Browsing by Subject "Aktivität"

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DIE BEDEUTUNG DER LAUFAKTIVITÄT UND DER GEWICHTSENTWICKLUNG BEI DER ENTSTEHUNG VON BEINSCHÄDEN BEIM MASTGEFLÜGEL
(2006) Djukic, Mirjana; Bessei, Werner
Within the last 50 years, an intensive selection took place in broilers on high growth and therefore there exists a clear reduction of the age at slaughter. Side effects of the selection of faster and higher growth are leg disorders. RUTTEN et al. (2002) tried to reveal the causal relations between weight load, activity and leg disorders by reducing the weight load on legs of fast growing broilers (FB) by a special device. The weight reduced FB showed higher locomotor activity and better bone quality. However, the harness used for the reduction of weight load on the legs impaired the growth rate. In the present study, the experiment of RUTTEN et al (2002) was repeated with an improved device for reduction of weight load of FB. In addition, slow growing broilers (SB) were used, and were brought to the same weight load as weight reduced FB by additional load. In total three experiment were carried out. The first experiment was split in two parts (1a and 1b) so as to incrase the number of replicates. For each experiment, 24 male broilers were used: 12 FG (ROSS 308) and 12 SB (ISA S 257). Load reduced birds weared a harness which was connected to the load reducing device. The load increase of SB weared the same harness with small pieces of led. The chicks of the groups were treated as follows: one with harness and suspension (HS), one with a harness and without suspension ? control bird 1 (C1) and a control bird with no harness and no suspension ? control bird 2 (C2). The load of FB was reduced to the average weight of SB-C2 and FB C2. The load of the SB was increased to the same average value. The following parameters were recorded: body weight, food consumption, weight of breast muscle, thigh, tibiotarsus, femur; length of tibiotarsus and femur; angular deformity of distal femur, distal and proximal tibiotarsus; torsional deformity of femur and tibiotarsus, total area, total density, Corticalis area, Corticalis density, SSI, walking, sitting, standing, eating and ?other behavior?. The weight load reduction in FB led to a significant increase of the locomotor activity. Both the torsional and angular deformities of the Tibiotarsus were clearly reduced, while total area, total density, Corticalis area and SSI were increased. It can be assumed that this was caused by the higher locomotor activity of load reduced FB. The increase of load in the SB diminished the locomotor activity but bone characteristics were not deteriorated. The improvement in the bone conditions of the FB was obviously caused by the increase in activity. In order to determine the influence of decreased load in FB and of increased load in SB the opportunity to move was restricted by reduction of the length of the compartments from 2 to .45 meters. All other experimental conditions remained the same as in experiment 1. Despite the restricted space there was a significant increase in locomotor activity of the load reduced FB. The torsion and angular deformity of the proximal and distal angular deformities of the Tibiotarsus were reduced. There was no significant effect of the increase and decrease of load on the CT-criteria. As in experiment 1, the weight load in the SB diminished the locomotor activity, but the bone characteristics were not influenced significantly. In the third experiment the gait of the load increased SB and load decreased FB was analyzed by a foot print program. For this purpose the length and width of the steps were measured at 4, 5 and 6 weeks of age. The same breeds and the same technique of the modification of the load were used. The load treated birds were kept individually and could use the full length of the test pens. In contrast to the previous experiments the control birds were kept in pens of 1 m² floor space (1 x 1 m). Only the birds without harness (C2) were kept as control. The results of the morphometric and CT- criteria confirmed the results. The FB control birds showed higher step length and greater step width than SB controls. The step length of FB was increased through the load reduction, and decreased through load increase in SB. The treatment had no influence on the step width. SB broilers showed problems to keep their balance under increased weight load. As indicated in the low width of the foot prints the load increased SB broilers tried to place their feet, as usual, under the point of gravity of their body. This seems to impair the stability of gait under increased weight load. FB in contrast, move their centre of gravity above the supporting leg which allows a stable gait under high load. FB did not change the width of their foot prints when the load was decreased, and only the length of the steps increased. The results underline the importance of locomotor activity on the leg conditions of FB. They clearly show that low activity of FB is not caused by lack of motivation but by the high weight load.
