Chicken

Transfer to a naturalistic setting restructures fear responses in laboratory mice

Appropriate classification of a novel stimulus as threatening or benign depends on a repertoire of prior environmental experiences involving challenge, risk, and opportunity1,2. Without this library, individuals may classify harmless stimuli as dangerous — a hallmark of generalized anxiety1,2. In...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken, Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Zipple, M. N., Loflin, B., Kuo, D. C. et al. 2025. Transfer to a naturalistic setting restructures fear responses in laboratory mice. Current Biology 35(24), R1175–R1176.

Pecking up optimism: Learning opportunities improve mood for sanctuary-living Cornish Cross chickens

Understanding what influences mood (optimism/pessimism) is crucial in determining whether environments are conducive to positive welfare. This study explores the impact of learning opportunities on mood in Cornish Cross chickens (also known as “broiler chickens”), of which over nine billion...

Year Published: 2026Topics: Animal Training, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Prasad-Shreckengast, S., Holakovsky, J., Torgerson-White, L. 2026. Pecking up optimism: Learning opportunities improve mood for sanctuary-living cornish cross chickens. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 29(1), 25–33.

Distress calls as social stressors affecting chicken welfare

Social signals about current environmental risks can shape development in young animals. Distress calls made by young chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) may also encode affective state, with high arousal, potentially ‘anxiety-like’ state characterized by continuous calling, and learned helplessness or...

Year Published: 2026Topics: VocalizationAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Herborn, K. A., Wilson, B., Collins, S. A. et al. 2026. Distress calls as social stressors affecting chicken welfare. Biology Letters 22(1), 20250534.

Environmental downgrading to battery cages induces depression-like states in hens

Depression is one of the most common and impairing mental health disorders in humans. Captive animals may also experience depression-like states, particularly under restrictive housing conditions and in individuals with higher vulnerability to stressors (e.g. more fearful). This study investigated...

Year Published: 2026Topics: HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Calderón-Amor, J., Lecorps, B., Luna, D. et al. 2026. Environmental downgrading to battery cages induces depression-like states in hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 297, 106908.

Validation of enhanced floor pen housing for chickens

This study assesses the transition from isolator housing to an enhanced floor pen system for chickens, with the goal of improving Animal Welfare and promoting natural behaviours. Historically, chickens in our facility were housed in isolators, which limited the opportunities...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Teggart, M., Mackay, F., Merck Enrichment Team 2025. Validation of enhanced floor pen housing for chickens. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(3), 251–253.

To what extent do chickens suffer when gassed with CO2?

On 9 th June 2025, in an apparent world first, undercover footage of chickens being gassed to death, in the UK in 2024, was publicly released (Carbstrong, 2025). The footage depicts a CO2 gas pit system within which crated chickens...

Year Published: 2026Topics: EuthanasiaAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Mace, J. L., Knight, A. 2026. To what extent do chickens suffer when gassed with CO2? Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12

The influence of different light spectra on broiler chicken endocrine systems and productivity

In birds, light can penetrate the cranial bones and reach deep brain regions, where non-visual photoreceptors, especially in the hypothalamus, detect spectral and photoperiodic cues. Alongside retinal photoreception, deep-brain light sensing contributes to circadian entrainment and regulates melatonin secretion by...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Galan, L., Solcan, G., Solcan, C. 2025. The influence of different light spectra on broiler chicken endocrine systems and productivity. Animals 15(21), 3209.

The effect of rearing environment on feather pecking in young and adult laying hens

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...

Year Published: 2013Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Gilani, A.-M., Knowles, T. G., Nicol, C. J. 2013. The effect of rearing environment on feather pecking in young and adult laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 148(1), 54–63.

Feather pecking in non-beak-trimmed and beak-trimmed laying hens on commercial farms with aviaries

Severe feather pecking (SFP) is a major animal welfare problem in layers. It results in pain and injuries in the affected animal. SFP is a behavioral disorder and should not be confused with aggressive pecking. The aim of our study...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Body Modification/Mutilation, Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Stocking DensityAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Schwarzer, A., Plattner, C., Bergmann, S. et al. 2021. Feather pecking in non-beak-trimmed and beak-trimmed laying hens on commercial farms with aviaries. Animals 11(11).

Feather pecking and cannibalism in non-beak-trimmed laying hen flocks—Farmers’ perspectives

Pecking-related problems are common in intensive egg production, diminishing hen welfare and production performance, and negatively affecting sustainability. Beak trimming is a common practice to control these problems, but in Finland beak trimming is prohibited. Finnish egg producers have decades-long...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Body Modification/Mutilation, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Kaukonen, E., Valros, A. 2019. Feather pecking and cannibalism in non-beak-trimmed laying hen flocks—Farmers’ perspectives Animals 9(2).