A meta-analysis on the effect of environmental enrichment on feather pecking and feather damage in laying hens

Staaveren, Nienke van; Ellis, J.L.; Baes, Christine F.; Harlander-Matauschek, Alexandra

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2020.11.006

Cited by 23 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…It is possible that, despite the stressors administered, the housing conditions of the birds in the present study were more enriched than the housing environment of birds in commercial systems. Indeed, a lower frequency of SFP is observed in flocks benefiting from enrichment 89 . Between 10 and 13 woa, the stressed birds had limited access to perches and nest boxes, but these items were not entirely restricted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

L. rhamnosus improves the immune response and tryptophan catabolism in laying hen pullets

Mindus

Staaveren

Fuchs

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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In mammals, early-life probiotic supplementation is a promising tool for preventing unfavourable, gut microbiome-related behavioural, immunological, and aromatic amino acid alterations later in life. In laying hens, feather-pecking behaviour is proposed to be a consequence of gut-brain axis dysregulation. Lactobacillus rhamnosus decreases stress-induced severe feather pecking in adult hens, but whether its effect in pullets is more robust is unknown. Consequently, we investigated whether early-life, oral supplementation with a single Lactobacillus rhamnosus strain can prevent stress-induced feather-pecking behaviour in chickens. To this end, we monitored both the short- and long-term effects of the probiotic supplement on behaviour and related physiological parameters. We hypothesized that L. rhamnosus would reduce pecking behaviour by modulating the biological pathways associated with this detrimental behaviour, namely aromatic amino acid turnover linked to neurotransmitter production and stress-related immune responses. We report that stress decreased the proportion of cytotoxic T cells in the tonsils (P = 0.047). Counteracting this T cell depression, birds receiving the L. rhamnosus supplementation significantly increased all T lymphocyte subset proportions (P < 0.05). Both phenotypic and genotypic feather peckers had lower plasma tryptophan concentrations compared to their non-pecking counterparts. The probiotic supplement caused a short-term increase in plasma tryptophan (P < 0.001) and the TRP:(PHE + TYR) ratio (P < 0.001). The administration of stressors did not significantly increase feather pecking in pullets, an observation consistent with the age-dependent onset of pecking behaviour. Despite minimal changes to behaviour, our data demonstrate the impact of L. rhamnosus supplementation on the immune system and the turnover of the serotonin precursor tryptophan. Our findings indicate that L. rhamnosus exerts a transient, beneficial effect on the immune response and tryptophan catabolism in pullets.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

L. rhamnosus improves the immune response and tryptophan catabolism in laying hen pullets

Mindus

Staaveren

Fuchs

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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“…This finding emphasizes the importance of enough litter and regular litter renewal for the prevention of SFP [ 31 ]. Environmental enrichment in the litter area, such as straw bales or pecking blocks, may have an additional positive effect [ 39 , 72 ]. We found a correlation between SFP and AP throughout the laying period.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, a negative correlation was found between litter pecking and SFP in connection with raised anxiety level in hens [ 38 ]. A meta-analysis confirmed the positive effect of environmental enrichment on the reduction of SFP [ 39 ]. The extent of plumage damage due to SFP also varies between hybrid lines [ 40 , 41 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Feather Pecking in Non-Beak-Trimmed and Beak-Trimmed Laying Hens on Commercial Farms with Aviaries

