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Mikoni NA, Guzman DSM, Fausak E, Paul-Murphy J. Recognition and Assessment of Pain-Related Behaviors in Avian Species: An Integrative Review. J Avian Med Surg 2022; 36:153-172. [DOI: 10.1647/21-00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Glatz PC, Underwood G. Current methods and techniques of beak trimming laying hens, welfare issues and alternative approaches. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1071/an19673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Beak trimming is used in the egg industry to prevent mortality from cannibalism and minimise injurious pecking, vent pecking, aggressive pecking at the head and all forms of feather pecking, although the practice does not completely reduce the damage. There are alternatives to beak trimming, but they have not been reliable in preventing injurious pecking. However, beak trimming should not be used without providing birds enriched indoor and outdoor environments. Even when birds are beak trimmed, providing enriched facilities is recommended. The two main methods of beak trimming are hot blade (HB) and infrared beak treatment (IRBT). HB trimming removes the beak tips and cauterises the beak stump. The IRBT method uses heat from an infrared lamp to treat the outer beak and the underlying tissue. Initially, the tips of the beak remain intact and then soften and wear as the bird uses its beak. In contrast, the HB method results in an open wound that takes 3 weeks to heal. Two major welfare issues arise from beak trimming. The first is loss of sensory input because of removal of or heat treatment of sensory receptors in the beak. The second issue is the potential for acute and chronic pain from severing or heat treatment of nerves. HB trimming initially results in acute pain but there is limited evidence for beak sensitivity in IRBT birds. The development of neuromas in the beak have been implicated as a cause of chronic pain after HB trimming. When birds are HB trimmed (one-half of upper beak; one-third of lower) in the first 10 days of life, neuromas will develop, but they will resolve, compared with birds trimmed at older ages. However, neuromas will not resolve in 10-day old birds if more than one-half of the beak is HB trimmed. While HB trimming is performed according to accreditation standards by removal of one-half the upper beak and one-third of the lower beak is considered excessive, it prevents beak regrowth and the need to subject birds to re-trimming and a second bout of acute pain from the beak wound. Current levels of IRBT to treat half of the beak using the vendors quality-assurance protocol have been implemented worldwide to ensure that neuroma formation is prevented; however, if severe levels of IRBT are used, acute pain and subsequent neuromas may persist. The main impact of beak trimming is how the bird uses its beak when it eats, drinks and pecks at other birds and the environment. Reduced feed intake after HB trimming indicates pain associated with pecking or difficulty in eating. HB-trimmed birds initially show an increase in listlessness and guarding behaviours and increased inactivity, which indicates pain. IRBT and HB-trimmed birds have fewer aggressive pecks at the head, and there is a reduction in severe feather pecking and better feather scores, which results in a large reduction in mortality. Depending on the severity of IRBT and HB trimming, the advantage of using IRBT is improved welfare.
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Terčič D, Pančur M, Jordan D, Zupan Šemrov M. Effects of Dimethyl Anthranilate-Based Repellents on Behavior, Plumage Condition, Egg Quality, and Performance in Laying Hens. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:533. [PMID: 32974401 PMCID: PMC7466561 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Feather pecking is a behavior that occurs in order to cope with a constrained environment and is a serious problem in the egg production industry. This longitudinal study was conducted under commercial conditions to investigate whether the application of two repellent mixtures, previously suggested as aversive to wild birds, to the plumage of Prelux-R hybrid egg layers is a viable alternative to beak trimming as a solution to discourage feather pecking among laying hens. A total of 180 untrimmed hybrid layers was reared together in a floor pen. At 18 weeks of age they were allocated randomly to three treatments (repellent P, repellent T, control), each consisting of 6 replicated enriched cages with 10 hens in each cage. Hens were evenly sprayed once every 2 weeks for 54 weeks with solution P (dimethyl anthranilate and methyl phenylacetate), solution T (dimethyl anthranilate and geraniol), or distilled water (control). Body weight, plumage condition, behavior, feed intake, and egg quality measurements were taken at five time