Chicken

Alleviating isolation stress in chickens: The benefits of home pen playback and mirrors (2025)

This study investigated whether the provision of (1) a mirror or (2) video and sound playback of conspecifics in the home pen (i.e., playback) could alleviate stress in socially isolated adult domestic chickens. Thirty adult chickens participated in the study,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Sirovnik, J. 2025. Alleviating isolation stress in chickens: The benefits of home pen playback and mirrors. PLOS ONE 20(2), e0318126.

Social enrichment improves affective state and foraging behavior compared to physical enrichment, while maintaining growth performance in broiler chickens

Environmental enrichment is key for improving the broiler welfare in intensive production systems. This study lasted for 43 days and evaluated the effects of physical and social enrichment on broiler welfare. A total of 96 one-day-old male broilers were divided...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Herrera-Alcaíno, S., Luna, D., González-Pavez, J. et al. 2024. Social enrichment improves affective state and foraging behavior compared to physical enrichment, while maintaining growth performance in broiler chickens. Animals 14(22), 3186.

Perches used as environmental enrichment influence fast-growth broilers’ biomechanics and locomotor morphometry at the age of 42 days

Currently available conventional breeding methods for broilers often result in impaired biomechanics and skeletal growth for the animals. The addition of environmental enrichment is an alternative which can help alleviate these effects. This study examines the effects of environmental enrichment...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Nazareno, A. C., Silveira, R. M. F., Fernandes, D. P. B. et al. 2024. Perches used as environmental enrichment influence fast-growth broilers' biomechanics and locomotor morphometry at the age of 42 days. PLOS ONE 19(11), e0313214.

The effect of rearing and adult environment on HPA axis responsivity and plumage condition in laying hens

The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis responsivity is influenced by early life experience and also modified by the environment an individual experiences as an adult. Because laying hens are transferred from rearing to laying farms at 16–18 weeks of age, they are...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Nordgreen, J., Dumontier, L., Smulders, T. V. et al. 2024. The effect of rearing and adult environment on HPA axis responsivity and plumage condition in laying hens. Animals 14(23), 3422.

Poultry enrichment in a research setting

Poultry, like all purpose bred birds, are one of the handful of animals that are not a covered species by the USDA in a research setting. While there are recommendations for husbandry and care available, there are not many defined...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Scamardo, A., 2024. Poultry enrichment in a research setting. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 12(6) (November/December), 25-28.

Will the white blood cells tell? A potential novel tool to assess broiler chicken welfare

This study assessed qualitative and quantitative leukocyte evaluation as potential broiler chicken welfare indicators, contributing to the limited literature on white blood cell (WBC) morphology as a diagnostic tool for welfare. Broiler chicken welfare within four poultry houses (PH) 1...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Ribeiro, L. R. R., Sans, E. C. de O., Santos, R. M. et al. 2024. Will the white blood cells tell? A potential novel tool to assess broiler chicken welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 11.

Effects of restraint stress on circulating corticosterone and met enkephalin in chickens: Induction of shifts in insulin secretion and carbohydrate metabolism

This study examined the effects of acute restraint stress in the presence or absence of naltrexone on the circulating concentrations of insulin, glucose, Met-enkephalin and corticosterone in 14-week-old chickens [design: 2 sex × 2 stress/non-stress × 2 +/− naltrexone]. In...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, RestraintAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Scanes, C. G., Pierzchała-Koziec, K., Gajewska, A. 2024. Effects of restraint stress on circulating corticosterone and met enkephalin in chickens: Induction of shifts in insulin secretion and carbohydrate metabolism. Animals 14(5), 752.

Making the most of life: Environmental choice during rearing enhances the ability of laying hens to take opportunities

The potential of aviary housing for improving laying hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) welfare will be constrained if rearing conditions limit the hens' behavioral ability to take opportunities. Incorporating theories on developmental plasticity and animal agency, this study aimed to determine:...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & WeaningAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Skånberg, L., Holt, R. V., Newberry, R. C. et al. 2024. Making the most of life: Environmental choice during rearing enhances the ability of laying hens to take opportunities. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 11.

An interactive feeder to induce and assess emotions from vocalisations of chickens

Understanding the emotional states of animals is a long-standing research endeavour that has clear applications in animal welfare. Vocalisations are emerging as a promising way to assess both positive and negative emotional states. However, the vocal expression of emotions in...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental Enrichment, VocalizationAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Golfidis, A., Kriengwatana, B. P., Mounir, M. et al. 2024. An interactive feeder to induce and assess emotions from vocalisations of chickens. Animals 14(9), 1386.

Resource choice during ontogeny enhances both the short- and longer-term welfare of laying hen pullets

We hypothesised that resource choice during early life contributes to both current and longer-term beneficial effects on animal welfare. We investigated this hypothesis in a longitudinal cross-over experiment with laying hen pullets (Gallus gallus domesticus) reared in pens with one...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Holt, R. V., Skånberg, L., Keeling, L. J. et al. 2024. Resource choice during ontogeny enhances both the short- and longer-term welfare of laying hen pullets. Scientific Reports 14(1), 3360.