Humeral quality and adrenal responsiveness in laying hens reared in standard and furnished cages

Guesdon, Vanessa; Leterrier, Christine; Constantin, P.; Guemene, Daniel D.; Couty, Michel; Faure, Jean Michel

doi:10.1051/animres:2004011

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…A similar observation was made by Koelkebeck and Cain (1983). As to the enriched environment, our data are in agreement with previous reports suggesting that enriched technologies are no less stressful for laying hens than standard technologies (Koelkebeck and Cain, 1984;Guesdon et al, 2004). Sas et al (2006) recorded higher egg corticosterone concentrations in hens kept in free-range management than in battery cages as a consequence of weather changes.…”

Section: Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 56 2008supporting

confidence: 92%

“…Although standard cage technology is considered a chronic stressor, whereas enriched technology is supposed to lack such negative effects, little information is available on changes in plasma corticosterone levels. A study in laying hens kept in standard and enriched cage technology failed to find significant differences in plasma corticosterone (Guesdon et al, 2004).…”

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confidence: 97%

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Impact of housing technology on blood plasma corticosterone levels in laying hens

Pavlík

Ježová

Zapletal

et al. 2008

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica

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The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that keeping laying hens in an enriched environment supposed to represent a better welfare for the birds is accompanied by decreased corticosterone levels, compared to hens kept under traditional conditions. Plasma corticosterone levels in hens reared in standard and enriched cages and those kept on deep litter from 15 to 75 weeks of age were evaluated. The highest corticosterone levels were observed in hens kept on deep litter, which was associated with a lower intensity of egg production, longest time of movement and a high percentage of time spent dustbathing and scratching. Hens housed in the enriched environment exhibited low levels of aggression, low body weight at the end of the experiment and similar or higher corticosterone levels compared to those of hens kept under standard conditions. Thus, the results of the present study show that housing technologies which are more similar to the animal's natural environment need not be associated with decreased levels of plasma corticosterone. Keeping hens in traditional cage technology was not found to be particularly stressful, which may be an important finding with respect to the current restrictions on outside housing in regions with an increased risk of viral infection.

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Section: Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 56 2008supporting

confidence: 92%

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Impact of housing technology on blood plasma corticosterone levels in laying hens

Pavlík

Ježová

Zapletal

et al. 2008

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica

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“…Nevertheless, in a comparison among laying hens housed in unfurnished and furnished cages there were no significant affects of the housing conditions on the weight, breaking strength, elastic strain or stiffness of the humerus [21]. In the present study, there was no evidence to suggest that perches induced a physiological effect on bone mineralization.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 78%

“…Guesdon et al, [21] did not find differences in blood levels of corticosterone between birds housed in conventional and enriched colony cages, either before or after stimulation with ACTH. However, this may have been due to the confounding effect of handling the birds to obtain blood samples, or because any differences were masked by the adrenal response to ACTH stimulation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Minimally-Invasive Assessments of the Behavioural and Physiological Effects of Enriched Colony Cages on Laying Hens

Cook¹,

Schaefer²,

Korver³

et al. 2011

TOASJ

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Abstract:The well-being of laying hens in cages of 5, 10, 20 and 40-birds/cage, and enrichment with perches, nest boxes and scratch pads, was assessed using behavioral and physiological parameters. Laying hens were Lohmann Brown (n = 360) and White Leghorns (n = 360), housed from 17 to 65 weeks of age. Behavioral parameters were; the percentage of birds per cage roosting on perches, claw length (n = 288), and the percentage of eggs laid within nest boxes. Physiological parameters were; the assessment of feather cover from measurements of radiated temperatures by infrared thermography (IRT), bone mineral content of the humerus and femur by quantitative computer tomography (QCT) scans, and adrenocortical function as a marker of chronic stress by measurements of corticosterone concentrations in egg yolk and albumin.The majority of eggs (72.7 %) in furnished cages were laid in nest boxes. Nest use was highest in Brown hens (P < 0.03). Perch use was >80 %, but significantly less in the 10-bird cages (P < 0.0012) due to a shorter perch length. Claws were shorter on birds in cages with scratch pads (P < 0.0001). Feather insulation declined from 35 to 60 weeks of age for breast and back areas (P < 0.0001). White birds exhibited superior breast feather insulation compared to Brown birds. Egg albumin corticosterone levels declined between 35 and 60 weeks of age (P < 0.011). There were no indications of an affect of colony size or cage enrichment on measurements of bone mineral content. The findings indicated a preference for the use of nest boxes, perches and scratch pads. Significant losses in feather insulation occur with time. A reduction in egg albumin corticosterone levels over time may be a marker of chronic stress in caged laying hens.

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“…For instance, Mench et al (1986) found no differences in measures of stress (corticosterone, heterophil:lymphocyte ratio, antibody titers) when comparing hens in conventional cages to hens in noncage systems. Similarly, Guesdon et al (2004), , and Guémené et al (2004) found few differences when comparing conventional cages with furnished cages. Different outcomes depend upon the precise conditions being compared in each study.…”

Section: Stressmentioning

confidence: 93%

Hen welfare in different housing systems

et al. 2011

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Egg production systems have become subject to heightened levels of scrutiny. Multiple factors such as disease, skeletal and foot health, pest and parasite load, behavior, stress, affective states, nutrition, and genetics influence the level of welfare hens experience. Although the need to evaluate the influence of these factors on welfare is recognized, research is still in the early stages. We compared conventional cages, furnished cages, noncage systems, and outdoor systems. Specific attributes of each system are shown to affect welfare, and systems that have similar attributes are affected similarly. For instance, environments in which hens are exposed to litter and soil, such as noncage and outdoor systems, provide a greater opportunity for disease and parasites. The more complex the environment, the more difficult it is to clean, and the larger the group size, the more easily disease and parasites are able to spread. Environments such as conventional cages, which limit movement, can lead to osteoporosis, but environments that have increased complexity, such as noncage systems, expose hens to an increased incidence of bone fractures. More space allows for hens to perform a greater repertoire of behaviors, although some deleterious behaviors such as cannibalism and piling, which results in smothering, can occur in large groups. Less is understood about the stress that each system imposes on the hen, but it appears that each system has its unique challenges. Selective breeding for desired traits such as improved bone strength and decreased feather pecking and cannibalism may help to improve welfare. It appears that no single housing system is ideal from a hen welfare perspective. Although environmental complexity increases behavioral opportunities, it also introduces difficulties in terms of disease and pest control. In addition, environmental complexity can create opportunities for the hens to express behaviors that may be detrimental to their welfare. As a result, any attempt to evaluate the sustainability of a switch to an alternative housing system requires careful consideration of the merits and shortcomings of each housing system.

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Humeral quality and adrenal responsiveness in laying hens reared in standard and furnished cages

Cited by 13 publications

References 45 publications

Impact of housing technology on blood plasma corticosterone levels in laying hens

Impact of housing technology on blood plasma corticosterone levels in laying hens

Minimally-Invasive Assessments of the Behavioural and Physiological Effects of Enriched Colony Cages on Laying Hens

Hen welfare in different housing systems

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