Comparison of the welfare of layer hens in 4 housing systems in the UK

@article{Sherwin2010ComparisonOT,
  title={Comparison of the welfare of layer hens in 4 housing systems in the UK},
  author={Chris Sherwin and Gc Richards and Charles Nicol},
  journal={British Poultry Science},
  year={2010},
  volume={51},
  pages={488 - 499}
}
1. The welfare of hens in 26 flocks (6 conventional cage, 6 furnished cage, 7 barn, 7 free-range) was assessed throughout the laying period using a combination of data on physical health, physiology and injurious pecking, collected by researchers on farm and during post-mortem analysis, and information submitted by producers. 2. There was an effect of housing system on 5 of the indicators recorded by researchers: gentle feather pecks given, feather damage score, proportion of hens with feather… Expand
View on Taylor & Francis
animalwelfarestandards.net.au
158 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
17
Background Citations
52
Methods Citations
4
Results Citations
15

158 Citations

Citation Type

Citation Type

Specific characteristics of the aviary housing system affect plumage condition, mortality and production in laying hens.
TLDR
Wire mesh flooring in particular seems to have several health, welfare, and performance benefits in comparison to plastic slats, possibly related to decreased feather pecking, better hygiene, and fewer red mite infestations. Expand
Assessment of health and welfare of Austrian laying hens at slaughter demonstrates influence of husbandry system and season
TLDR
Health and welfare variables of laying hens from 79 flocks kept in alternative husbandry systems were assessed at the end of lay and direct comparison of variables between flocks and specific problems to be identified in particular flocks was allowed. Expand
An Investigation of Associations Between Management and Feather Damage in Canadian Laying Hens Housed in Furnished Cages
TLDR
The results indicated that FD resulting from feather pecking is a multifactorial problem, and supported existing evidence that FD increases as birds age, and suggested that “feather colour’, “midnight feeding”, and “access to (or lack of) a scratch area or additional substrate” play a role in FD prevalence in furnished cages. Expand
Keel bone injury in laying hens: the prevalence of injuries in relation to different housing systems, implications, and potential solutions
Increased pressure on the poultry industry by animal-rights organisations and environmentally-conscious consumers has led to the rising popularity of cage-free housing system for hens. One of the… Expand
WELFARE ASSESSMENT OF COMMERCIAL LAYERS IN SLOVENIA
TLDR
In the family-owned aviary facility, hens were found to be the most motivated to approach a novel object or a human, and as such were recognized as the least fearful birds, with better human–animal interaction compared to other intensive housing systems. Expand
Egg production and welfare of laying hens kept in different housing systems (conventional, enriched cage, and free range).
TLDR
The hens in the FR system had additional space for optimum comfort and better feather and bone traits, but the dirty egg ratio, feed consumption, and foot lesions were higher than in CC and EC systems. Expand
Assessment of the effect of housing on feather damage in laying hens using IR thermography.
TLDR
It was demonstrated that the IR thermography is a useful tool for the assessment of poultry feather cover quality that is not biased by the subjective component and provides higher precision than feather damage scoring. Expand
On-farm comparison of keel fracture prevalence and other welfare indicators in conventional cage and floor-housed laying hens in Ontario, Canada.
TLDR
Comparing welfare indicators from alternative housing systems for laying hens is important to ensure that progress is made in improving their well-being, and housing hens in single-tier floor systems increased the flock-level prevalence of keel fractures and resulted in a lower, yet more uniform, BW compared to he chickens in conventional cages under commercial conditions in Ontario. Expand
Welfare of layers housed in small furnished cages on Danish commercial farms: the condition of keel bone, feet, plumage and skin
ABSTRACT 1. An on-farm assessment of keel bone, feet, plumage and skin damage was conducted in layers in small furnished cages to evaluate welfare implications. 2. Thirteen farms participated, all… Expand
A cross-sectional study on feather cover damage in Canadian laying hens in non-cage housing systems
TLDR
These findings emphasize the role of litter provision and management, and its potential impact on FD among laying hens in non-cage housing systems in Canada, and further longitudinal and/or intervention studies are needed. Expand
...
1
2
3
4
5
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 28 REFERENCES
Assessment of the behaviour and welfare of laying hens on free-range units
TLDR
There were consistent differences in the birds' attitude, behaviour and performance attributable to the type of floor and the presence or absence of perches, which suggested that the welfare of the hens was inferior when they were housed on plastic floors with no perches. Expand
Performance and welfare of laying hens in conventional and enriched cages.
TLDR
Overall, laying performance, exterior egg quality measures, plumage condition, and immunological response parameters appear to be similar for hens housed in the 2 cage systems tested. Expand
Welfare assessment of laying hens in furnished cages and non-cage systems: assimilating expert opinion
TLDR
Subjectivity regarding the choice of welfare indicators and the assignment of their relative weightings, can be dealt with and made transparent by seeking consensus among experts by using groups of experts to increase the consensus for a protocol for the on-farm assessment of laying-hen welfare. Expand
Changes in feather condition in relation to feather pecking and aggressive behaviour in laying hens.
TLDR
The number of severe feather pecks received was significantly related with feather damage at all ages; however, no relation with gentle feather peck received was found. Expand
Effects of stocking density, flock size and management on the welfare of laying hens in single-tier aviaries
TLDR
The welfare of hens in all treatments was relatively poor by the end of lay, and information on faecal corticosterone, feather loss and mortality suggests that the welfare of birds in all treatment was relativelyPoor. Expand
The effects of a perch, dust bath, and nest box, either alone or in combination as used in furnished cages, on the welfare of laying hens.
TLDR
Data suggest that although furniture when present was well-used, any effects of furniture on hen welfare measured by physical and physiological traits were smaller than effects of group size and space allowance. Expand
Development of furnished cages for laying hens
TLDR
The results were still very good even with 8 birds per cage, and support the principle that furnished cages provide an acceptable way of protecting the welfare of laying hens, as well as lowering food consumption and mortality in one trial out of three. Expand
Impact of housing technology on blood plasma corticosterone levels in laying hens.
TLDR
The results of the present study show that housing technologies which are more similar to the animal's natural environment need not be associated with decreased levels of plasma corticosterone. Expand
The LayWel project: welfare implications of changes in production systems for laying hens
The conditions under which laying hens are kept remain a major animal welfare concern. It is one of the most intensive forms of animal production and the number of animals involved is very high.… Expand
Extraneous egg shell calcification as a measure of stress in poultry.
TLDR
The results of this study support the idea that the incidence of eggs showing abnormal calcification may provide a quick and reliable method of measuring stress in hens which lay brown shelled eggs. Expand
...
1
2
3
...