The main advantages of battery cages for laying hens over alternative husbandry systems are (1) increased hygiene resulting in a much lower incidence of diseases in which the infectious agent is spread through the droppings, (2) small group size resulting in a low incidence of social friction, (3) ease of management, (4) absence of litter …
Approximately 40 million layer hens are slaughtered in Britain every year. The majority come from battery cage units and are culled towards the end of their laying period when they are usually between 72 and 76 weeks old. Meat from these birds is one of the cheapest sources of edible animal protein, but suffers from …
Killing poultry by means of whole house gassing with carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important tool in disease control. The behaviour of ducks, broilers, laying hens and turkeys was observed to assess differences in susceptibility between species and to assess animal welfare implications following exposure to CO2 treatment. All birds were individually exposed to CO2 …
Since the advent of the animal welfare movement in the early sixties, a considerable amount of research has been generated in an attempt to address questions surrounding cage housing. beak trimming, and induced molting practises for poultry. Although researchers have had difficulty in clearly defining and accurately measuring welfare from a scientific perspective, some interesting …
The aim of this review was to compare welfare, health, and hygienic status of laying hens housed in furnished cages and in alternative systems. In alternative systems (floor housing and aviaries), birds have more freedom of movement and a more complex environment than in furnished cages. However, housing birds in much larger flocks in alternative …
There are many different characteristics of housing systems which affect the welfare of laying hens, particularly because welfare itself has many diverse aspects. When cause and effect relationships between systems and welfare are assessed, it is evident that no system currently under consideration is ideal. Of those priorities listed by UK authorities such as the …
The balance between genetic modification and welfare may be as old as the chicken and egg debate. Meeting welfare needs of farm animals has become an integral part of animal agriculture. Until recently, environmental and management modifications have been the methods of choice for meeting welfare needs of animals. Genetic selection has improved growth, livability, …
1. An experiment was carried out to examine the suitability of using maize silage, barley—pea silage and carrots as foraging …
The feather condition and behaviour of laying hens in modified cages with elevated (28 cm above floor) and conventional (6 cm above floor) height feed troughs was measured at 32–34 and 56–59 weeks of age. Feather cover was generally better at the younger age than the older, and in cages with the elevated trough as …
The present study was conducted to determine the adverse effects of high temperature and humidity not only on live performance …
Two experiments of 4 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangements of 4 dietary energy levels, 2 molting methods (feed withdrawal …
To approximate a commercially induced molt, feed was withdrawn (FW) from Hy-Line W-36 hens (65-wk-old) until they lost 35% of their initial body weight. Behaviors of 36 FW hens and 36 control hens were videorecorded on Days 1 to 3, 8 to 10, and 19 to 21 of FW, when FW hens reached 15, 25, …
Feed deprivation has been adopted by the commercial egg industry to induce molt because it is the easiest method to apply and produces the best results. Feed deprivation, however, raises concerns about animal welfare. Birds respond to long-term feed deprivation in three phases. The first phase lasts at most a few days, during which physiological …
The behavioral responses of laying hens to a 4-day fast were investigated. Three hundred and sixty Hyline W77 (W77) and 360 Hyline Brown (Brown) lPweek-old pullets were housed as pairs in cages in separate rooms for each stock. At 63 weeks of age, feed was withdrawn for 96 h from half of the W77 hens. …
1. The applicability of different ratios of bitter vetch seed as a new method for moult induction in laying hens …
Induced molting in egg-laying hens is an important method for maximizing hen egg production and quality as well as hen health in commercial settings; however, there is growing societal concern over its effects on hen well-being. Using individual hens as their own controls, this research examined the behavior of hens subjected to different treatments of …
In the commercial egg industry the management practice of using feed withdrawal to induce a flock to molt has been …