Behaviour and hormone concentrationsin nest deprived and renesting hens

Abstract

1. Nest and egg deprivation is a procedure traditionally used to disrupt incubation behaviour expression in commercial flocks. The aim of this study was to establish how nest deprivation affects the subsequent changes in behaviour and hormone secretion and whether readiness to renest is related to hormone concentration before and during nest deprivation. 2. Incubating broiler breeder hens were deprived of their nest either in their familiar environment, by blocking the nest entrance in the home cage or in an unfamiliar environment, by transfer in a different cage. After 3 days of nest deprivation, next access was allowed and readiness to incubate tested. 3. Both methods of nest deprivation resulted in the expression of similar behaviours associated with the disruption of incubation, and similar increases in plasma LH and oestradiol and decreases in plasma prolactin. The percentage (approximately 70%) of hens which renested after either method of nest deprivation did not differ significantly. 4. Readiness to renest was not related to the concentrations of plasma prolactin measured before or during the 3 days of nest deprivation. However, hens which would later renest could be identified by using behavioural criteria. They emitted more avoidance trills before, and sat on the wire floor for longer periods during, the nest deprivation period than the others.

The GTPase Activating Rap/RanGAP Domain-Like 1 Gene Is Associated with Chicken Reproductive Traits

“…This mechanism is a polygenic trait that is controlled by a set of autosomal genes [16]. Genes in the HPG axis showed high association with reproductive traits such as broodiness and egg production [9], [17]–[30], however, this association depends on the population used [22], [30]. Aside from the genes distributed in HPG axis, other novel genes have been discovered to affect chicken reproduction traits [31]–[33].…”

The effect of parachlorophenylalanine treatment on the activity of gonadal and lactotrophic axes in native Polish crested chickens stimulated to broodiness

“…It is known that incubation of infertile eggs persists for a more prolonged period than that required to hatch chicks ( Sharp, 2009 ). It is noteworthy that in PCPA-treated hens, there was no return to incubation as opposed to the observations in domestic hens, where motivation to renest is maintained for up to a week after nest deprivation ( Richard-Yris et al., 1998 ). The present results suggest that treating native Polish crested chickens against serotonin biosynthesis, along with the destruction of the nest, effectively decreased motivation to incubate, even in environmental conditions propitious to brooding.…”

“…In chickens, incubation is restricted to the female and is associated with cessation of egg laying, reduction in food and water intake, and reduction in social interaction ( Romanov et al, 2002 , Sharp, 2009 ). Environmental conditions, such as the presence of eggs and nests, are factors that encourage incubation ( Zadworny et al, 1989 , Richard-Yris et al, 1998 ).…”

Vocalizations of the Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus): how stimuli, sex, and social groups affect their vocal repertoire

“…These observations support the idea that some welfare-relevant emotions are closely related to specific vocalizations. Frightening or unnatural environments, disturbed behavioral homeostasis, and impaired welfare increases distress calls in chickens ( Richard-Yris et al, 1998 ). Distress calls produced by chicks in isolation may signal social distress and search for contact, although it has also been claimed to be a common pattern in the regular vocalization of chicks in non-isolation situations ( Schmidt and Marx, 1998 ).…”