High arctic avian athlete gives lessons about animal welfare

Researchers report that an arctic relative of the grouse has evolved to cope with its extreme environment by moving efficiently at high speeds or when carrying winter weight. This discovery is of relevance to welfare in the poultry industry where birds are bred to be heavier. Ultimately, better understanding the physiology of a natural animal model of extreme weight gain could one day lead to improving the welfare and meat yield of domesticated breeds and so contribute to preventing a future food security crisis. The University of Manchester team, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has studied the Svalbard rock ptarmigan within the arctic circle in collaboration with colleagues at Norway's Tromso university; today (02 February) they publish their findings in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B . Dr Jonathan Codd, who led the research team, said: "We can learn a lot from the Svalbard rock ptarmigan because it is so well adapted for life in an extreme environment - minus 20 degrees and dark all day in the winter and then light for almost 24 hours a day in the summer. Like most wild birds, they put on fat for the winter to insulate them from the cold and also as an emergency energy store. For Ptarmigans this fat can be up to 32% of their body weight in the winter.