1. The advantages and disadvantages of various housing systems for laying hens were compared as a pilot study for work in commercial conditions. 2. At 16 weeks of age, 284 hens were introduced into one of 6 housing systems: two types of conventional cages (small: SC; large: LC), furnished cages (small: SF; large: LF), and non-cage systems (single-tiered aviary: SA; free-range: FR). 3. We evaluated the welfare, egg production, and immune response of the birds in these housing systems, built in the same location, for 18 months. For welfare evaluation, we examined their ethology, physiology, anatomy, production, and physical condition. 4. The non-cage systems, especially FR, had a low score for freedom from pain, injury, and disease, together with other disadvantages, such as pale eggs and increased feed intake for production. However, the score for freedom to express normal behaviour was high and immune response was good in the non-cage systems. 5. In the furnished cages, behaviour was more diverse in SF than in LF, and in SF immune response was comparable with the non-cage systems. 6. For freedom from fear and distress, the non-cage systems had high scores for some indicators such as TI duration, H/L ratio and claw length, while aggressive pecking and feather pecking was worse in the housing systems with large group sizes.

1. The objective of the present study was to examine the behaviour of laying hens in single-tiered aviaries with and without outdoor areas with particular reference to the proportion of each behaviour and the ways it changed. 2. In all, 144 interbred cross layers (WL/RIR cross-breed) were used. At the age of 16 weeks, the hens were divided at random into two groups and moved to single-tiered aviary (SA) and free-range systems (FR, SA with in addition an outdoor range area covered with clover) with 18 hens per pen. Behavioural observations were conducted before, during and after access to the range. 3. All behaviours using the beak (eating, grazing, drinking, preening, aggressive pecking, feather pecking, litter pecking, object pecking and mate pecking) were recorded as pecking behaviour. 4. While most of the FR hens spent their time outside foraging, the proportion of hens eating, preening, litter pecking, object pecking, aggressive pecking and feather pecking was higher in SA than in FR hens. 5. The proportion of hens performing pecking behaviour of all types was very similar in SA (61.7 +/- 2.0%) and in FR (64.0 +/- 0.8%). The proportion of hens performing overall pecking behaviour increased as pre-laying sitting decreased. 6. The proportion of hens feather pecking decreased in FR during access to range and a similar tendency was found for aggressive pecking. 7. In conclusion, the total proportion of hens pecking was almost the same regardless of whether an outdoor area was provided or not, but the incidence of different types of pecking behaviour differed between SA and FR. The risk of feather pecking in FR may be lower when an outdoor grazing area is provided, although further testing on a larger scale would be essential.

To evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment on behavioral, physiological and productive characteristics, 71 Japanese Black × Holstein steers (8 months of age; 299.5 ± 22.6 kg) were allocated to three pens in two repetitive experiments. Pen C (n = 11 and 12) consisted of a feeding alley for grain feed, a trough for dry hay, a water bowl and a resting space as a control pen. Pen D (n = 12 and 12) included a drum can (58 cm diameter ×90 cm height) containing hay. Pen GD (n = 12 and 12) included a drum can that was placed around artificial plastic turf (30 × 120 cm) for grooming. The drum cans were removed after 5 months of installation. Behavioral observations were made for 2 h at 10 min intervals after feeding on three successive days each month for 10 months. Agonistic interactions were also continuously observed for 1 h after feeding to assess the dominance order (DO). Sampling blood and measuring bodyweight were performed bimonthly. The steers used the drum can frequently for 3 months after installation (1st, 2nd, 3rd months vs 4 months, all P < 0.05). The frequency of total eating of grain feed and hay was higher in pen D and pen GD than in pen C (both P < 0.01), while it was lowest in pen GD after removal of the drum can (P < 0.05). Grooming at the drum can was observed more frequently in pen GD than in pen D (P < 0.05). After they finished eating the grain feed, they ate hay at the drum can that contained additional hay rather than at the trough for hay (P < 0.01). Plasma dopamine concentrations were higher in pen D than in pen C (P < 0.05), and serum triglyceride concentrations were higher in pen C than in pen GD (P < 0.05) during the installation of the drum can. After removal of the drum can, serum total cholesterol concentrations became higher in pen D and GD than in pen C (both P < 0.05). Average daily gain correlated positively with the frequency of eating hay at the drum can in pen D (r s = 0.52, P < 0.01). In pen GD, the frequency of using the drum can correlated negatively with DO (r s = −0.59, P < 0.01). Carcass belly fat was thicker in pens D and GD than in pen C (both P < 0.01). In pen GD, the frequency of eating hay (r s = 0.79, P < 0.01) and grooming at the drum can (r s = 0.63, P < 0.05) correlated positively with the marbling score. Although social factor affected the steers using the drum can, installing it in the early fattening stage encouraged the steers to eat and groom there and resulted in better carcass characteristics through the prolonged physiological positive effects.

