Use of space by domestic chicks housed in complex aviaries

Kozak, Madison; Tobalske, Bret W.; Martins, Candace; Bowley, S. R.; Würbel, Hanno; Harlander-Matauschek, Alexandra

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2016.05.024

Cited by 37 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Alternatively, the novelty hens may have been more accustomed to new environments, which may have resulted in them adjusting more rapidly to the layer pens rather than having skills specifically in perching. The novelty hens from the current study showed the greatest use of the large nest boxes in the layer pens across the flock cycle [30], indicating that these initial treatment differences in pen resource use persisted throughout lay.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Minimal Effects of Rearing Enrichments on Pullet Behaviour and Welfare

Campbell

Gerber

Downing

et al. 2020

Animals

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In Australia, free-range pullets are typically reared indoors, which may hinder later adjustment to outdoor access. Rearing enrichments could optimise pullet development. Hy-Line Brown® chicks (n = 1700) were reared indoors across 16 weeks with 3 enrichment treatments: (1) a standard control; (2) novel objects (novelty) provided weekly or (3) perching structures (structural) provided. All pullets were weighed at 5, 8, 12, and 16 weeks old. Pullets (n = 87) were tested in a novel arena at 9 weeks and manual restraint (n = 90) at 16 weeks. At 15 weeks, lymphoid organs were extracted and weighed from 90 pullets. Pullets were transferred to the free-range facility at 16 weeks and housed in 9 identical pens within rearing treatments. Hens perching were counted via video recordings across the first week. The structural pullets had the highest relative adrenal weights (p = 0.03) but differences may not have been biologically relevant. Structural hens perched less than the novelty hens in the layer facility (p = 0.02). There were no other consistent rearing treatment differences. The rearing environments had minimal effects on pullet behaviour and welfare, but data from the adult hens did show some longer-term welfare impacts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Minimal Effects of Rearing Enrichments on Pullet Behaviour and Welfare

Campbell

Gerber

Downing

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…The hatching and rearing environment was identical for all 3 lines and apart from a standard vaccination protocol, birds were not exposed to any medical treatment (antibiotics), nor did they receive probiotics at any time. Birds were kept in 10 groups of 16 birds (4 HFP, 3 LFP, 9 unselected) each and kept in identical enriched floor pens (183 L × 244 W × 290 H cm) as described in Kozak et al ( 2016 ) under commercial management conditions at the Arkell Research Station in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Birds were fed an Arkell Research Station layer mash diet with the following nutritional specifications; crude protein (min): 18%, crude fat (min): 5.5%, crude fiber (max): 2%, calcium (actual): 4.24%, phosphorus (actual): 0.68%, sodium (actual): 0.18%, vitamin A (min) 16,500 IU/kg, vitamin D (min) 4,130 IU/kg, vitamin E (min): 60 IU/kg.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in cecal microbiome of selected high and low feather-pecking laying hens

et al. 2018

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In mammals, it has become increasingly clear that the gut microbiota influences not only gastrointestinal physiology but also modulates behavior. In domestic birds, ceca have the greatest gastrointestinal microbial population. Feather-pecking (FP) behavior in laying hens is one of the most important unsolved behavioral issues in modern agriculture. The aim of the present study was to assess the cecal microbial community of divergently selected high (HFP; n = 20) and low (LFP; n = 20) feather-pecking birds at 60 wk of age. The cecal samples were subjected to community profiling of 16S rRNA and in silico metagenomics using a modified bar-coded Illumina sequencing method on a MiSeq Illumina sequencer. Our results revealed that compared to HFP birds, LFP birds are characterized by an increased overall microbial diversity (beta diversity) shown by a difference in the Bray–Curtis index (R2 = 0.171, P < 0.05). Furthermore, operational taxonomic unit comparisons showed an increased presence of Clostridiae and decreased presence of Lactobaccillacae in HFP birds when compared to LFP birds (False Discovery Rate < 0.05, Mann–Whitney comparisons). Our data indicate that there may be differences in the cecal profile between these 2 lines of laying hens. More research, building on this first study using sequencing technology for profiling the chicken cecal microbiome, will be needed in order to reveal if and how there exists a functional link between the performance of FP and the cecal microbial community.

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“…In a review Harlander-Matauschek et al (2015) suggested that the provision of ramps at a young age may promote wing-assisted inclined running, which could affect the development of the keel bone and muscles and improve balancing abilities. Kozak et al (2016) reared chicks in complex aviaries with ramps, low level platforms and perches. Ramp use peaked at 2 weeks of age when chicks started to use the upper levels.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of experience of ramps at rear on the subsequent ability of layer pullets to negotiate a ramp transition

Norman

Weeks

Pettersson

et al. 2018

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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In commercial situations, laying hens must negotiate levels to reach resources such as food, water and litter. Providing ramps in aviary systems reduces collisions and resultant keel bone fractures in adults. We investigated whether providing ramps during rear improved the ability of birds to transition between levels. Chicks were reared commercially in two flocks both of which provided access to raised structures from three weeks of age. One flock had no ramps, but the other flock was provided with additional access to two types of ramp (wooden ladders, and grids formed from commercial poultry slats placed at an angle). At 8 weeks of age, 64 birds (32 from each rearing condition) were transferred to an experimental facility. At 10 weeks of age, 32 pullets from each group were trained to run to a food reward. During testing at 12-14 weeks of age the pullets accessed the food reward by moving up or down a ramp. The pullets' behaviours and time taken to complete the task were recorded. Ramp use over three days was also observed in a room replicating a small-scale single-tier system. Four groups of 16 birds aged 12-14 weeks were housed for three days and the number of transitions between the raised tier and litter were recorded. For upward transitions, more ramp-reared birds than control birds succeeded in reaching the food reward for both ladder (52 % vs 13%) and grid (74% vs 42%). Birds from the ramp-reared group took significantly less time to complete an upwards transition (68.8s±49.3) than the control group (100s±37.6) (p=0.001). In addition, the control group showed more behaviours indicative of hesitancy (moving away, head orientations, ground pecking and crouching) before transitioning, and signs of difficulty when making upward transitions (crouched walks, pauses, turning, returning and escape attempts). In the group housing observations, the ramp reared groups had almost double the number of transitions between the slats and litter on day one compared to the control group. This difference was reduced by day three. In summary, this suggests there are positive effects of providing ramp experience during rear shown by increased mobility and apparent confidence in older pullets. It is not known whether these benefits persist through to the laying period, but no detrimental effects were noted so we suggest that ramps should be included from the early rearing period onwards.

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Use of space by domestic chicks housed in complex aviaries

Cited by 37 publications

References 53 publications

Minimal Effects of Rearing Enrichments on Pullet Behaviour and Welfare

Minimal Effects of Rearing Enrichments on Pullet Behaviour and Welfare

Differences in cecal microbiome of selected high and low feather-pecking laying hens

The effect of experience of ramps at rear on the subsequent ability of layer pullets to negotiate a ramp transition

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