Chicken

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.

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.

Infrared thermography in the study of animals’ emotional responses: A critical review

Whether animals have emotions was historically a long-lasting question but, today, nobody disputes that they do. However, how to assess them and how to guarantee animals their welfare have become important research topics in the last 20 years. Infrared thermography...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Bird, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Dog, Equine, Fowl, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Bird, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Travain, T., Valsecchi, P. 2021. Infrared thermography in the study of animals' emotional responses: A critical review. Animals 11(9), 2510.

Rearing enrichments differentially modified hen personality traits and reduced prediction of range use

Domestic fowl have been demonstrated to individually differ in personality, dictating reactions to environmental stimuli. Free-range chickens, Gallus gallus domesticus, show individual range use variation, which may be related to personality differences. Enrichment can also modify behavioural traits. This study...

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

Citation: Campbell, D. L. M., Whitten, J. M., Slater, E. et al. 2021. Rearing enrichments differentially modified hen personality traits and reduced prediction of range use. Animal Behaviour 179, 97-109.

Rearing experience with ramps improves specific learning and behaviour and welfare on a commercial laying farm

To access resources in commercial laying houses hens must move between levels with agility to avoid injury. This study considered whether providing ramps during rear improved the ability of birds to transition between levels. Twelve commercial flocks (2000 birds/flock) on...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Bird, Chicken

Citation: Norman, K. I., Weeks, C. A., Tarlton, J. F. 2021. Rearing experience with ramps improves specific learning and behaviour and welfare on a commercial laying farm. Scientific Reports 11(1), 8860.

Does farm animals experience emotions and feelings? Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology 7(4), 170-175

In recent years, there has been a great increase in the interest of "emotion" and how it can be studied and translated from animals. Emotions arise when the brain receives an external stimulus, while the feeling is a response to...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Machado, M., Oliveira da Silva, I. J. 2019. Does farm animals experience emotions and feelings? Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology 7(4), 170-175.