Overall welfare assessment of laying hens: Comparing science‐based, environment‐based and animal‐based assessments

Abstract

To increase the validity of evaluations and facilitate expansion and maintenance of assessment systems, we constructed a database of studies on the welfare of laying hens around the world. On the basis of this database, we devised a science-based welfare assessment model. Our model includes measurements, levels and weightings based on the scientific studies in the database, and can clarify the advantages and disadvantages of housing systems for laying hens from the viewpoint of the five freedoms. We also evaluated the usefulness of our model by comparing it with environment-based Animal Needs Index (ANI), another science-based model called FOWEL, and animal-based measurements. Our model showed that freedom from injury, pain and disease, and freedom from discomfort were more secure in the cage system, while non-cage systems scored better for natural behavior and freedom from fear and distress. A significant strong-positive correlation was found between the animal-based assessment and the total scores of ANI (rs = 0.94, P < 0.05), FOWEL (rs = 0.99, P < 0.05) or our model (rs = 0.99, P < 0.05), which indicate that these different approaches to welfare assessment may be used almost interchangeably to 'measure' a common property ('overall laying hen welfare'). However, assessments using our model and FOWEL were more sensitive than ANI and can be applied to cage systems, which suggest that our model and FOWEL may have added value.

Salmon Welfare Index Model (SWIM 1.0): a semantic model for overall welfare assessment of caged Atlantic salmon: review of the selected welfare indicators and model presentation

“…This includes scientific descriptions of housing systems in terms of both environment based and animal based measures, and how these affect animal welfare. Semantic modelling was first applied to assess housing systems for dry sows (Bracke et al 2002a,b), but it has also been applied to assess overall welfare in laying hens (De Mol et al 2004, 2006Shimmura et al 2011), for tail biting in pigs (Bracke et al 2004a,b), for enrichment materials for pigs (Bracke et al 2007a,b;Bracke 2008), in dairy cattle (Ursinus et al 2009) and for wallowing in pigs (Bracke 2011;Bracke & Spoolder 2011).…”

“…2002a,b), but it has also been applied to assess overall welfare in laying hens (De Mol et al. 2004, 2006; Shimmura et al. 2011), for tail biting in pigs (Bracke et al.…”

Methods to address poultry robustness and welfare issues through breeding and associated ethical considerations

“…Each housing system has itself advantages and disadvantages for the welfare of laying hens realtive to the five freedoms ( Shimmura et al, 2010 , 2011 ; Huneau-Salaun et al, 2011 ; Lay et al, 2011 ; Mench et al, 2011 ; Tuyttens et al, 2011 ). Its influences are hen strain-, age-, and facility-dependent.…”

Comprehensive evaluation method of the poultry house indoor environment based on gray relation analysis and analytic hierarchy process

“…Environmental factors are also considered a part of poultry welfare in the existing poultry welfare evaluation methods ( Lay et al., 2011 , Shimmura et al., 2011 , Van Horne and Achterbosch, 2008 ). The most commonly used evaluation methods mainly include Welfare Quality ( Butterworth et al., 2009 ) and Assurewel ( Assure Wel, 2019 ) Welfare evaluation model.…”