{
  "abstract": "The use of slower-growing chicken strains and environmental enrichments are major levers for improving broiler welfare. This study compared the effects of three rearing systems on the welfare and behavior of broiler chickens: intermediate-growing broilers (Redbro) kept in an unenriched environment (“RDB”), fast-growing broilers (Ross 308) kept in a highly enriched and complex indoor environment (“RoE+”), and fast-growing broilers (Ross 308) having access to a 36-m² covered veranda from D14 (“RoCV”). Each of the four 81-m² pens per treatment housed 1,350 birds until they reached a final body weight of 1.9 kg, corresponding to a final indoor stocking density of 30 kg/m². As they aged, the RoCV chickens increasingly went into the covered verandas until an average of 27% of the birds in the verandas was reached on D32. At the same time, RoE+ broilers perched more and more on the enrichments over time. RoE+ birds consumed more water than RoCV chickens from D24 onward, without any difference in feed consumption. RDB and RoCV birds had fewer leg lesions than RoE+ ones, although the litter quality did not differ between the treatments, but RDB birds had better gait scores than either RoE+ or RoCV broilers. More walking, running, foraging, sparring and frolicking behaviors were observed in the covered verandas than in the indoor pens, where resting behavior was more frequently observed. RoE+ birds dustbathed more often than RDB and RoCV chickens. No difference between treatments was found for mortality. Fewer RoCV broilers reached the different steps of the detour test and approached a novel object than RDB and RoE+ broilers. Overall, the three rearing systems compared influenced different aspects of broiler welfare: RDB treatment was associated with better walking ability and fewer occurrences of footpad dermatitis, RoE+ with more comfort behaviors, and RoCV with more active behaviors and improved footpad condition.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Epidemiology, Health and Welfare Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Ploufragan, France",
    "Avian Experimental Unit, Ploufragan-Plouzané-Niort Laboratory, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), Ploufragan, France",
    "Technical Institute for Poultry (ITAVI), Nouzilly, 37380, France",
    "INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, Nouzilly, 37380, France",
    "INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, Nouzilly, 37380, France"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "F. Mocz"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "C. Boulangé"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "J-P. Moysan"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "L. Warin"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "A. Keita"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "C. Arnould"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "B. Méda"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "E. Le Bihan-Duval"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "M. Guinebretière"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/da9b7975nenj1.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.psj.2026.107950",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13721923/",
  "id": "da9b7975nenj1",
  "issns": [
    "0032-5791",
    "1525-3171"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.107950",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "ANIMAL WELL-BEING AND BEHAVIOR"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3404|Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221475561",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579126015841/pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13721923",
  "pmid": "42925645",
  "published": "2026-10-11",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/da9b7975nenj1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T12:22:31Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13721923",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.107950"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:1103|Animal Nutrition and Physiology",
      "subfield": "zoology-behaviour"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Slower growth, indoor environmental enrichment, or covered veranda access: A comparison of three rearing systems for broiler chicken welfare and behavior",
  "title_text": "Slower growth, indoor environmental enrichment, or covered veranda access: A comparison of three rearing systems for broiler chicken welfare and behavior",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-03T12:22:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/da9b7975nenj1",
  "venue": "Poultry Science",
  "versions": []
}