How can the research on chicken cognition improve chicken welfare: a perspective review

Ferreira, Vitor Hugo Bessa; Guesdon, Vanessa; Calandreau, Ludovic

doi:10.1080/00439339.2021.1924920

Cited by 19 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 120 publications

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“…Such links may also differ between sexes, though we found no evidence of that here. Overall, this study, along with other recent studies [e.g., (11,12)], suggests that individual variation in cognition can link to affective state, knowledge which in turn could help us to improve the welfare of animals [e.g., (89)(90)(91)].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

How Inhibitory Control Relates to Positive and Negative Affective States in Red Junglefowl

2022

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Individual differences in inhibitory control, an aspect of cognition, are found in many species. How this variation links to affective states is not much explored, and could be relevant for welfare. As less fearful, more optimistic, individuals may act more impulsively, inhibitory control could link to less negative, more positive, affective states. Alternatively, poorer inhibitory control could associate with more negative, less positive, affective states, as poorer inhibitory control can result in individuals being less able to adapt to changing environments and more likely to show stereotypies. We here explored in three cohorts (N = 209) of captive red junglefowl, the ancestor of domestic chickens, how inhibitory control associated with affective states. Specifically, we measured inhibitory control with a detour task, and negative and positive affective states with a tonic immobility test and a cognitive judgement bias test, respectively. Cognition and behaviour can differ between ages and sexes. Therefore, we investigated how inhibitory control related to affective states in younger chicks (≈2.5 weeks old), older chicks (≈5 weeks old) and sexually mature adults (≈28 weeks old) of both sexes. In younger chicks, poorer inhibitory control associated with less negative, more positive, affective states. We found no relationship between inhibitory control and affective states in older chicks or adults, nor sex differences regarding how inhibitory control related to affective states. Overall, our results suggest that inhibitory control can link to affective states and that the nature of these links can change over ontogeny.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

How Inhibitory Control Relates to Positive and Negative Affective States in Red Junglefowl

2022

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“…As a consequence, individuals may differ also in their cognitive styles, in other words, may have different ways of perceiving, interacting with, and responding to their physical and social environments (25,26). Recent research on free-range chickens (laying hens and broiler chickens combined) provide converging evidence that individual behavioral and cognitive differences may be linked to range use (3,(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35). For example, behaviorally, low-ranging (fast and slow-growing) broiler chickens seem to be more anxious, fearful, and less prone to forage for their feed compared to their high-ranging flock-members (3,22,36).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foraging Behavior Shows Individual-Consistency Over Time, and Predicts Range Use in Slow-Growing Free-Range Male Broiler Chickens

Ferreira

Simoni²,

Germain

et al. 2022

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Recent research on free-range chickens shows that individual behavioral differences may link to range use. However, most of these studies explored individual behavioral differences only at one time point or during a short time window, assessed differences when animals were out of their social group and home environment (barn and range), and in specific tests or situations. Therefore, it is yet unclear how different behaviors relate to range use and how consistent these behaviors are at the individual level. To fill this gap, we here aimed to describe the behavioral budget of slow-growing male broiler chickens (S757N) when in their social group and home environment during the whole rearing period (from the second week of life to the twelfth week, before slaughter), and to relate observed behavioral differences to range use. For this, we followed a sample of individuals in two flocks (n = 60 focal chickens out of 200 chickens per flock), over two seasons, during three periods: before range access (from 14 to 25 days old), during early range access (first weeks of range access, from 37 to 53 days old), and during late range access (last weeks of range access, from 63 to 87 days old). By the end of each period, individual tests of exploration and social motivation were also performed, measuring exploration/activity and sociability propensities. Our results show that foraging (i.e., pecking and scratching at the ground) was the only behavior that correlated to range use for all three rearing periods, independent of the season. Foraging was also the only behavior that showed within-individual consistency from an early age and across the three rearing periods. Foraging may, therefore, serve as a useful behavioral predictor of range use in free-range broiler chickens. Our study increases the knowledge of how behaviors develop and relate to each other in a domesticated and intensely selected species, and improves our understanding of the biology of free-range broiler chickens. These findings can, ultimately, serve as a foundation to increase range use and improve chicken welfare.

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“…With the continuous focus on enhancing the welfare of chickens and mounting of new evidence towards chicken cognition and emotions [11][12][13][14], there is a dire need for considering the individual needs of chickens. This demands a change in poultry management from a flock-level perspective to an individual bird's needs.…”

Section: Need For Automated Poultry Surveillancementioning

confidence: 99%

Automated Tracking Systems for the Assessment of Farmed Poultry

Neethirajan¹

2022

Animals

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The world’s growing population is highly dependent on animal agriculture. Animal products provide nutrient-packed meals that help to sustain individuals of all ages in communities across the globe. As the human demand for animal proteins grows, the agricultural industry must continue to advance its efficiency and quality of production. One of the most commonly farmed livestock is poultry and their significance is felt on a global scale. Current poultry farming practices result in the premature death and rejection of billions of chickens on an annual basis before they are processed for meat. This loss of life is concerning regarding animal welfare, agricultural efficiency, and economic impacts. The best way to prevent these losses is through the individualistic and/or group level assessment of animals on a continuous basis. On large-scale farms, such attention to detail was generally considered to be inaccurate and inefficient, but with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology individualised, and per-herd assessments of livestock became possible and accurate. Various studies have shown that cameras linked with specialised systems of AI can properly analyse flocks for health concerns, thus improving the survival rate and product quality of farmed poultry. Building on recent advancements, this review explores the aspects of AI in the detection, counting, and tracking of poultry in commercial and research-based applications.

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How can the research on chicken cognition improve chicken welfare: a perspective review

Cited by 19 publications

References 120 publications

How Inhibitory Control Relates to Positive and Negative Affective States in Red Junglefowl

How Inhibitory Control Relates to Positive and Negative Affective States in Red Junglefowl

Foraging Behavior Shows Individual-Consistency Over Time, and Predicts Range Use in Slow-Growing Free-Range Male Broiler Chickens

Automated Tracking Systems for the Assessment of Farmed Poultry

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