scholarly journals The effects of floor space and nest box access on the physiology and behavior of caged laying hens

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Engel ◽  
T.M. Widowski ◽  
A.J. Tilbrook ◽  
K.L. Butler ◽  
P.H. Hemsworth
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Floor Space ◽  
And Behavior

scholarly journals Rearing system and behavioural adaptation of laying hens to furnished cages

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1997-2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Fernando Büttow Roll ◽  
Gustavo Adolfo Maria Levrino ◽  
Ricardo Cepero Briz
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Video Recording ◽  
Visual Observation ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Behavioural Adaptation ◽  
Direct Visual Observation ◽  
Cage Rearing ◽  
Sand Bath

The influences of floor and cage-rearing on behavioural adaptation to furnished cages were investigated in laying hens. Two groups of 180 Isa Brown commercial layer pullets were reared in cages (CR) or floor pens (FR) and transferred to furnished cages, where their behavioural adaptation was observed throughout the laying period (18-78 wks of age). At 17 weeks of age, hens were placed in one of the 36 furnished cages with 10 birds in each cage, each containing a nest box, perches, a dust bath, and abrasive strips. At 50 and 54 weeks of age, direct visual observation and video recording were used to assess hen’s behaviour. From 21 weeks of age, the dust-bath activities of leg-banded hens in eight cages per treatment were recorded. The amount of time spent walking was higher (3.5% vs. 1.8%) and perching was lower (7.5% vs. 13.4%) in CR hens than in FR hens (P<0.05). The use of dust baths and dust bathing behaviour increased throughout the laying period. The proportion of hens present at the sand bath area increased from 9.2% at 21 weeks to 21.4% at 72 weeks and the proportion of hens dust bathing increased from 4.7% to 21.0% (P<0.05). At 72 weeks of age, all dust-bath parameters were higher (P<0.05) in FR hens than in CR hens.

Nest box design and nesting material in a deep litter house for laying hens

1988 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Appleby ◽  
G. S. Hogarth ◽  
B. O. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Nesting Material

Design of modified cages for laying hens: effects on behaviour and welfare

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 218-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Appleby
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
List Type ◽  
Artificial Turf ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Medium Weight

Modifications to laying cages suggested by previous trials at Edinburgh include provision of a perch, a nest box and a dust bath, and increased area and height compared to conventional cages; the effects of combining these features is now described. Medium-weight hybrids were housed as groups of 4 in 48 cages of 4 types:control cages (C);experimental cages with nest box lined with litter (L);experimental cages with nest box lined with artificial turf (A);experimental cages with nest box lined with plastic grid (P).In sub-treatments A1 and P1, eggs were prevented from rolling away for the first 6 weeks of lay, by blocking the rollaway slot. In sub-treatments A2 and P2, eggs rolled away from the beginning of lay.

scholarly journals Floor Space Studies Using Slat Floor and Litter Floor for Laying Hens

1962 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1394-1400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q.B. Kinder ◽  
A.B. Stephenson
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Floor Space ◽  
Slat Floor

scholarly journals Production performance, use of nest box, and external appearance of two strains of laying hens kept in conventional and enriched cages

2015 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.E. Onbaşılar ◽  
N. Ünal ◽  
E. Erdem ◽  
A. Kocakaya ◽  
B. Yaranoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
External Appearance ◽  
Nest Box

Quantifying Nesting Motivation in Domestic Hens

1993 ◽  
Vol 1993 ◽  
pp. 78-78
Author(s):  
Jonathan J. Cooper ◽  
Mike C. Appleby
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Laying Hens ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Water Bath ◽  
Narrow Gap ◽  
Water Access ◽  
Nest Box ◽  
Gain Access

SummaryThe fact that laying hens prefer to lay in a nest is not evidence in itself that a suitable nest-site is necessary for the hens’ well-being. Stronger evidence would be found if hens were prepared to pay some cost to use a nest-site. The objective of this study is to quantify the strength of individual hens’ nesting motivation in terms of meaningful measures such as overcoming aversive obstacles, work or time.To investigate the motivation to gain access to a nestbox, hens were floor housed in groups of four in a pen containing food and water. Access to a nesting pen containing two nestboxes, could be restricted using a number of obstacles such as a narrow gap, a water bath and a swing door. Between trials hens were singly housed in wire-floored cages containing a perch and a nestbox. Results indicate that hens made less entries of longer duration to the nesting pen (Means + s.e in Figures 1 and 3) on treatment days with an obstacle than on control days without an obstacle. There was little disruption of use of the nest box (Figures 2 and 4). Hens that were due to lay made more visits on both control (C Egg) and treatment (T Egg) days (Figure 1), which may indicate greater motivation to explore the whole pen before oviposition.

Effect of different floor space allowances on the performance and behaviorof Beetal kids under stall-fed conditions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Thakur ◽  
D. S. Malik ◽  
S. Kaswan ◽  
A. L. Saini
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Favorable Effect ◽  
Performance Parameters ◽  
Feed Conversion ◽  
Large Space ◽  
Floor Space ◽  
Covered Area ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Daily Gain

Present study was conducted to investigate the effect of different floor space allowances on performance and behavior of Beetal kids from 3 to 6 months of age. Twenty four spring born Beetal kids (3 month old) were randomly divided in to four groups (n=6 each group) on the basis of space allowances i.e. 0.6 m2, 0.7 m2, 0.8 m2 and 0.9 m2 covered area and 1.2 m2, 1.4 m2, 1.6 m2 and 1.8 m2 open area per kid. The results indicated that most of the performance parameters i.e. body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were marginally higher with higher space allowance, but these did not differ statistically. However behavioural activities like moving, exploring pen, grooming and resting were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in large space allowance groups whereas, eating, standing and negative social interactions were significantly better (p < 0.05) in lower floor space allowance groups. It is concluded that the increase in floor space allowance had favorable effect on the performance and behavior of Beetal kids.

scholarly journals Effect of Combinations of Monochromatic LED Light Color on the Performance and Behavior of Laying Hens

2014 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Rakibul Hassan ◽  
Shabiha Sultana ◽  
Ho S.Choe ◽  
Kyeong S. Ryu
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Led Light ◽  
Light Color ◽  
And Behavior
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