Study on the Quantification of the Influence of the Temperature–Humidity Index (THI/ITU) on the Growth of Broiler Chickens in an Extensive (Household) System
Chicken meat is a valuable and essential food both on regular and festive menus. The aim of the paper is to establish practical measures and recommendations to be used by breeders to maximize economic efficiency. The paper traces the influence of the evolution of the temperature-humidity index (ITU) of the 45 days of the growth cycle in broiler households on welfare (health status) and growth performance (average daily gain). The simultaneous action of temperature and humidity on the thermoregulatory function of broilers, created a heightened thermal discomfort in each analyzed period. This discomfort was observed by decreasing the average daily gain, when the UTI values were very high (above 90%), or were low values (below 60%). For the spring period in Romania, the evolution of the growth rate of chickens in the household system is clearly economically satisfactory and has certain sustainability advantages in terms of feeding and waste recovery.
Key words: temperature-humidity index, average daily increase, well-being, sustainability of the activity
