Effect of ultraviolet radiation on the performance of intact male turkeys

Ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity in birds has been shown to be intrinsically in volved in the selection of mates; UV may, therefore, also play a role in th e establishment and maintenance of social hierarchies in intensively housed turkeys. Cereal seeds and straw are known to reflect UV, and turkeys may u se these cues for foraging and exploratory behaviors. A series of trials wa s conducted to see if supplementation of the photoperiod (12 h at various w hite light intensities) with UV radiation (0.06 to 0.16 W/m(2) at floor lev el) and regular supplies of straw to the litter allow a better recognition of individuals within a flock, enrich the environment by the provision of n ew pecking material and of radiation across the whale range of avian sensit ivity, and, as a consequence, reduce the incidence of injurious pecking in male turkeys that have not been beak-trimmed, detoed, or desnooded. Body we ight gain, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency, and leg integrity were generally not significantly affected by UV supplementation and environmenta l enrichment. In contrast, the provision of UV radiation, simultaneous with a 12-h photoperiod of white light at intensities of <70 lx to 5 wk and of 10 lx to 20 wk, and the regular addition of straw to the litter, significan tly reduced the incidence of culling because of injurious pecking. However, complex interactions among UV supplementation, white light intensify, and material environmental enrichment precluded a simple recommendation to solv e the problem of injurious pecking.