Pop hole passages and welfare in furnished cages for laying hens

The Effect of Short-term Classical Music stimulus on Behavior and Tonic Immobility Reaction of Pullets

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of short-term stimulation of classical music on the behavior of pullets and to explore whether classical music as an auditory enrichment factor reduces the fear level in pullets. One hundred and twenty 10-weeks'old Roman white pullets were randomly divided into two treatments of which one group was exposed to classic music (M), and another one was the control group (N). The music was played during 8:00-18:00 every day for 7 consecutive days. The behavior of the focal animals was observed from 11:00 to13:00 every day for 7 days. The results showed that during the observation period, the pullets in group M had more comforting (P < .05) and preening (P < .05), but less aggressive (P < .01) and feather-pecking (P < .01) behaviors than those in group N. No significant difference was found in other behaviors and the duration of tonic immobility between the two groups. Therefore, auditory enrichment as a means of environmental enrichment can increase the welfare level of pullets to a certain extent.

Effects of Furnished Cage Type on Behavior and Welfare of Laying Hens

This study was conducted to compare the effects of layout of furniture (a perch, nest, and sandbox) in cages on behavior and welfare of hens. Two hundred and sixteen Hyline Brown laying hens were divided into five groups (treatments) with four replicates per group: small furnished cages (SFC), medium furnished cages type I (MFC-I), medium furnished cages type II (MFC-II), and medium furnished cages type III (MFC-III) and conventional cages (CC). The experiment started at 18 week of age and finished at 52 week of age. Hens’ behaviors were filmed during the following periods: 8:00 to 10:00; 13:00 to 14:00; 16:00 to 17:00 on three separate days and two hens from each cage were measured for welfare parameters at 50 wk of age. The results showed that feeding and laying of all hens showed no effect by cage type (p>0.05), and the hens in the furnished cages had significantly lower standing and higher walking than CC hens (p<0.05). The birds in MFC-III had significant higher preening, scratching and feather-pecking behavior than in the other cages (p<0.05). No difference in nesting behavior was found in the hens between the furnished cages (p>0.05). The hens in MFC-I, −II, and −III showed a significant higher socializing behavior than SFC and CC (p<0.05). The lowest perching was for the hens in SFC and the highest perching found for the hens in MFC-III. Overall, the hens in CC showed poorer welfare conditions than the furnished cages, in which the feather condition score, gait score and tonic immobility duration of the hens in CC was significantly higher than SFC, MFC-I, MFC-II, and MFC-III (p<0.05). In conclusion, the furnished cage design affected both behavior and welfare states of hens. Overall, MFC-III cage design was better than SFC, MFC-I, and MFC-II cage designs.

Production performance and proportion of nest eggs in layer hybrids housed in different designs of furnished cages

The aim of the study was to compare use of nests, production performance, and egg quality in 4 designs of furnished cages (FC) housing 8 (T8), 10 (T10), 20 (T20), or 40 (T40) layers. The FC housing 8 and 10 hens were commonly used in commercial egg production in Sweden, whereas the cages housing 20 and 40 hens constituted new designs, at present not allowed in Sweden. The FC also differed in design and location of litter facilities. The study comprised 2 full production cycles (20-72 wk of age). Trial 1 included 588 Hy-Line White W98 and 460 Hy-Line Brown layers, and trial 2 used 572 Lohmann Selected Leghorn and 588 Lohmann Brown layers. In accordance with Swedish prohibition, beak treatment was not conducted. In both trials production parameters and mortality were considered normal and levels were unaffected by cage design. Deaths attributable to cannibalistic pecking were rare. Overall, exterior egg quality was superior in T8 compared with T20 and T40, whereas T10 generated intermediate results. Genotype differences were found in production performance, exterior egg quality, and use of nests. In T8 and T10 at least 95% of the eggs were laid in nest whereas in T20 and T40 a considerable percentage of eggs were laid on the litter mat, constituting the litter facility in those cage models. Additional lighting of litter mats (trial 2) had no effect on layers' choice of site for egg laying. Dividing T40 cages in 2 identical cage halves by a rear partition with pop holes had no effect on any of the traits measured. In conclusion, housing larger groups of non-beak-treated hens together in FC is possible, with acceptable levels of production and mortality, provided that cannibalism does not develop. The inferior egg quality in T20 and T40, likely caused by the large proportions of misplaced eggs, needs to be considered in the further development of those cage designs.

