Individual plumage and integument scoring of laying hens on commercial farms: correlation with severe feather pecking and prognosis by visual scoring on flock level

Schwarzer, Angela; Rauch, E.; Erhard, Michael; Reese, Sven; Schmidt, Paul; Bergmann, Shana; Plattner, Christina; Kaesberg, A. K. U.; Louton, Helen

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2022.102093

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 32 publications

(54 reference statements)

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“…This fact indicates that the chronic effect of the structural modifications of the aviaries may become more evident at the end of the productive life of the animals, when it is summed up with the high metabolic demand of an extended production cycle [ 30 ]. As time progressed, a worsening in feather conditions had previously been observed also by Bilcik et al [ 31 ] (although their study stopped at 33 weeks of age), and very recently also by Schwarzer et al [ 32 ] (until approximately 70 weeks of age). Similar observations were also made for KBD [ 33 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

“…Overall, animals with more freedom to move vertically showed worse plumage conditions (especially in the neck, back and tail region), while animals with complete freedom of movement showed an improvement in feather conditions (especially in the breast, back and tail region) compared to the control group. The back, breast and neck regions are largely acknowledged in the literature as the areas in which feather pecking lesions are observed more frequently [ 31 , 32 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]. This increase in feather pecking behaviour in VM and reduction in FM compared to the control group, however, highlights an inconsistent effect of ramps on animal welfare, seeming to indicate that pecking is more present when vertical movement is allowed but lateral movement is limited (VM group), therefore in this group the (relatively) higher density and competition, although only in localized areas delimitated by partitions and likely at the higher end of the ramps, may have triggered feather pecking behaviour [ 37 , 38 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Influence of Increased Freedom of Movement on Welfare and Egg Laying Pattern of Hens Kept in Aviaries

Nannoni¹,

Buonaiuto²,

Martelli³

et al. 2022

Animals

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This work investigates the effects of structural modifications on the welfare level and laying patterns of hens in a three-tier commercial aviary system. Four experimental groups were used: C (control, housed in a traditional aviary); LM (longitudinal movement, in which internal partitions were removed); VM (vertical movement, in which ramps were installed); and FM (freedom of movement, both LM and VM modifications). Hens showed worse body condition scores (p < 0.05) in all the modified aviaries, while plumage condition was improved in FM but worsened in VM (p < 0.05). No significant effect was observed on egg deposition patterns, egg quality or keel bone damage. When ramps were available (VM and FM groups), hens reduced the number of flights and increased the number of walks from 0.52 to 7.7% of the displacements on average (p < 0.05). Apart from some feather pecking concerns in VM (likely due to overcrowding in some favourite aviary areas), LM and FM seemed to facilitate animal movement and promote species–specific behaviour. It is concluded that hen welfare in aviary systems can be improved by means of tailored structural modifications. Producers may therefore adopt some of these modifications (providing ramps and/or removing vertical barriers) to enhance the welfare of hens.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 58%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Increased Freedom of Movement on Welfare and Egg Laying Pattern of Hens Kept in Aviaries

Nannoni¹,

Buonaiuto²,

Martelli³

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…Even though the EnGr and CoGr consisted of several groups with 4375 birds each, a subdivision into statistically independent compartments was not sensible as the birds were only separated by grids within the barns. However, 50 hens is a common sample size among commercial laying hen flock sizes (Schreiter & Freick, 2022, 2023; Schwarzer et al, 2022; Tahamtani et al, 2022; Vasdal et al, 2021, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On‐farm evaluations of animal welfare indicators in laying hens housed with and without environmental enrichment

Finke,

Kemper,

Spindler

2024

Annals of Applied Biology

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In laying hen husbandry, severe feather pecking and cannibalism are multifactorial problems. Solving these problems is a matter of urgency, as beak trimming is banned in several European countries, including Germany. One approach to addressing severe feather pecking and cannibalism is the administration of additional enrichment material to support normal behaviour. In this on‐farm study, two flocks of 17,500 Lohmann Brown‐Lite laying hens each were evaluated during one production period (18–78 weeks of life, WoL). One flock was provided with alfalfa bales and pecking stones in combination (EnGr), whereas the other flock served as a control without additional enrichment material (CoGr). During production, the flocks were visited at regular intervals. On each visit, a sample of 50 hens per flock were weighed and scored for plumage condition and skin lesions. The mortality rate was recorded daily by the farm staff. No significant difference in plumage condition and mortality rate was found between EnGr and CoGr (p > .05, Mann‐Whitney U test). As there were hardly any skin lesions in both groups during the study period, the effect of additional enrichment material on this variable could not be determined. The average body weight of the EnGr was significantly higher than the average body weight of the CoGr on numerous examination days (26 WoL, p < .001; 34 WoL, p = .040; 42 WoL, p = .007; 62 WoL, p = .041; 66 WoL, p = .006; 74 WoL, p = .036; 78 WoL, p = .028, t‐tests). However, this effect could not be clearly attributed to the administering of additional enrichment material, as the feeding and performance variables for EnGr and CoGr had been recorded together because of the housing for the two flocks being supplied by one silo and water source, and eggs from the flocks being collected altogether.

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Laying performance characteristics, egg quality, and integument condition of Saxonian chickens and German Langshan bantams in a free-range system

Schreiter¹,

Freick

2023

Journal of Applied Poultry Research

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Individual plumage and integument scoring of laying hens on commercial farms: correlation with severe feather pecking and prognosis by visual scoring on flock level

Cited by 4 publications

References 32 publications

Influence of Increased Freedom of Movement on Welfare and Egg Laying Pattern of Hens Kept in Aviaries

Influence of Increased Freedom of Movement on Welfare and Egg Laying Pattern of Hens Kept in Aviaries

On‐farm evaluations of animal welfare indicators in laying hens housed with and without environmental enrichment

Laying performance characteristics, egg quality, and integument condition of Saxonian chickens and German Langshan bantams in a free-range system

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