periods from 26 to 76 weeks of age. Egg production and mortality were recorded daily. The treatments did not affect feather pecking behavior. Hens treated with repellent T tended to perform less cage pecking than the control hens. The use of the repellents did not reduce feather pecking, the plumage was even more significantly damaged in the hens given the repellents compared to the control hens. This suggests the chemicals in the repellents worsened the plumage. No differences in feed intake and daily egg production between treatments were found. Raw and hard-boiled eggs were highly uniform in odor/flavor/taste and no offensive odor absorption related to the chemicals in the repellents was detected. In conclusion, in the present study we did not find any beneficial effect of dimethyl anthranilate-based repellents on feather pecking frequency and plumage/feather condition. Therefore, we do not encourage their use in wider commercial settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dušan Terčič
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Giersberg MF, Spindler B, Rodenburg B, Kemper N. The Dual-Purpose Hen as a Chance: Avoiding Injurious Pecking in Modern Laying Hen Husbandry. Animals (Basel) 2019; 10:ani10010016. [PMID: 31861732 PMCID: PMC7023478 DOI: 10.3390/ani10010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Dual purpose chickens are one solution to the killing of male day-old chickens from the layer strains. However, modern laying hen husbandry faces further challenges, for instance, the frequent occurrence of injurious pecking. This behavior is seen as a sign of stress in the offending birds, it causes pain and damage in the victims, and thus impairs the health and welfare of the whole flock. In this study, the behavior of conventional laying hens and dual-purpose hens was evaluated comparatively by assessing the status of their feathers and skin over time. All hens were housed and managed under semi-commercial conditions. Severe feather loss and skin lesions due to injurious pecking only occurred in the conventional layer flocks. Therefore, keeping dual-purpose hens may also be an alternative approach to overcome damaging behaviors in laying hen husbandry. Abstract Dual-purpose strains, with hens housed for egg laying and roosters kept for meat production are one alternative to the killing of male day-old chickens. However, dual-purpose hens seem to have additional advantages compared to conventional layers, for instance, a lower tendency to develop behavioral disorders, such as feather pecking and cannibalism. In the present study, three batches of about 1850 conventional layers (Lohmann Brown plus, LB+) and 1850 dual-purpose hens (Lohmann Dual, LD) each, all of them with untrimmed beaks, were observed during production (20–71 (56) weeks of life) in a semi-commercial aviary system. The aim was to investigate whether the hybrid and batch affected the occurrence of injurious pecking, and to identify a detailed time course of the damage caused by this behavior. Therefore, the hens’ plumage and skin condition were assessed as an indicator by means of a visual scoring method. The LB+ hens had higher production performances and higher mortality rates compared to the LD hens. Plumage loss in the LB+ flocks started at 23 to 25 weeks of age, and deteriorated continuously. The LD hens showed only moderate feather loss on the head/neck region, which started at 34 to 41 weeks and remained almost constant until the end of the observations. Compared to feather loss, injuries occurred in the LB+ hens with a delay of several weeks, with a maximum of 8% to 12% of hens affected. In contrast, skin injuries were observed only sporadically in single LD hens. In all batches, hybrid had an effect on the occurrence of feather loss (p < 0.05). Within the LB+ strain, the proportions of hens affected by plumage loss and injuries differed among batches (p < 0.05), whereas this was not the case in the LD flocks. Thus, severe feather pecking and cannibalism seemed to occur in the conventional layer hybrids but not in the dual-purpose hens, though both genetic strains were raised and managed under the same semi-commercial conditions. Therefore, keeping dual-purpose hens should also be considered as an alternative approach to avoid injurious pecking in laying hen husbandry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Franziska Giersberg
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30173 Hannover, Germany; (B.S.); (N.K.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Birgit Spindler
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30173 Hannover, Germany; (B.S.); (N.K.)
| | - Bas Rodenburg
- Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3508 TD Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Nicole Kemper
- Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30173 Hannover, Germany; (B.S.); (N.K.)