Einfluss von Beschäftigungs- und Strukturelementen auf das Verhalten und das Beinskelett konventionell gehaltener Mastputen
(2010) Letzguß, Helga; Bessei, Werner
Commercial turkey production in Germany is characterized by the use of heavy strains and intensive management systems with a poor level of environment stimulation. This results in behavioral and health problems, which are not only relevant with respect to animal welfare but do result in substantial financial losses for the farmers. It is assumed that environmental enrichment could be a promising means for improving the locomotor system of turkeys and for reducing cannibalism and feather pecking. The present field study deals with the effects of environmental enrichment under commercial rearing conditions. The major focus was on deducing the impact on (i) cannibalism and featherpecking, (ii) locomotor activity, and (iii) leg conditions. In addition the acceptance and the utilization of the enrichment facilities should be determined. Based on previous work, different enrichment structures were selected. Particular attention was given to choose structures that could easily be integrated into existing stables at low costs. Moreover, the objects should not substantially increase the workload of the farmers. Raised platforms, round bales of straw, baskets filled with hay, and packs of palettes were used as enrichment objects. The latter were substituted with square bales of straw in the second experiment. The enrichment structures occupied 5.3 % of the available area of the houses. The two successive experiments, one in the warm (Durchgang 1) and one in the cold (Durchgang 2) season, were carried out using three commercial turkey houses. Heavy strains of turkeys were kept in houses with more than 4500 animals. Two houses (A1 and A2) were enriched and one house was kept as non-enriched control. Starting from the 6th week of age the animals were observed in 4 week intervals by three observers. In addition, videos were recorded during the same time and evaluated using the commercial software INTERACT (Mangold International GmbH, Arnstorf). The following areas have been observed separately: raised platforms, square bales of straw, round bales of straw, unenriched area, wired basket filled with hay, feeder area, and drinker area. The following behaviours were determined: resting, sitting, locomotion, comfort behaviour, object pecking, environment pecking, feather pecking, aggression, dust bathing, scratching, threat, cannibalism, water intake, and food intake. The duration and the number of animals performing locomotion, sitting, and standing in the individual areas were determined. At 14th weeks of age approximately 150 animals were selected at random and weighted. The conditions of the breast skin, feathering, and foot pads were scored. At slaughter, the scorings of each third breast skin and each fifth food pad were repeated. Furthermore, after slaughter, 50 tibiotaris were randomly chosen for which length, angular distal deformity, torsional deformity were identified. Based on computer tomography the following bone parameters were determined in the middle of the total area, total density, corticalis area, corticalis density and Strain Strength Index (SSI). The enrichment structures were well accepted and used by the turkeys. The structures were mainly used for resting. From the observed extended resting periods it can be concluded that on the enrichment structures the animals could better satisfy their need for resting than in the non-enriched areas. Short resting periods in the non-enriched area are mainly due to frequent disturbances caused by fellow turkeys. From the fractions of locomotion in the unenriched areas it could be shown that the enrichment structures yielded increased locomotor activity. There was no effect of the enrichment structures on animal health. A decreased torsion of the tibiotarsi from the enriched houses were determined. In order to access the raised plarforms, palettes, and square bales of straw, the turkeys in the enriched houses had to wing flap, climb, and jump. This resulted in strengthening of both the leg muscles and the bones. The turkeys used the round bales until the end of the fattening period, where as pecking at the basket filled with hay decreased gradually. The occurrences of threat, aggression, cannibalism, and featherpecking, were very low an all houses. Hence, no effect was found for the enrichment structures on these behaviors. This thesis provided proof that low-cost enrichment of the environment can be advantageous with respect to the bone health of turkeys. In addition, it was demonstrated that it is possible to increase the locomotor activity of heavy strains. Furthermore, the results indicate that even small height differences between object surface and litter level suffice to enable the creation of resting areas. It should be noted that the enrichment structures did not loose attractiveness for the turkeys throughout the complete fattening period.
