/jaat.2025.1102.012Abstract
The experiment investigated the response of Nicolas White Turkeys reared under indoor and outdoor housing systems. 46-day-old poults were obtained from a reputable commercial hatchery, and the poults were reared for 4 weeks. The poults were placed in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design (CRD). The results of the study revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) between male and female turkeys in terms of pecking and walking behaviour. About housing and its interaction, the result revealed that there were no significant (P>0.05) differences across all parameters. The result of the human approach test indicated that all indices evaluated were not influenced by sex and housing at varying levels of time, except at 60 seconds, where a significant (P<0.05) difference was recorded with female turkeys having the highest indices of exploration. The higher indices recorded on female turkeys at 60 seconds might be attributed to feminine attitudes in protecting their younger ones. In addition, the first-to-touch (F.T.) values obtained do not differ significantly between the sexes. The result of sex and housing on transect walks and novel environments indicated that there were no significant differences (P>0.05) across all the treatments evaluated. However, escape attempts were significantly (P<0.05) affected by sex, with females having a higher frequency of escape attempts. This might be attributed to active defence and active avoidance, and it’s the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system that prepares the individual for fight, flight/escape attempts, or fright.
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