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 …
Animal welfare related issues have been intensely discussed in recent years as a consequence of changes in public attitudes and regulatory reforms that are taking place in many countries. A combination of public opinion pressure and trade policy has driven requirements for regulation and the World Trade Organization (WTO) assigned the World Organization for Animal …
This article highlights some key areas where economics can contribute to the current debate about animal welfare. Production economics reveals that producers will not maximize animal welfare, even if animal well-being is highly correlated with output. Welfare economics raises thorny issues about the doublecounting of benefits when humans exhibit altruism towards animals, while public economics …
Decisions made by livestock producers inevitably determine the extent of actual farm animal welfare (FAW) provision in livestock production. This article identify key issues in the identification and empirical measurement of farmer’s preferences for FAW-related, non-use values to encourage theoretically-sound future research to address relevant potential producer trade-off such as those between use and non-use …
This review highlights the possible pain experienced by layer and broiler poultry in modern husbandry conditions. Receptors which respond to noxous stimulation (nociceptors) have been identified and physiologically characterised in many different part of the body of the chicken including the beak, mouth, nose, joint capsule and scaly skin. Stimulation of these nociceptors produces cardiovascular …
This study was carried out to evaluate the performance and egg quality of laying hens in their second laying cycle submitted to different forced-moulting methods and three environmental temparatures. Six hundred layers were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with 15 treatments with five replicates of eight birds each, according to 5×3 factorial arrangement …
Moulting is a natural phenomenon in birds. Temperature variation and photoperiodic changes induce circadian and circannual rhythms, manifested by changes in the neural and endocrine systems, ultimately causing physiological processes resulting in a moult. The concept of induced moulting by feed deprivation arose during the early part of the 20th century as a solution to …
The purpose of this study was to evaluate alternative molting protocols assessing hen welfare and performance during and after molt. Hyline W-36 pullets were housed at 15 wk of age, and their egg production was obtained during this first cycle. When birds were 80 wk, the following molting treatments were applied: a conventional molt consisting …
Dietary molt induction to initiate additional egg laying cycles in commercial laying hen flocks is a wide spread practice in …
The objectives of this study were to evaluate and compare the effects of production, physiology, egg quality, and economics of …
Behaviour in poultry is predominately visually mediated and vision is important to the welfare of poultry. The relationship between vision, behaviour and welfare has primarily been investigated in relation to artificial lighting. Genetically blind chickens provide an alternative experimental paradigm for further investigating the importance of sight. The primary aim of the study was to …
Laying hens usually select an elevated position for resting at night-time. A previous study showed that the position a hen …
The use of pasture-based systems for poultry production is growing due to consumer demand for specialty ‘natural’ and ‘welfare-friendly’ meat and eggs. This paper discusses the various meanings of the term ‘pastured poultry’ and defines the different pasture-based poultry production systems. Considerations of poultry welfare standards provided through the specific system are also discussed. Production …
The aim of the study was to compare use of nests, production performance, and egg quality in 4 designs of …
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 …