Schwarzer¹,

Plattner²,

Bergmann³

et al. 2021

Animals

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Severe feather pecking (SFP) is a major animal welfare problem in layers. It results in pain and injuries in the affected animal. It was the aim of this study to gain insight into the actual pecking behavior of laying hens kept on commercial farms with flock sizes common in practice. We observed aggressive pecking and SFP in non-beak-trimmed and beak-trimmed flocks of laying hens and investigated possible influencing factors. The study took place on eight conventional farms in Germany with aviaries, including three farms with a free range and a winter garden, one with a free range and one with a winter garden. Pecking behavior was observed during three observational periods (OPs): OP 1, at the peak of the laying period between the 28th and 33rd week of life; OP 2, in the middle of the laying period between the 42nd and 48th week of life; and OP 3, at the end of the laying period between the 63rd and 68th week of life in one laying period. Videos were analyzed using behavior sampling and continuous recording. We found that SFP occurred in all flocks, but the pecking rate differed significantly between the flocks. SFP correlated positively with the number of hens per square meter of usable area, with statistical significance in the litter area (r = 0.564; p = 0.045). The multivariate analysis revealed that access to a winter garden or free range significantly reduced the SFP rate on perches (p = 0.001). The stocking density (number of birds per usable square meter) had a significant influence on the SPF rate in the nest-box area (p = 0.001). The hybrid line had a significant effect on the SFP rate on perches and in the nest-box area (p = 0.001 each). Lohmann Brown hens in mixed flocks had a higher SFP rate (significant in OP 2) than those in homogeneous flocks, indicating that mixed flocks may be a risk factor for SFP. Lohmann Brown hens pecked significantly less than Dekalb White hens in the litter area (p = 0.010) and in the nest-box area (p = 0.025) and less than Lohmann Selected Leghorn hens in the litter area (p = 0.010). Lohmann Brown and Lohmann Selected Leghorn hens showed increasing SFP rates during the laying period. All hybrid lines had significantly higher SFP rates in the litter area, followed by the nest-box area and perches. These findings emphasize the importance of providing enough litter, litter areas and environmental enrichment. We found a significant positive correlation between aggressive pecking and SFP—in OP 1: rho (Spearman) = 0.580, p < 0.001; OP 2: rho = 0.486, p = 0.002; and OP 3: rho = 0.482, p = 0.002 (n = 39) —indicating that SFP may lead to a higher stress level in the flock. Beak trimming reduced pecking rates but did not entirely prevent SFP. Instead of subjecting chicks to this potentially painful procedure, reasons for SFP should be addressed. In conclusion, our data suggest a positive influence of a lower stocking density and the provision of a winter garden or free range for additional space. The hybrid line had a significant influence on the feather-pecking rate on perches and the nest-box area. Aggressive pecking and severe feather pecking correlated positively. We assume that vigorous and painful AP were an additional stress factor, especially in non-beak-trimmed flocks, leading to more SFP in due course. Beak trimming had a reducing effect on SFP. However, our results showed that non-beak-trimmed flocks could be kept without major outbreaks of SFP.

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“…One of the possible strategies to improve hen health and welfare is to modify their rearing environments, and several alternatives to the conventional cage system have been developed such as enriched cage system (consisting of a nest, litter bath or scratch area, perches, and abrasive strip) and cage-free systems with or without outdoor access such as aviaries (single- and multiple-tiered) [ 59 ]. Although hens housed in the enriched cage system and non-cage systems seem to be possible ways to improve their welfare by displaying some degree of “natural” behavior such as nesting, roosting, and scratching [ 60 , 61 ], there is a high risk of increased exhibition of injurious behavior (feather pecking, aggression, and cannibalism) resulting from large group sizes and social instability [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 62 , 63 ]. Social stress and associated injurious behavior are major concerns in all current housing environments including cage and cage-free systems [ 41 , 42 ].…”

Section: Production Environments and Related Stress In Commercial Lay...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, BT causes tissue damage, which may increase somatosensory sensitization of the damaged nerve tissues, resulting in pain (acute, chronic or both) in the trimmed birds [ 31 , 39 , 40 ]. Both enriched-caging and free-range production systems have been developed to meet the chickens’ ‘natural’ behavioral needs, however, injurious behavior still occurs within the flocks, and other management strategies must be implemented [ 32 , 41 , 42 , 43 ]. With the growing public concern for laying hen health and welfare, there is a pressing need to identify and develop alternatives to BT.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Probiotic Bacillus subtilis on Injurious Behavior in Laying Hens

Jiang

Cheng

2022

Animals

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Intestinal microbiota functions such as an endocrine organ to regulate host physiological homeostasis and behavioral exhibition in stress responses via regulating the gut–brain axis in humans and other mammals. In humans, stress-induced dysbiosis of the gut microbiota leads to intestinal permeability, subsequently affecting the clinical course of neuropsychiatric disorders, increasing the frequency of aggression and related violent behaviors. Probiotics, as direct-fed microorganism, have been used as dietary supplements or functional foods to target gut microbiota (microbiome) for the prevention or therapeutic treatment of mental diseases including social stress-induced psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and schizophrenia. Similar function of the probiotics may present in laying hens due to the intestinal microbiota having a similar function between avian and mammals. In laying hens, some management practices such as hens reared in conventional cages or at a high stocking density may cause stress, leading to injurious behaviors such as aggressive pecking, severe feather pecking, and cannibalism, which is a critical issue facing the poultry industry due to negative effects on hen health and welfare with devastating economic consequences. We discuss the current development of using probiotic Bacillus subtilis to prevent or reduce injurious behavior in laying hens.

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A meta-analysis on the effect of environmental enrichment on feather pecking and feather damage in laying hens

Cited by 23 publications

References 67 publications

L. rhamnosus improves the immune response and tryptophan catabolism in laying hen pullets

L. rhamnosus improves the immune response and tryptophan catabolism in laying hen pullets

Feather Pecking in Non-Beak-Trimmed and Beak-Trimmed Laying Hens on Commercial Farms with Aviaries

The Impact of Probiotic Bacillus subtilis on Injurious Behavior in Laying Hens

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