Validation of enhanced floor pen housing for chickens (2025)

Teggart, M., Mackay, F., Merck Enrichment Team

Abstract

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 for speciesspecific behaviours and human-animal interactions. Our new floor pen design allows for provision of increased environmental enrichments to create a more stimulating and natural environment and allows greater humananimal interactions. To validate the effectiveness of this new housing system, we conducted an ethogram, systematically observing and recording the behaviours exhibited by chickens in the floor pens (Figure 1). The results demonstrated engagement with enrichment items and the expression of normal behaviours such as foraging, dust bathing and social interactions (Figures 2 and 3). This research demonstrates the successful introduction and validation of a new enriched housing system that enhances the welfare of chickens by promoting natural behaviours and improved human-animal relationships.