Antimicrobial resistance ofEscherichia coliandEnterococcus faecalisin housed laying-hen flocks in Europe

The aim of this study was to determine the potential association between housing type and multiple drug resistance (MDR) inEscherichia coliandEnterococcus faecalisisolates recovered from 283 laying-hen flocks. In each flock, a cloacal swab from four hens was collected and produced 1102E. coliand 792E. faecalisisolates. Broth microdilution was used to test susceptibility to antimicrobials. Country and housing type interacted differently with the MDR levels of both species. In theE. colimodel, housing in a raised-floor system was associated with an increased risk of MDR compared to the conventional battery system [odds ratio (OR) 2·12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·13–3·97)]. In theE. faecalismodel the MDR levels were lower in free-range systems than in conventional battery cages (OR 0·51, 95% CI 0·27–0·94). In Belgium, ceftiofur-resistantE. coliisolates were more numerous than in the other countries.

Effects of separation of resources on behaviour, physical condition and production of laying hens in furnished cages

1. Based on our previous studies, we designed a medium-sized furnished cage with a dust bath and nest box on both sides of the cage (MFS) and evaluated its usefulness. 2. We used 180 White Leghorn layers. At the age of 17 weeks, the birds were distributed at random into one of the 4 cage designs: conventional cages (CC; 6 cages and 5 hens per cage), small (SF; 6 cages and 5 hens per cage) and medium furnished cages (MFL; 6 cages and 10 hens per cage) with a 'localised' dust bath and nest box on one side of the cage, and MFS (6 cages and 10 hens per cage). The total allocation of resources per bird was similar for all furnished cage designs. Behaviour, physical condition and production were measured in each cage. 3. Moving was more frequent in MFS and MFL than in CC and SF. The proportion of hens performing aggressive pecking and severe feather pecking was higher in MFL than CC and SF. These aggressive interactions occurred frequently in the dust bath area in MFL; however, these tendencies were not found in MFS. Egg production and egg mass were lower in MFL than in SF, while the production in MFS was similar to those in CC and SF. MFS hens laid eggs on the cage floor more often than in MFL. 4. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the possible usefulness of MFS. However, some inconsistent results and ways of improving MFS design were also identified.

Effects of litter substrate and genotype on layers' use of litter, exterior appearance, and heterophil:lymphocyte ratios in furnished cages

Effects of sand versus sawdust as a litter bath substrate in furnished cages for laying hens were studied. The study used 112 Hy-Line White (HYW) and 140 Hy-Line Brown (HYB) layers housed in 18 furnished cages with 14 hens in each cage, generating 4 or 5 replicates per combination of genotype and litter substrate. Traits studied were mortality, feather cover, hygiene of hens, pecking wounds, heterophil/lymphocyte ratios, and hens' use of litter baths. Hens' litter bath use was measured by direct observations and by use of the passive integrated transponder technique. The latter technique allowed for recording of an individual hen's visits to litter baths during the 420-d study. There were no indications of differences between sand and sawdust as litter substrates in mortality rates, exterior appearance, or heterophil/lymphocyte ratios. Litter baths with sand or sawdust were occupied to the same extent but dustbathing behaviors were more frequently seen in baths with sawdust. Hens of both lines visited the litter bath to the same extent but HYB performed more dustbathing. There was large variation in the number of days that individual hens visited litter baths; in fact, 30% of the hens never entered litter baths, whereas some hens visited baths almost every day. The HYB hens had inferior feather cover compared with HYW, indicating that feather pecking occurred more frequently in cages with brown hens. The HYW hens had lower body weight, longer claws, and more comb wounds than HYB. In conclusion, sawdust seems to be an acceptable alternative to sand as a litter substrate in furnished cages.