Appropriate rearing is essential for ensuring the welfare and productivity of laying hens. Early experience has the potential to affect the development of fearfulness. This study tested whether rearing in aviaries, as opposed to cages, reduces the fearfulness of laying hens after transfer to furnished cages. Fear responses were recorded as avoidance of a novel object in the home cage. Lohmann Selected Leghorns were reared in an aviary system or conventional rearing cages and then transported to furnished cages at 16 weeks, before the onset of lay. Observations of a selection of birds were conducted at 19 (N = 50 independent cages) and 21 (N = 48 independent cages) weeks of age. At 19 and 21 weeks, cage-reared birds showed higher levels of fearfulness indicated by spending more time away from the novel object compared to aviary-reared birds. These results suggest that rearing in an enriched aviary environment reduces fearfulness up to the fifth week after transfer to a new housing system, compared to rearing in cages.

This study tests the hypothesis that hens that are reared in aviaries but produce in furnished cages experience poorer welfare in production than hens reared in caged systems. This hypothesis is based on the suggestion that the spatial restriction associated with the transfer from aviaries to cages results in frustration or stress for the aviary reared birds. To assess the difference in welfare between aviary and cage reared hens in production, non-beak trimmed white leghorn birds from both rearing backgrounds were filmed at a commercial farm that used furnished cage housing. The videos were taken at 19 and 21 weeks of age, following the birds' transition to the production environment at 16 weeks. Videos were analysed in terms of the performance of aversion-related behaviour in undisturbed birds, comfort behaviour in undisturbed birds, and alert behaviour directed to a novel object in the home cage. A decrease in the performance of the former behaviour and increase in the performance of the latter two behaviours indicates improved welfare. The results showed that aviary reared birds performed more alert behaviour near to the object than did cage reared birds at 19 but not at 21 weeks of age (P = 0.03). Blood glucose concentrations did not differ between the treatments (P>0.10). There was a significant difference in mortality between treatments (P = 0.000), with more death in aviary reared birds (5.52%) compared to cage birds (2.48%). The higher mortality of aviary-reared birds indicates a negative effect of aviary rearing on bird welfare, whereas the higher duration of alert behavior suggests a positive effect of aviary rearing.

Politically driven UK legislation that targets “dangerous dogs” has not been shown to reduce dog bites, writes Rachel Orritt, who calls for policy to be based on robust evidence of incidence and risk assessment of ownershi

There are currently 3.5 million people in Europe who require medical oxygen, and as life expectancies increase, this figure is likely to grow. At the same time, air travel is becoming more accessible to a wider range of people, as costs of flights fall, and airlines and airports make improvements to the accessibility of their services.People who need medical oxygen to fly experience a wide range of difficulties when planning to travel by plane, and sometimes during or after the flight.A European Commission Regulation (EC No 1107/2006) sets the standard for airlines when it comes to making air travel accessible, but healthcare professionals and oxygen providers can both help patients to navigate the various requirements for using medical oxygen when travelling.In this review, we discuss the journey of the patient planning to travel by air, from initial consultation and fit-to-fly test, through to planning their air travel and oxygen supply, travelling, and arriving at their destination. We also highlight some common problems at each stage and suggest points for healthcare professionals to discuss with patients.Key pointsPatients who require medical oxygen for air travel should begin planning their trip as far in advance as possible.It is very advantageous for healthcare professionals to be able to advise patients on travelling with oxygen and what they need to do.Requirements and policies can vary greatly between airlines, causing problems for patients who are trying to book their flights.Patients or their carers need to be confident operating their oxygen equipment, as the stress of travel and lack of medical assistance on an airplane can put them at risk.Careful arrangements need to be made by the patient to make sure that they have the correct oxygen therapy at their destination, and can access support if they need it.Educational aimsTo understand the process and potential challenges for a patient who requires oxygen to travel by plane.To be confident in discussing air travel with patients who are affected by lung disease.

The first 'UK Dog Bite Prevention Week' was introduced on June 6 and 7 with a two-day conference hosted by television presenter and dog trainer Victoria Stilwell in association with the University of Lincoln. The event attracted a mix of academic and professional speakers as well as delegates from a wide range of backgrounds. Rachel Orritt, who is researching the perceptions, assessment and management of human-directed aggressive behaviour in dogs at the University of Lincoln, reports on the proceedings TWO hundred and fifty people attended the National Dog Bite Prevention and Behaviour conference, including vets, behaviourists, teachers, groomers, police officers, emergency service personnel and researchers, to learn about the individual prevention and national management of dog bites. Speakers at the meeting, which was held at the University of Lincoln, also came from a range of disciplines, including Daniel Mills, professor of veterinary behavioural medicine at the University of Lincoln, Trevor Cooper, a solicitor with a particular interest in the law relating to dogs, and Kerstin Meints, professor of developmental psychology at the University of Lincoln.Despite the diversity in perspectives, there was a great deal of concordance between speakers regarding dog bite terminology. Veterinary behaviourist Kendal Shepherd argued that the term 'dog attack' -which, she said, suggested a degree of premeditated action -should be replaced, and, instead, 'dog biting incidents' (DBIs) should be used for the purpose of objective discussion.