Table 4.
Health and welfare characteristics of the organic broiler flocks (n = 85, France, 2015).
| Category | Characteristics | Independent Farms n = 15 | Farms in Companies n = 70 | p-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health disorders reported | Health disorders | 3 (20%) | 29 (41.4%) a | 0.12 |
| Digestive disorder | 3 (20%) | 21 (30%) | ||
| Locomotor disorder | 0 | 3 (4.3%) | ||
| Early rearing disorder | 0 | 4 (5.7%) | ||
| Respiratory disorder | 0 | 2 (2.8%) | ||
| Mortality | Mortality rate (77 days of age) b * | 3.1% (2.3) | 2.7% (2.7) | 0.66 |
| Parasite (n = 5 broilers/flock) | Coccidia | |||
| Visit 1 | 13 (86.7%) | 63 (90%) | 0.70 | |
| Visit 2 | 13 (86.7%) | 49 (70%) | 0.19 | |
| Coccidial lesions | ||||
| Visit 1 | 5 (33.3%) | 19 (27.1%) | 0.63 | |
| Visit 2 | 1 (6.7%) | 1 (1.4%) | 0.22 | |
| Helminths | ||||
| Visit 1 | 1 (6.7%) | 1 (1.4%) | 0.22 | |
| Visit 2 | 12 (80%) | 38 (54.2%) | 0.07 | |
| Welfare indicators (n = 30 broilers/flock) | Feathers | |||
| Visit 1 (% broilers/flock—score = 1) * | 3.6% (8.3) | 1.5% (7.1) | 0.18 | |
| Visit 2 (% broilers/flock—score ≥ 2) * | 19.1% (33.1) | 2.9% (7.9) c | 0.03 | |
| Footpad dermatitis | ||||
| Visit 1 (% broilers/flock—score ≥ 2) * | 7.6% (13.5) | 4.6% (13.2) | 0.24 | |
| Visit 2 (% broilers/flock—score ≥ 2) * | 39.6% (33.5) | 18.1% (22.5) c | 0.02 |
* mean (standard deviation); a two diseases reported in one flock in company (unspecified enteritis and omphalitis); b n = 9 independent flocks and n = 68 flocks from farms in companies; c one missing data point.