Investigating dairy cow welfare by optimizing pulsation cycles and improving activity measurements during milking from a technical perspective
(2016) Blümel, Franziska Elisabeth; Schick, Matthias
During machine milking, farmers often encounter milking problems even though milking machine constructions generally comply with the required international standards. The first aim of this thesis was to investigate the effect of two different durations of the closing and closed phase (c- and d-phase, respectively) on physical processes in the milking cluster. The second aim was to examine the effect of these c- and d-phases on milk removal and hind-leg activity. It was hypothesized that a prolonged c-phase (i.e. slower liner closing) might be gentler and more comfortable for the dairy cow than a short c-phase (i.e. faster liner closing). Consequently, this would lead to optimized milk removal and calmer dairy cow behavior in the milking parlor. Therefore, dairy cows were confronted randomly with two types of pulsation chamber cycles (Treatments A and B) for 12 milkings. The treatments differed in the durations of c- and d-phases. In Treatment A, the c-phase lasted 70 ms and the d-phase 330 ms, whereas in Treatment B, the c-phase lasted 130 ms and the d-phase 270 ms. Using a vacuum measuring device (MT52, BEPRO AG, Güttingen, Switzerland), measurements were taken during milking proceedings. Milk flow characteristics were recorded using milk flow meters (LactoCorder®, WMB AG, Balgach, Switzerland). Hind-leg activity was recorded during milking using accelerometers attached on the hind-legs (RumiWatch® pedometer, ITIN+HOCH GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland). Treatment B showed the following effects on parameters measured in the milking cluster compared with Treatment A: -Durations of open liner were on average 26.2 ms longer. -Durations of closing liner were on average 23.4 ms longer. -Pressure sum was on average 1 kPa lower. Treatment B showed the following effects on milk flow and hind-leg activity compared with Treatment A: -Cows produced 0.21 kg higher total milk yield. -Peak flow rate was 1.04 kg/min higher. This thesis showed that c-phase durations influence physical processes in the milking cluster and milk flow characteristics. A prolonged c-phase is not only beneficial for dairy cow’s health but also from an economic point of view. Statements regarding welfare improvements are rather difficult to make. In addition to the first and second aim of this thesis, the third aim was to examine the correlations of hind-leg activity with accelerometers attached to the hind-leg and to the milking cluster with direct observations. As restlessness during milking is considered as an important parameter for impairments of dairy cow welfare, a standardized measuring procedure for this behavior may be severe for detection of deficient milking conditions. It was assumed that the milking cluster is set in motion as hind-legs of dairy cows move, because the milking cluster is freely suspended on the cow’s udder. Therefore, an accelerometer attached to the milking cluster may measure the hind-leg activity of the dairy cow indirectly. This method could replace laborious attaching of accelerometers on the hind-legs of dairy cows and provide a standardized on-line measuring procedure. Therefore, measurements with accelerometers on hind-legs of dairy cows and on the milking cluster were taken once during morning and evening milkings for every cow. In addition, direct observations of dairy cows’ motion behavior during milking were made. The differentiation of hind-leg activity took place between active phases and inactive phases. Data from morning milkings were used to create an algorithm to validate data automatically from evening milkings. The correlation measurements of hind-leg activity were as follows: - The algorithm is defined as the number of observations using mean values + standard deviation + 0.2 m/s2. -Correlation “visually counted number of active phases from graphs” with “number of observations calculated with the algorithm from the milking cluster” was 97 % (morning milkings). -Correlation “number of active phases recorded with milking cluster using the algorithm” with “number of active phases using direct observations” was 74 %. -Correlation “number of active phases recorded with the hind-leg using the algorithm” with “number of active phases using direct observations” was 91 %. It was possible to develop a hind-leg activity measuring method, without attaching accelerometers on the hind-legs of dairy cows. With this novel method, costs and labor can be minimized and objective examination of animal behavior can be guaranteed. In a next step, it can be implemented in the milking parlor or in the automatic milking device as a diagnostic tool providing valuable information to the farmer and consultant in a management program.
Older adults’ internet use, outdoor activity, and the urban environment : empirical analysis
(2021) Schehl, Barbara; Kirn, Stefan
In an ageing society, information technology (IT) can be a powerful tool to support older adults in staying physically, mentally, and socially active. A growing number of studies show positive effects of Internet use on active ageing. Specifically, understanding the relationship between older adults’ Internet use and their participation in outdoor activity has gained attention. However, little is known about the role of specific online activities, as previous research mainly considered general Internet use, e.g., writing emails and browsing the Web, which does not provide a rationale for increased outdoor activity. Another important factor affecting outdoor activity is the urban environment in which older adults live, especially as the environment can either motivate or hinder participation in outdoor activity. Against this backdrop, the aim of this thesis is to get a better understanding of the association between Internet use, the urban environment, and participation in outdoor activity. By adopting an ecological perspective, this dissertation is first in comprehensively assessing this association. Three studies provide empirical insights into patterns of factors and contribute an enhanced understanding of the association between older adults’ Internet use, the urban environment, and outdoor activity. In summary, this thesis contributes to a relevant growth of knowledge on older adults’ Internet use and outdoor activity. The approach in this thesis uncovered important differences in the roles of individual factors as well as environmental factors in explaining older adults’ outdoor activity. Based on this contributions, important implications for research can be identified. For instance, future research can use the conceptual framework as a basis to investigate further types of outdoor activities and further types of online activities, such as social networks and messaging services which attain increasing relevance for the group of older adults. Further, this dissertation also has some practical implications, for example, as all three studies showed that socio-demographic predictors play important different roles, the findings are specifically relevant to identify specific groups of older adults. For instance, developers and providers can tailor their services to the needs of older adults, e.g., by designing responsive and barrier-free interfaces that adapt to individual capabilities in cognition, vision, and motor function. Concluding, older adults should be encouraged to go online because the Internet increasingly provides information about opportunities and offerings in the city. The findings of this dissertation provide a rationale for the development of online services that offer neighborhood information and ultimately support older adults to be active outdoors.