Chicken

Environmental enrichment for farm animals

Comprehensive review of the literature. It is desirable to socialize the animals to humans. Socialized animals are less fearful, grow more quickly, have higher rates of milk production, and show improved immune competence. Even brief contact with humans can decrease...

Year Published: 1998Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Cattle, Chicken, Pig

Citation: Mench, J. A., Morrow-Tesch, J., Chu, L. 1998. Environmental enrichment for farm animals. Lab Animal 27(3), 32-36.

Perching behaviour and preferences for different perch designs among laying hens

Hens kept in pens were tested. No significant difference emerged when comparing time spent perching on single versus double wooden perches, soft versus hard perches, or round versus rectangular perches. .. Perching durations on wooden versus plastic versus metal perches,...

Year Published: 1998Animal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Lambe, N. R., Scott, G. B. 1998. Perching behaviour and preferences for different perch designs among laying hens. Animal Welfare 7, 203-216.

Managing the environmental enrichment program for nonhuman primates and domestic farm animals housed at the National Institutes of Health

The management of the animal enrichment program within the National Institutes of health is described. Nonhuman primates are housed in isosexual pairs and groups whenever possible.

Year Published: 1998Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Goat, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Pig, Rabbit, Sheep

Citation: Watson, L. M., Weed, J. L. 1998. Managing the environmental enrichment program for nonhuman primates and domestic farm animals housed at the National Institutes of Health. American Journal of Primatology 45, 211-212 (Abstract).

Effects of prior video stimulation on open-field behaviour in domestic chicks tested with or without a familiar video image

Chickens who receive limited sensory stimulation are more likely to show fearfulness. Regular video stimulation was found to reduce chick's fear of an unfamiliar environment.

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Clarke, C. H., Jones, R. B. 1999. Effects of prior video stimulation on open-field behaviour in domestic chicks tested with or without a familiar video image. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 66, 107-117.

Exploratory behaviour of young domestic fowl

Chickens readily entered areas peripheral to their home pen when these contained objects that were changed daily.

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Newberry, R. C. 1999. Exploratory behaviour of young domestic fowl. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 63, 311-321.

Responses of domestic chicks to selected pecking devices presented for varying durations

Our studies suggest that string [a pecking device] may be an attractive and practicable stimulus that affords chicken the opportunity to exercise a behaviour fundamental to their nature.

Year Published: 1999Animal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Jones, R. B., Carmichael, N. L. 1999. Responses of domestic chicks to selected pecking devices presented for varying durations. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 64, 125-140.

Music in the hen house: a survey of its incidence and perceived benefits

Playing the radio made laying hens calmer and more productive.

Year Published: 1999Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Jones, R. B., Rayner, S. 1999. Music in the hen house: a survey of its incidence and perceived benefits. Poultry Science 78(Supplement 1), 110 (Abstract).

Can ‘environmental enrichment’ affect domestic chickens? preferences for one half of an otherwise symmetrical home cage?

The design and assessment of enrichment and husbandry procedures should also take into account the transitory neophobia likely to accompany the introduction of unfamiliar resources.

Year Published: 1999Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Jones, R. B., Carmichael, N. L. 1999. Can 'environmental enrichment' affect domestic chickens? preferences for one half of an otherwise symmetrical home cage? Animal Welfare 8, 159-164.

Responses of adult laying hens to abstract video images presented repeatedly outside the home cage

The present findings clearly demonstrate that abstract video images, presented in front of the home cage for 10 min on consecutive days, reliably attracted and sustained the interest of individually housed laying hens for as long as 8 days.

Year Published: 2000Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Clarke, C. H., Jones, R. B. 2000. Responses of adult laying hens to abstract video images presented repeatedly outside the home cage. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 67, 97-110.

Pecking preferences and pre-dispositions in domestic chicks: implications for the development of environmental enrichment devices

White or yellow strings were preferred to red, green or blue ones and white string elicited more pecking than did combinations of white and yellow or of all five colors. Varying the length and width of the bunches of string...

Year Published: 2000Animal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Jones, B. R., Carmichael, N. L., Rayner, E. 2000. Pecking preferences and pre-dispositions in domestic chicks: implications for the development of environmental enrichment devices . Applied Animal Behaviour Science 69, 291-312.