The effects of outdoor access, stocking density, and age on broiler behavior, stress, and health indicators in a tropical climate were assessed over two seasons, winter and summer. Two hundred and forty Cobb500 male chickens were allocated to one of four treatments, with six replicates of ten birds in each: low stocking density indoors with outdoor access (LO); high stocking density indoors with outdoor access (HO); low stocking density indoors without outdoor access (LI); and high stocking density indoors without outdoor access (HI). Scan sampling was used to record their behavior both indoors and outdoors. At 28 and 42 days old, blood samples were obtained to determine the heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratio. At 42 days old, chickens were culled and inspected for footpad dermatitis (FPD), and bone quality was examined. Their spleens and bursas of Fabricius were collected and weighed, relative to carcass weight (RW). A factorial analysis was used to test the effects of season (winter or summer), outdoor access (with or without), stocking density (low: 5 animals/m2 or high: 10 animals/m2), and age (28 or 42 days) on the behavior and stress and health indicators. There were no major effects of providing outdoor access on behavior, except that resting was reduced by providing outdoor access to older birds and those at low stocking densities inside. Resting was also greater in indoor and high-density treatments during winter. The bursa of Fabricius was heavier in summer in outdoor birds. The tibia bones were shorter in the outdoor birds. Heterophil numbers were greater in the outdoor treatments in summer but not in winter. These results indicate that outdoor access can increase activity in some situations, and potentially increase bone strength, but it may also increase the risk of stress, particularly heat stress in summer.
Keywords: behavior; broiler welfare; outdoor access; season; stocking density; stress; tropics.