A variety of investigations into alternative systems and furnished cages for laying hens have been conducted, mainly in the European Union. However, comparative studies about the behavior of laying hens just after introduction to these housing systems are few. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the changes of location and behavior of laying hens just after introduction to three housing systems. In total, 181 White Leghorns were used. Thirty‐six birds were allocated to 12 battery cages with three birds per cage (613 cm2/bird); 36 birds were allocated to nine furnished cages with four birds per cage (1170 cm2/bird); and 109 birds were allocated to an aviary (1130 cm2/bird). Direct observations using scanning techniques were conducted over 2 weeks for 4 h/day from the day following the introduction. Scan samples of location and behavior were taken at 10 min intervals. The proportion of birds that stayed at each location in the furnished cages was stable during the observation period. In the aviary, 78% of birds were observed on the floor on the first day, and thereafter the proportion linearly decreased (P < 0.01). The proportions of birds eating in both the battery and furnished cages were stable, indicating that the caged birds would adjust to these environments within a short period. Display of aggression was lower in both the cages (both 0.3 ± 0.1%) than in the aviary (3.5 ± 1.0%, P < 0.001), which indicates the early establishment of social order in both cage systems. In the aviary, the birds were observed eating less frequently than in both the cages on the first day, and the proportion thereafter linearly increased (P < 0.01), and the use of tiered wire floors with feeders accompanied this (P < 0.01). Comfort behaviors, including dust bathing, were noted less in the aviary than in the furnished cages throughout the observation period (both P < 0.05). These results suggest that adjustment of aviary birds to their new environment had been delayed compared with caged birds because of the prerearing conditions and the environmental complexity of the aviary.

The objective of this study was to investigate transportation conditions and behavioral and physiological responses of beef steers to long distance commercial transport throughout the year Japan. Japanese Black ¥ Holstein steers (7.9 Ϯ 0.6 months of age; 320.0 Ϯ 19.0 kg) were transported by truck in spring (n = 8), summer (n = 5), autumn (n = 8) and winter (n = 5). Transport distances (time) were 1020.6 km (25 h including lairage periods): 615.4 km (6.4 h) on expressways, 163.2 km (3.7 h) on arterial roads and 242.0 km (10.5 h) by ferry. The space allowance of the truck was about 1.6 m 2 /head in all seasons. Internal temperatures of the truck were 14.7 Ϯ 4.7°C in spring, 27.9 Ϯ 2.6°C in summer, 24.4 Ϯ 2.8°C in autumn and 9.2 Ϯ 4.3°C in winter. Although internal noise and airflow velocity of the truck were louder and greater while moving on expressways (101.1 Ϯ 8.3 dB and 1.50 Ϯ 1.50 m/s) than on arterial roads (92.0 Ϯ 15.2 dB and 1.32 Ϯ 1.41 m/s) (both P < 0.05), more steers lay down while moving on expressways (P < 0.001). Blood glucose, plasma cortisol, and serum triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations and ALT activity were higher in spring (all P < 0.05). This could be explained by that vibration acceleration (m/s 2 ) of the truck in the longitudinal direction was greater in spring (-0.19 Ϯ 0.43) than in the other seasons (-0.14 Ϯ 0.09 in summer, -0.15 Ϯ 0.20 in autumn and -0.15 Ϯ 0.13 in winter) (all P < 0.05). Heart rate, serum concentrations of T3, total cholesterol, total protein, and AST and ALT activities were higher just after transport than 1 week after transport (all P < 0.05). However, transport stress should be not severe, since no difference between before and after transport was shown on concentrations of plasma cortisol, blood lactate and serum NEFA, serum triglyceride and serum pH and liveweight.