Exploratory Study on Individual Locomotor Activity in Local Dual-Purpose and Commercial Breeder Pullets

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Animal welfare is becoming increasingly important in the transformation process of poultry production. Welfare is closely linked to animals’ ability to be active and to express their natural behavior; since activity promotes physical health, it is associated with positive welfare. Currently, dual-purpose chickens are presented as a problem-solving strategy for the culling or rearing of males from layer lines. However, for these breeds, data welfare-associated behaviors, such as activity, are lacking. Activity is predominantly associated with locomotion and foraging, reflecting major traits of natural behavior. Here, we show that locomotion varies greatly between breeds and individuals. Our results also support the idea that animals show individual behavioral patterns, which can also be quantified as unique personality traits. Individuals showing maximum activity cover twice the breeds’ mean range. We suggest the implementation of more precision-livestock systems in poultry research and rearing to achieve more individual data, offering opportunities to understand the mechanisms of animal–environment interactions. Finally, these findings can be used not only for breeding, but also for adapting housing environments and management to increase (individual) animal welfare. ABSTRACT: Improving animal welfare is a prerequisite for the societal acceptance of poultry production. Support for improvements requires practical tools to quantify animal welfare and identify predispositions at the individual level, where possible. In this study, the activities and behavior of dual-purpose chickens (N = 245) and commercial breeders (N = 224) were analyzed. The general locomotor activity (GLA) data were collected using an RFID system over five days with 9-to-14-week-old animals. The results show that the animals of comparable age and stocking density differed from each other in their activity (p ≤ 0.001) according to breed, but no sex differences were observed (p = 0.159). No correlations were found between GLA and plumage condition (p > 0.05). The individual variations within the breeds are presented and discussed on an animal-by-animal level, providing new insights into the individual behavioral variability of chickens. The RFID systems can reliably generate GLA data that help to understand the potential interplay between behavior and animal welfare. The technology is also suitable for creating individual (personality) profiles that can be used for breeding. With a better understanding of the role of activity, husbandry and management practices can be adapted to improve animal welfare.