Provision of perches in cages could improve behaviour and physical conditions of layinghens. This study was conducted to investigate the choice of perch characteristics (shape, width, material and height) by caged hens under different group size, and to understand the choice by the perching behaviours of hens. This study was consisted of four trials: perch …
In a two-year experiment, we investigated the influence of sward plant species composition (sward type), stocking duration and state of sward degradation on the foraging behaviour of chickens. Laying hens (ISA Warren) were pastured on 15 sward types including 14 mono-cultures of grassland plant species (nine grasses and five forb species) and one mixed sward …
In small-group furnished cages with nests lined with artificial turf, a high use of nest and acceptable egg quality are generally achieved. However, artificial turf has drawbacks, such as not letting manure through and not being cleanable in position. Therefore, a more perforated nest-lining material would be preferable given that nest acceptance and egg quality …
Using laying hens, we investigated whether position of a nest box, both within the pen and relative to other nest boxes, influenced the preference for a nest box, and how a sudden and marked change to the preferred box influenced the use of nest boxes by the hens. Groups (n = 12) of 15 Isa …
The United Egg Producers husbandry guidelines for cages recommend a minimum of 432 to 555 cm² (67 to 86 in.²) of usable space/hen, defined as floor space that is of sufficient height for hens to stand upright. Because there is neither a quantitative value given for cage height nor an established method for calculating usable …
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of cage density on laying hen performance, egg quality parameters, blood indices, and excreta mineral concentration. Eighty White Leghorns were housed at 4 cage densities of 2,000, 1,000, 667, and 500 cm² per hen, corresponding to 1, 2, 3, and 4 hens per cage. Throughout the study, …
National Nutritional Recommendations Outline
Studies on the prevalence of feather pecking in different commercial laying hen systems and its welfare and economic impacts are reviewed in the following paper. Current methods for controlling feather pecking include beak-trimming and alterations to light regimes, but these methods have significant disadvantages from the perspective of bird welfare. A substantial body of research …
Although the rearing period has an important influence on the development of feather pecking in laying hens, few studies have quantified the risk factors operating on commercial farms during this time and identified their long-term impact. Our aim was to conduct a longitudinal study to investigate the effect of rearing environment on feather pecking in …
Commercial laying hen chicks experience continuous light for up to 24 h/day in the first week of life. Under these conditions, active chicks disturb, and may direct feather pecks towards resting ones. Previous experimental work with small groups showed that both problems were reduced in chicks brooded by dark brooders (heaters). The current study aimed …
Eggs are an increasingly significant source of protein for human consumption, and the global poultry industry is the single fastest-growing livestock sector. In the context of international concern for food security and feeding an increasingly affluent human population, the contribution to global greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from animal protein production is of critical interest. We calculated …
The US egg industry has evolved considerably over recent decades by incorporating new technologies and production practices. To date, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the resource demand and environmental effects of these changes. This study quantifies the environmental footprint of egg production supply chains in the United States for 2010 compared with 1960 …
The environmental impacts of 2 alternative UK broiler production systems that aim to improve bird welfare (a lower stocking density indoor system and the same system combined with heat exchangers for ventilation air) were compared with the baseline standard indoor system of broiler production. Furthermore, the environmental impacts of egg production in the conventional battery …
This article presents a tool and data for calculation of the carbon footprint of rendering operations in North America, quantifying Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (indirect) greenhouse gas emissions. Scope 3 (life cycle) emissions are not included. According to the sample data, in one year an average-size rendering plant in North America processes 100,000 …
Agricultural workers, and pig and poultry farmers in particular, are exposed to airborne contaminants including organic dusts, gases, fungi, bacteria, and endotoxins that can have adverse effects on their respiratory health. To date, data comparing the aerial dust concentrations in the different hen-housing systems used by commercial poultry farmers are scarce. An epidemiological study was …
Chemical communication is used by diverse organisms in a variety of contexts and can have strong fitness consequences for the individuals involved. However, despite the extensive use of birds as models for many research areas in biology, avian olfaction has been poorly investigated. Studies on bird species that lack well-developed olfactory organs and those investigating …
The ‘reward cycle’ conceptualises reward acquisition as a cyclic phenomenon divided into three motivational stages with related emotional or affective states. For feeding behaviour such a cycle consists of an appetitive stage characterised by foraging and exploration linked to emotions such as wanting and anticipation, a consummatory stage with eating behaviour linked to liking and …
Åkerberg et al. (2012) remind us that sometimes important research questions are sitting right in front of us. Laboratory dogs have been the focus of much research for years, but few people have asked how variable their behavior is. There is no reason to assume that laboratory dogs do not exhibit variable behavioral phenotypes and that …