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Struthers S, Classen HL, Gomis S, Crowe TG, Schwean-Lardner K. The impact of beak tissue sloughing and beak shape variation on the behavior and welfare of infrared beak-treated layer pullets and hens. Poult Sci 2019; 98:4269-4281. [PMID: 31073593 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pez274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This research examined how infrared beak treatment (IRBT), sloughing of the treated beak tissue, and the variations in beak shape that can occur post-IRBT impact the welfare and mortality of Lohmann LSL-Lite (LW) and Lohmann Brown (LB) pullets and hens. Two experiments were conducted and birds for both experiments were treated on the day of hatch. IRBT equipment settings were adjusted to create 4 specific beak shapes: shovel (SHV), step (STP), standard (STAN), and an untreated sham control (C). Experiment 1 pullets (n = 80 per strain) were reared in bioassay cages from 1 to 29 D of age (4 replicates per treatment). Data collected included time and presence of beak sloughing, pecking force, behavioral expression, and mortality. Experiment 2 pullets (n = 320 per strain) were reared in floor pens from 1 D to 18 wk of age (2 replicates per treatment) and then conventional cages from 18 to 60 wk of age (6 replicates per treatment). Data collected for Experiment 2 included behavioral expression, feather cover, comb damage, and mortality. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS® 9.4) with Tukey's test to separate means. Differences were significant when P ≤ 0.05. IRBT and sloughing had no effect on pecking force or mortality throughout rearing. The variations in post-IRBT beak shape had minor effects on behavior. During rearing, STAN pullets were more active than C pullets but STP and STAN pullets performed less exploratory pecking. During the laying period, SHV and STP hens preened more than C hens. The IRBT treatments, regardless of beak shape, reduced feather loss, comb damage, and cannibalism-related mortality during the laying period. Overall, the results indicate that LW and LB pullets and hens can cope with the change in beak shape that occurs with IRBT, and that welfare is not negatively impacted if some variation in beak shape occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Struthers
- Department and Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5A8, Canada
| | - H L Classen
- Department and Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5A8, Canada
| | - S Gomis
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - T G Crowe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5A9, Canada
| | - K Schwean-Lardner
- Department and Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5A8, Canada
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Shi H, Tong Q, Zheng W, Tu J, Li B. Effects of nest boxes in natural mating colony cages on fear, stress, and feather damage for layer breeders1,2,3. J Anim Sci 2019; 97:4464-4474. [PMID: 31545381 PMCID: PMC6827397 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Colony cages are commonly used in China for the natural mating of layer breeders. However, feather pecking (FP) is a major problem in this system, and feather damage mainly due to FP needs to be alleviated. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of nest boxes provided in colony cages. Each colony cage confined 10 roosters and 90 laying hens. The use of nest boxes as it relates to age, feather damage, sexual behavior, fertility, and fearfulness was evaluated. Thyroid hormones, which are considered to be physiological indicators of various forms of stress in poultry and may be correlated with the quality of feather coverage, were also tested. The control group and the nest box group each had 12 replicates, totaling 24 identical cages. Analyses were conducted using the linear mixed models procedure of SPSS Statistics 22.0. The results showed that the control group had a significantly higher proportion of hens with feather damage to 4 specific body regions (back, rump, tail, and belly) compared to the nest box group (P < 0.05). Increasing the use of the nest boxes took place from weeks 41 to 47 and at 53 wk of age, as seen by the percentage of eggs and number of sitting events in the nests, number of hens using the nests, and frequency of visits. There were no significant differences in fertility, the occurrence of mounting, or full copulation behavior between the 2 groups. Hens in the control group showed a significantly longer duration of tonic immobility at 43, 49, and 55 wk of age (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found between groups for the concentration of triiodothyronine or thyroxine, but a significantly higher concentration of corticosterone was measured in the control group than in the nest box group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, hens with access to nest boxes during the laying period had a decreased FP frequency, fewer damaged feathers, lower plasma corticosterone secretion, and were less fearful. This information contributes to the understanding of the FP behavior and stress sensitivity of layer breeders, which will provide a basis for the development and optimization of the colony cage equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haipeng Shi
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, Beijing, China
| | - Qin Tong
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, Beijing, China
| | - Weichao Zheng
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, Beijing, China
| | - Jiang Tu
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, Beijing, China
| | - Baoming Li
- College of Water Resources & Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Engineering in Structure and Environment, Beijing, China
