Recent interest in how poultry are housed and managed in order to ensure profitability, sustainability, and good levels of animal welfare, are challenging issues that commercial poultry keepers face, particularly where legislation is bringing about legal requirements for housing. This book compares and contrasts alternative housing with conventional and traditional systems for commercial poultry (laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, waterfowl and gamebirds) with regards to welfare, disease, health, nutrition, sustainability and genotype-environment interaction.

PART ONE: Introduction, Legislation, Economics and Sustainability

• What are Alternative Systems for Poultry?
• The Impact of Legislation and Assurance Schemes on Alternative Systems for Poultry Welfare
• Politics and Economics

PART TWO: Disease and Health

• The Effects of Alternative Systems on Disease and Health of Poultry
• Production Systems for Laying Hens and Broilers and Risk of Human Pathogens

PART THREE: Village and Backyard Poultry

• Introduction to Village and Backyard Poultry Production
• Technology and Programmes for Sustainable Improvement of Village Poultry production

PART FOUR: Waterfowl and Game Birds

• Production Systems for Waterfowl
• Game Bird Breeding, Brooding and Rearing - Health and Welfare

PART FIVE: Laying Hens

• Housing and Management of Layer Breeders in Rearing and Production
• Furnished Cages for Laying Hens
• Performance, Welfare, Health and Hygiene of Laying Hens in Non-cage Systems in Comparison with Cage Systems

PART SIX: Meat Birds

• Housing and Management of Broiler Breeders and Turkey Breeders
• Alternative Systems for Meat Chickens and Turkeys: Production, Health and Welfare

PART SEVEN: Challenges and Opportunities

• Nutritional Challenges of Alternative Production Systems
• Genotype Environment Interaction: Breeding Layers with Different Requirements for Varying Housing Systems
• Is There a Future for Alternative Systems?