Chicken

Exposing avian embryos to light affects post-hatch anti-predator fear responses

Environmental stimuli present during incubation can impact the behavior of birds post-hatch. To determine the effect of exposing broiler chicken embryos to light on fear-related behavior post-hatch, we conducted two experiments in which we incubated eggs under various light schedules,...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Archer, G. S., Mench, J. A. 2017. Exposing avian embryos to light affects post-hatch anti-predator fear responses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 186, 80-84.

Evaluation of a dustbathing substrate and straw bales as environmental enrichments in commercial broiler housing

The use of straw bales as an environmental enrichment is common for broiler chickens in enriched housing systems, however relatively little information exists about their effectiveness in improving welfare. There has also been no widespread introduction of a dustbathing material...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Baxter, M., Bailie, C. L., O'Connell, N. E. 2018. Evaluation of a dustbathing substrate and straw bales as environmental enrichments in commercial broiler housing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 200, 78-85.

Exploring perch provision options for commercial broiler chickens

Two related experiments involving broiler chickens are presented. Experiment 1 evaluated the use of six perch types: (1) an A-frame design (incorporating a platform and ramps), (2) a ‘flat top' ramp, (3) a curved ramp, (4) a suspended bar, (5)...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Bailie, C. L., Baxter, M., O'Connell, N. E. 2018. Exploring perch provision options for commercial broiler chickens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 200, 114-122.

Behavioural and physiological responses of laying hens to automated monitoring equipment

Automated monitoring of behaviour can offer a wealth of information in circumstances where observing behaviour is difficult or time consuming. However, this often requires attaching monitoring devices to the animal which can alter behaviour, potentially invalidating any data collected. Birds...

Year Published: 2018Topics: External Bodily EquipmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Buijs, S., Booth, F., Richards, G. et al. 2018. Behavioural and physiological responses of laying hens to automated monitoring equipment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 199, 17-23.

Feeder space affects access to the feeder, aggression, and feed conversion in laying hens in an aviary system

In laying hens, minimal requirements for feeder space (cm per bird) are based primarily on data from small groups of hens (n

Year Published: 2018Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Sirovnik, J., Würbel, H., Toscano, M. J. 2018. Feeder space affects access to the feeder, aggression, and feed conversion in laying hens in an aviary system. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 198, 75-82.

Are practice recommendations for the prevention of feather pecking in laying hens in non-cage systems in line with the results of experimental and epidemiological studies?

Feather pecking (FP) in laying hens is an important animal welfare problem in practice, despite extensive research and increasing sources of advice for farmers. We aimed to give an overview over results from experimental and epidemiological studies. We included non-cage...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Jung, L., Knierim, U. 2018. Are practice recommendations for the prevention of feather pecking in laying hens in non-cage systems in line with the results of experimental and epidemiological studies? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 200, 1-12.

Curtained nests facilitate settled nesting behaviour of laying hens in furnished cages

Egg location can be used to determine the nests that hens prefer, but it does not indicate whether the design of that nest satisfies a hen's nesting motivation. Hens that are satisfied with the nest resources exhibit characteristic settled nesting...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Hunniford, M. E., Widowski, T. M. 2018. Curtained nests facilitate settled nesting behaviour of laying hens in furnished cages. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 202, 39-45.

Laying hens’ preferences for nest surface type are affected by enclosure

The nest surfaces preferred by hens are inconsistent with those typically provided in commercial settings. However, little research has explored hens' preferences for commercially available nest surfaces. Our objective was to compare hens' preferences for two such surfaces – red...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Hunniford, M. E., Mason, G. J., Widowski, T. M. 2018. Laying hens' preferences for nest surface type are affected by enclosure. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 201, 7-14.

Feeding from perches in an aviary system reduces aggression and mortality in laying hens

Some commercial aviary systems for laying hens allow birds to access feed by standing on perches instead of platforms. Despite reports that providing laying hens with perches relates to reduced aggression and cannibalism, and increased prevalence of keel bone damage,...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Sirovnik, J., Stratmann, A., Gebhardt-Henrich, S. G. et al. 2018. Feeding from perches in an aviary system reduces aggression and mortality in laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 202, 53-62.

Perch-shape preference and perching behaviors of young laying hens

Provision of perches in enriched colony or cage-free hen housing facilitates birds' ability to express natural behaviors, thus enhancing animal welfare. Although considerable research has been conducted on poultry perches, further investigation is needed of perching behavior and preference of...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Liu, K., Xin, H., Shepherd, T. et al. 2018. Perch-shape preference and perching behaviors of young laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 203, 34-41.