Talk:Optimising liveability of free-range layers
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Chris Day 10:14, 24 September 2008 (EST)
There is a misconception among a number of people about cannibalism being a major cause of death in Free Range Birds. Dr. Peter Scott recently completed a project with a number of free range egg producers and no where in his final report did he suggest that cannibalism was one of the 'most common causes of death for free range layers' as indicated on your page 'Optimising liveability of free-range layers'. You need to talk to genuine free range producers rather than 'media experts' prior to making such broad statements. We would appreciate the offending sentence be edited. Free Range Poultry Association of Qld Inc.
Cannibalism was identified as a major cause of death in free range birds in the necropsy results from Project 05-13 Pilot trial - Mortality in free range flocks. This project was funded by the Australian Poultry CRC and conducted by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland. On page 21 of the final report, cannibalism came in as the second most common cause of death at 38.9% behind reproductive tract lesions at 45.4% (together accounting for 84.3% of all deaths). The Australian Poultry CRC can provide you with a copy of the final report if required or, if you prefer, you could speak directly with the Project Leader, Ms Tanya Nagle, DPI&F, Queensland.
As this information came from an epidemiological survey from five flocks of birds from free range farms in Southeast Queensland, these percentages would, presumably, vary from region to region and state to state. It is therefore entirely possible that cannibalism is not a major cause of death for free range birds on other farms. However, in the absence of valid, statistical data, no comment can be made as to the veracity of a claim that cannibalism is not a 'major cause of death in Free Range Birds'.
As the information on the page 'Optimising liveability of free-range layers' was directly derived from the epidemiological survey, we do not understand the reference to 'media experts'. LMT 11:05, 11 September 2008 (EST) (Lloyd Thomson, Commercialisation and Technology Transfer Manager, Australian Poultry CRC Pty Ltd)
