Stress, Adaptation and Poultry Welfare: Enhancing Quality of Life Through Multidisciplinary Approaches
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Poultry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2027 | Viewed by 99
Special Issue Editors
Interests: poultry stress biology and welfare; fear and coping behaviour; dietary modulation of stress responses
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The poultry industry today is highly intensive and has significantly contributed to both the production of cheap, abundant food and improved quality of life. However, the over-intensification of poultry farming can cause scientifically proven suffering to birds. The environment of a chicken is a composite of interacting stressors, and a bird’s success in coping with its environment, therefore, depends on the severity of the stressors and its physiological ability to respond appropriately. When the biological cost of coping with these stressors diverts resources away from other biological functions, the animal’s welfare is at risk. Thus, understanding how birds perceive, respond to, and adapt to environmental and management-related challenges is critical for improving welfare. This Special Issue focuses on the biology of stress and adaptation in poultry through multidisciplinary approaches integrating behavior, physiology, genetics, nutrition, and management. Topics include physiological and epigenetic mechanisms, as well as the microbiome–gut–brain axis underlying fear and coping ability. Focus will be given to the role of early life experiences in shaping stress responsiveness and resilience. This Special Issue also welcomes studies elucidating strategies to alleviate stress through human–animal interactions, environmental enrichment, and nutritional interventions. Collectively, these contributions will advance understanding of resilience and identify practical approaches to enhance welfare in sustainable poultry production systems.
Prof. Dr. Zulkifli Idrus
Guest Editor
Dr. Sharmila Ahmad
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- stress biology
- poultry welfare
- stress resilience and coping ability
- early-life programming
- human–animal interactions
- environmental enrichment
- microbiome–gut–brain axis
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