Combined effects of flooring systems and perch cooling on performance, behavior, and meat quality of broiler chickens under high ambient temperatures

This study evaluated the combined effects of flooring type and perch cooling on broiler growth performance, meat quality, and behavior under high ambient temperature. In a 3 × 2 factorial design, 234 male Ross 308 broilers were reared on plastic-grid flooring, zeolite-amended litter, or wood shavings, with cooled or non-cooled perches. Performance was recorded per pen; meat quality traits were measured individually and analyzed using pen means; behavior was assessed by video-based scan sampling. Flooring type affected body weight only during the early post-placement period, whereas cumulative feed intake was consistently higher in broilers reared on plastic-grid flooring. Feed conversion ratio differed among flooring systems during early growth and over the 0–35 d period, with zeolite-amended litter improving feed efficiency relative to plastic-grid flooring, while wood shavings yielded intermediate responses. Behavioral responses were mainly influenced by flooring type: broilers reared on plastic-grid flooring showed higher locomotor activity and aggression and reduced pecking behavior compared with litter-based systems. Perch cooling selectively reduced observed eating and drinking, whereas most other behaviors were unaffected. Perch cooling significantly influenced water-holding capacity, cooking loss, and breast meat lightness, while flooring type affected ultimate pH, with a significant flooring by perch cooling interaction. Overall, the findings indicate that flooring systems and perch cooling influence broiler chickens through largely independent yet complementary pathways, with flooring primarily shaping behavioral organization and feed utilization, and perch cooling selectively modulating postmortem meat quality and the temporal organization of ingestive behavior under high ambient temperature conditions.