Bird

From the point of view of the chickens: What difference does a window make?

We aimed to investigate what broiler chickens prefer when given free choice between a barn side with artificial lighting only as opposed to the other barn side with natural light through glass windows and artificial light. Eighty-five 1 day-old male...

Year Published: 2021Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Sans, E. C. de O., Tuyttens, F. A. M., Taconeli, C. A. et al. 2021. From the point of view of the chickens: What difference does a window make? Animals 11(12), 3397.

The effect of music on livestock: Cattle, poultry and pigs

The welfare of animals, especially those kept in intensive production systems, is a priority for modern agriculture. This stems from the desire to keep animals healthy, to obtain a good-quality final product, and to meet the demands of today's consumers,...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Cattle, Chicken, Pig

Citation: Ciborowska, P., Michalczuk, M., Bień, D. 2021. The effect of music on livestock: Cattle, poultry and pigs. Animals 11(12), 3572.

The animal-human interface in farm animal production: Animal fear, stress, reproduction and welfare

A negative human-animal relationship (HAR) from the perspective of the animal is a limiting factor affecting farm animal welfare, as well as farm animal productivity. Research in farm animals has elucidated sequential relationships between stockperson attitudes, stockperson behaviour, farm animal...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Acharya, R. Y., Hemsworth, P. H., Coleman, G. J. et al. 2022. The animal-human interface in farm animal production: Animal fear, stress, reproduction and welfare. Animals 12(4), 487.

Environmental complexity: Additional human visual contact reduced meat chickens’ fear of humans and physical items altered pecking behavior

Increased environmental complexity can improve animal welfare, depending on the resources provided and use by the animal. We provided chickens either with physical items that posed no biosecurity risk and were inexpensive (balls, chains, perches and rope) (P; n =...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Taylor, P. S., Hemsworth, P. H., Rault, J.-L. 2022. Environmental complexity: Additional human visual contact reduced meat chickens' fear of humans and physical items altered pecking behavior. Animals 12(3), 310.

Impacts of rearing enrichments on pullets’ and free-range hens’ positive behaviors across the flock cycle

Enrichment during the indoor rearing of pullets destined for free-range systems may optimize pullet development including increasing motivated natural behaviors (termed ‘positive behaviors') including foraging, dust bathing and chick play. Hy-Line Brown® chicks (n = 1700) were floor-reared indoors across...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Campbell, D. L. M., Belson, S., Dyall, T. R. et al. 2022. Impacts of rearing enrichments on pullets' and free-range hens' positive behaviors across the flock cycle. Animals 12(3), 280.

Environmental complexity positively impacts affective states of broiler chickens

Affective state can bias an animal's judgement. Animals in positive affective states can interpret ambiguous cues more positively (“optimistically”) than animals in negative affective states. Thus, judgement bias tests can determine an animal's affective state through their responses to ambiguous...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Anderson, M. G., Campbell, A. M., Crump, A. et al. 2021. Environmental complexity positively impacts affective states of broiler chickens. Scientific Reports 11(1), 16966.

Assessing animal welfare: A triangulation of preference, judgement bias and other candidate welfare indicators

To assess the welfare of captive animals, validated measures, so-called ‘welfare indicators', are required. We used a triangulation approach to investigate the extent to which different measures converged to provide corroborating evidence of welfare. Laying hens were exposed to living...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Paul, E. S., Browne, W., Mendl, M. T. et al. 2022. Assessing animal welfare: A triangulation of preference, judgement bias and other candidate welfare indicators. Animal Behaviour 186, 151-177.

Behaviour and animal welfare indicators of broiler chickens housed in an enriched environment

The present study aimed to assess the influence of adding straw bales, step platforms, and laser projectors as environmental enrichment resources on the behaviour and welfare indicators of broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). A sample of 4,000 day-old male Cobb®...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Lourenço da Silva, M. I., Almeida Paz, I., Chaves, G. et al. 2021. Behaviour and animal welfare indicators of broiler chickens housed in an enriched environment. PLOS ONE 16(9), e0256963.

Can animals develop depression? An overview and assessment of “depression-like” states

Describing certain animal behaviours as 'depression-like' or 'depressive' has become common across several fields of research. These typically involve unusually low activity or unresponsiveness and/or reduced interest in pleasure (anhedonia). While the term 'depression-like' carefully avoids directly claiming that animals...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Bird, Cattle, Chicken, Dog, Equine, Fowl, Macaque, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Pig, Rat, Rodent

Citation: MacLellan, A., Fureix, C., Polanco, A. et al. 2021. Can animals develop depression? An overview and assessment of “depression-like” states. Behaviour 158(14/15), 1303–1353.

A perspective on strategic enrichment for brain development: Is this the key to animal happiness? Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8, 720422

Livestock animals are sentient beings with cognitive and emotional capacities and their brain development, similar to humans and other animal species, is affected by their surrounding environmental conditions. Current intensive production systems, through the restrictions of safely managing large numbers...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Cattle, Chicken, Fowl, Goat, Mink, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Campbell, D. L. M., Lee, C. 2021. A perspective on strategic enrichment for brain development: Is this the key to animal happiness? Frontiers in Veterinary Science 8, 720422.