- Beijing Engineering Research Center on Animal Healthy Environment, Beijing, China
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Pelicia K, Garcia EA, Santos TA, Santos GC, Vieira Filho JA, Silva AP, Moreira J, Rabello CBV, Garcia RG. BEAK TRIMMING BY INFRARED RADIATION OF LAYERS. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1590/1806-9061-2017-0618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- K Pelicia
- State University of Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - EA Garcia
- State University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - TA Santos
- State University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - GC Santos
- Federal University of West Pará, Brazil
| | | | | | - J Moreira
- Federal University of Vale of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri, Brazil
| | - CBV Rabello
- Rural Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - RG Garcia
- Federal University of Grande Dourados, Brazil
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Vieira Filho JA, Garcia EA, Oba E, Santos TA, Molino AB, Silva AP, Pelícia K, Paz ICLA. Production Indicators and Levels of Corticosterone in Pullets Treated with Beak-Trimming Protocols. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1590/1806-9061-2017-0560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - EA Garcia
- University of Sao Paulo State, Brazil
| | - E Oba
- University of Sao Paulo State, Brazil
| | - TA Santos
- University of Sao Paulo State, Brazil
| | | | | | - K Pelícia
- State University of Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - ICLA Paz
- University of Sao Paulo State, Brazil
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Janczak AM, Riber AB. Review of rearing-related factors affecting the welfare of laying hens. Poult Sci 2015; 94:1454-69. [PMID: 26009752 PMCID: PMC4991062 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pev123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Laying hens may face a number of welfare problems including: acute and chronic pain caused by beak trimming; exaggerated fearfulness that may cause stress and suffocation; difficulties in locating resources, resulting potentially in emaciation and dehydration; frustration and boredom, caused by an environment that is barren; feather pecking; cannibalism; foot lesions; and bone fractures. In Europe, a greater proportion of laying hens are housed in non-cage systems compared to the rest of the world. The extent of the different welfare problems may therefore vary between countries as the type of housing system influences the risk of suffering. More generally, many of these welfare problems are influenced by the rearing environment of the pullets. This article therefore focuses on welfare problems in laying hens that can be traced back to rearing. Factors that have been studied in relation to their effects on bird welfare include beak trimming, housing type, furnishing, enrichment, feeding, stocking density, flock size, sound and light levels, concentration of gasses, age at transfer from rearing to production facilities, similarity between rearing and production facilities, competence of staff, and interactions between bird strain and environment. The present review aims to summarize rearing-related risk factors of poor welfare in adult laying hens housed according to European Union legislation. It aims to identify gaps in current knowledge, and suggests strategies for improving bird welfare by improving rearing conditions. Two main conclusions of this work are that attempts should be made to use appropriate genetic material and that beak trimming should be limited where possible. In addition to this, the rearing system should provide constant access to appropriate substrates, perches, and mashed feed, and should be as similar as possible to the housing system used for the adult birds. Finally, young birds (pullets) should be moved to the production facilities before 16 weeks of age. The measures outlined in this review may be useful for improving the welfare of pullets and adult laying hens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Janczak
- Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Oslo, Norway
| | - Anja B Riber
- Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
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Lambton SL, Nicol CJ, Friel M, Main DCJ, McKinstry JL, Sherwin CM, Walton J, Weeks CA. A bespoke management package can reduce levels of injurious pecking in loose-housed laying hen flocks. Vet Rec 2013; 172:423. [DOI: 10.1136/vr.101067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. L. Lambton
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Bristol; Langford Bristol BS40 5DU UK
| | - C. J. Nicol
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Bristol; Langford Bristol BS40 5DU UK
| | - M. Friel
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Bristol; Langford Bristol BS40 5DU UK
| | - D. C. J. Main
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Bristol; Langford Bristol BS40 5DU UK
| | - J. L. McKinstry
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Bristol; Langford Bristol BS40 5DU UK
| | - C. M. Sherwin
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Bristol; Langford Bristol BS40 5DU UK
| | - J. Walton
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Bristol; Langford Bristol BS40 5DU UK
| | - C. A. Weeks
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Bristol; Langford Bristol BS40 5DU UK
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Lambton SL, Knowles TG, Yorke C, Nicol CJ. The risk factors affecting the development of gentle and severe feather pecking in loose housed laying hens. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2009.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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