Effects of stocking density, flock size and management on the welfare of laying hens in single-tier aviaries

British Poultry Science
C J NicolL J Wilkins

Abstract

Management practices, stocking rate and flock size may affect laying hen welfare but there have been few replicated studies in commercial non-cage systems that investigate this. This study used a broad range of physical and physiological indicators to assess the welfare of hens in 36 commercial flocks. Six laying period treatments were examined with each treatment replicated 6 times. It was not possible to randomly allocate treatments to houses, so treatment and house were largely confounded. Three stocking rates were compared: 7 birds/m(2) (n = 2450), 9 birds/m(2) (n = 3150) and 12 birds/m(2) in either small (n = 2450) or large (n = 4200) flocks. In addition, at 12 birds/m(2), in both small and large flocks, birds were subjected to either standard (SM) or modified (MM) management. MM flocks had nipple drinkers and no nest-box lights. Bone strength, fracture incidence, heterophil:lymphocyte (H:L) ratio, live weight, organ weights, serum creatine, serum osmolality, muscle pH and faecal corticosterone were measured on samples of birds at the end of the rearing period and at the end of lay. During the laying period, mortality, production and integument condition were recorded at regular intervals. Birds housed at 9 birds/m(2) had ...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Aug 28, 2010·British Poultry Science·H A Elson
Oct 7, 2010·British Poultry Science·C M SherwinC J Nicol
Jul 22, 2015·Poultry Science·D L M CampbellJ M Siegford
Jan 13, 2016·Animal : an International Journal of Animal Bioscience·L K HinrichsenR Labouriau
Mar 20, 2016·Poultry Science·M AlmH Wall
Feb 11, 2015·International Journal of Biometeorology·Mansur A SandhuMazhar Qayyum
May 1, 2015·Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences·Yeon-Hwa KimYang-Ho Choi
May 25, 2011·Physiology & Behavior·Stephanie BuijsFrank A M Tuyttens
Nov 9, 2016·Animal : an International Journal of Animal Bioscience·D L M CampbellC Lee
Oct 28, 2017·Poultry Science·Margrethe BrantsæterAndrew M Janczak
Feb 28, 2019·Animal : an International Journal of Animal Bioscience·L JungU Knierim
May 21, 2019·Avian Pathology : Journal of the W.V.P.A·Sónia SaraivaGeorge Stilwell
Jun 9, 2020·Animal Science Journal = Nihon Chikusan Gakkaihō·Tereza KrivankovaJan Chloupek
Aug 19, 2020·Journal of Animal Science·Christina Rufener, Maja M Makagon
Jan 1, 2014·Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI·Monique Bestman, Jan-Paul Wagenaar
Aug 23, 2012·Poultry Science·S A EnnekingP Y Hester

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
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