Group nests in alternative housing systems for laying hens primarily fulfil the hen’s needs for seclusion and protection. Commercial nests used in Switzerland are built according to the provisions of the Swiss Animal Welfare Legislation. However, nest types can differ in aspects, such as floor slope, that could have an impact on egg-laying behaviour. Floor …
Nest sharing under semi-natural conditions in laying hens
Low rates of nest acceptance by laying hens are a major problem in commercial poultry farming operations with aviary systems, …
Pretesting farm animal housing systems that are intended for mass production is a practical way to increase and ensure product …
Within the European Union, the provision of dustbathing material in layer housing systems will be compulsory beginning in 2012. In cage systems, food particles are mainly used as litter material and are provided on scratching mats by an automatic transporting system. However, because dustbathing is a means for hens to remove stale lipids from their …
An experiment was performed to investigate the effect of animal versus vegetable protein sources in the diet on the development of behavior in laying hens. A diet containing protein sources of only vegetable origin was compared with four diets, each containing one of four processed animal proteins (PAPs). Two PAPs (Daka-58 and Sonac-60) were classified …
Harmful social behaviours are prevalent in commercial farming environments and their reduction through economically feasible husbandry changes is challenging. Selective breeding may offer a complementary approach to reduce the expression of these traits. This article explores the progress made in estimating the genetic contribution to harmful social behaviours, the likely consequences of selection on these …
Recent studies have shown that spraying a distasteful substance (quinine) on a bird’s feather cover reduced short-term feather pecking. The present experiment evaluated if other substances offer similar or better protection against feather pecking. One hundred and twenty birds were divided into 12 groups of 10 birds each. Over a period of 10 days the …
Both the process of carbon footprinting and carbon labelling of food products are currently voluntary in the UK. Both processes derive from the UK’s policy for sustainable development and in particular, the UK’s Framework for Environmental Behaviours that strongly advocates a social marketing approach towards behavioural change. This paper examines whether carbon footprinting and labelling …
The potential of vegetative barriers to reduce dust and avian respiratory virus transmission from a 6-house commercial laying hen facility was evaluated in 3 trials using a combination spray vaccine for Newcastle disease virus (La Sota strain) and infectious bronchitis virus (Mass-Conn strains) as a model. Before each trial, 7-wk-old specific-pathogen-free chickens were placed in …
The dopaminergic system is involved in the regulation of aggression in many species, especially via dopamine (DA) D1 and D2 receptor pathways. To investigate heritable differences in this regulation, 2 high aggressive strains [Dekalb XL (DXL) and low group egg productivity and survivability (LGPS)] and one low aggressive strain (low group egg productivity and survivability; …
The maintenance of bone strength has been an important issue in the debate over cage use for laying hens. Bone …
In this study, the effects of the inclusion of different vitamin C levels in the diet on bone mineral density …
1. The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of keel bone deformities of laying hens in Switzerland. The keel bones of 100 end-of-lay hens from each of 39 flocks (3900 in total) were palpated. 2. On average, 25.4% of the hens had moderately or severely deformed keel bones and the overall prevalence …
The aim of this trial was to determine the effect of aerial perches on keel bone injuries and tibia bone characteristics in free-range laying hens. The relationship between keel bone injuries and individual bird parameters, such as weight, girth, wing:girth ratio, feather coverage, and tibia bone characteristics, was also assessed. Five commercial free-range houses, each …
The question of whether attributes of the combs of laying hens have any consistent relationship with dominance behaviour has yet to be answered unequivocally. This study sought to address this by investigating whether a relationship existed between the competitive ability of hens within stable groups and the size or colour of their combs. Pullets (n …
This paper assesses US resident support for mandatory labeling of animal welfare information on pork and egg products and outlines policy considerations for assessment prior to implementing any mandatory labeling policies regarding animal welfare practices. Results suggest consumers support mandatory labeling indicating use of gestation crates (stalls) and laying hen cages. Estimates suggest consumers would …