PRIETO R.; SÁNCHEZ-GARCÍA C.; ALONSO M.E.; RODRÍGUEZ P.L.; GAUDIOSO V.R.
(2012). Do pairing systems
improve welfare of captive Red-Legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) in laying
cages?. Poultry
Science 91 :1751–1758
ABSTRACT
Although animal welfare has become an important
premise in poultry, little attention has been paid to the effects of
present-day rearing methods on the welfare of game birds, species released for
hunting and re-establishment purposes. This work studied the effect of pairing
methods on the welfare of the Red-Legged partridge kept in laying cages (4,500
cm2), a commonly hunted game species in Western europe. Agonistic
behavior and possible injuries caused by aggression were studied during the
pairing and laying period in 2 types of couples: the forced type (n = 24), 1 male
and 1 female randomly chosen and placed in the same cage, and the free type (n
= 24), where the female had the opportunity to chose between 4 males, using the
time spent by the female near each male as female choice parameter. Welfare of
partridges was affected by pairing system, as aggressive behavior, divorces and
injuries were observed in a higher rate in forced pairs (25% of pairs did not
finish the productive cycle) than in free pairs (16.6%). In addition, more
females were attacked in forced pairs, whereas in free pairs, the number of
attacked males and mutual aggression was increased. Males tended to display
more aggressive behavior than females, pecking mainly on the head and back of
females. Although injuries were observed in a minor rate in free pairs, a
higher mortality was reported in females compared with males from both free and
forced pairs (6 females died in total). The poor welfare in a high percentage
of laying pairs hampers the development of sustainable rearing methods for the
species. Thus, farmers should consider avoiding forced pairing.
Key words: Alectoris rufa , laying cage ,
Red-Legged partridge , pairing , welfare
doi: 10.3382/ps.2011-01677