Relationship between Range Use and Fearfulness in Free-Range Hens from Different Rearing Enrichments

Bari, Saiful; Allen, Simon; Mesken, Jarrod; Cohen-Barnhouse, Andrew M.; Campbell, Dennis

doi:10.3390/ani11020300

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Although the WG is screened, it is subjected to more variable environmental conditions than the indoor area, which may cause some animals to perceive it with greater uncertainty. Previous research in free-range housing found negative association between range-use and fearfulness [26][27][28], although free-range area differs from our WG (i.e. no uncovered areas or access to grass).…”

Section: Winter Garden Presencecontrasting

confidence: 77%

Commercial laying hens exhibit long-term consistent individual differences and behavioural syndromes in spatial traits

2023

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Past research has supported the importance of animal personalities for the productivity and welfare of farm animals. However, current assessments of personality traits are commonly conducted over short periods using standardized assays and may not reflect all important aspects of behaviours in commercial settings throughout the production period. This study aimed to evaluate consistent behavioural differences between 194 commercial laying hens within an aviary across most of the production period (eight months). We used five spatial behaviours related to various aspects of commercial hens' daily routine, including the sleeping, feeding, nesting, indoor movements and outdoor usage. All behaviours were repeatable over time and across contexts, with consistent differences between individuals explaining between 23% and 66% of the variation. These long-term consistencies revealed the potential applicability of the behaviours as personality traits of commercial hens. Moreover, we identified behavioural syndromes comprising all behaviours except the nesting-related behaviour, indicating two axes of spatial personalities that may be driven by different mechanisms. We discussed the significance of such individual differences in using personality traits to breed more resilient farm animals. Future research should evaluate associations of these behaviours with animal welfare and productivity to inform breeding efforts.

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Section: Winter Garden Presencecontrasting

confidence: 77%

Commercial laying hens exhibit long-term consistent individual differences and behavioural syndromes in spatial traits

2023

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“…According to Hartcher et al ( 79), low range users whose total duration outside was 16.7 h over 13 days, had around 50% longer tonic immobility durations than high range users whose total duration outside was 142.5 h over the same period, suggesting a higher fearfulness in low ranger hens. However, this relationship between tonic immobility duration and range use has not been established in other studies (94,95). Fearfulness measured in an open-field test and in an emergence test was also higher in low ranger hens (92,94).…”

Section: Personality and Range Usementioning

confidence: 68%

“…However, this relationship between tonic immobility duration and range use has not been established in other studies (94,95). Fearfulness measured in an open-field test and in an emergence test was also higher in low ranger hens (92,94).…”

Section: Personality and Range Usementioning

confidence: 68%

Welfare issues and potential solutions for laying hens in free range and organic production systems: A review based on literature and interviews

et al. 2022

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In free-range and organic production systems, hens can make choices according to their needs and desires, which is in accordance with welfare definitions. Nonetheless, health and behavioral problems are also encountered in these systems. The aim of this article was to identify welfare challenges observed in these production systems in the EU and the most promising solutions to overcome these challenges. It is based on a review of published literature and research projects complemented by interviews with experts. We selected EU specific information for welfare problems, however, the selected literature regarding solutions is global. Free range use may increase the risk of infection by some bacteria, viruses and parasites. Preventive methods include avoiding contamination thanks to biosecurity measures and strengthening animals' natural defenses against these diseases which can be based on nutritional means with new diet components such as insect-derived products, probiotics and prebiotics. Phytotherapy and aromatherapy can be used as preventive and curative medicine and vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics and pesticides. Bone quality in pullets and hens prevents keel deviations and is favored by exercise in the outdoor range. Free range use also lead to higher exposure to variable weather conditions and predators, therefore shadow, fences and guard animals can be used to prevent heat stress and predation respectively. Granting a free range provides opportunities for the expression of many behaviors and yet many hens usually stay close to the house. Providing the birds with trees, shelters or attractive plants can increase range use. Small flock sizes, early experiences of enrichment and personality traits have also been found to enhance range use. Severe feather pecking can occur in free range production systems, although flocks using the outdoor area have better plumage than indoors. While many prevention strategies are facilitated in free range systems, the influence of genetics, prenatal and nutritional factors in free range hens still need to be investigated. This review provides information about practices that have been tested or still need to be explored and this information can be used by stakeholders and researchers to help them evaluate the applicability of these solutions for welfare improvement.

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“…2.2 Laying hen study 2.2.1 Ethics statement flock of free-range hens that had been reared in different enriched environments. The full experimental housing details for this study have been reported elsewhere (Campbell et al, 2020;Bari et al, 2021) and so are presented in brief here.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

The necessity of pen replication to account for and understand the impacts of social dynamics on individual laying hen behavior

Campbell,

Horton

2023

Front. Anim. Sci.

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Individual laying hens within the same group show variation in their temperament traits and cognitive learning abilities, which can be affected by both their early rearing experiences and housing environments. Hens also have distinct individual patterns of movement within housing systems that may correlate with temperament and cognition. Individual behavioral tests can measure treatment impacts, but social dynamics may impact on an individual’s behavior. The aims of this perspective piece are to provide further evidence of pen-level variation using original data on social ranging patterns and fear assessment of free-range hens exposed to different, enriched rearing environments; and to encourage more studies to consider pen replicate variation as a means to better understand causes and mechanisms. A literature review showed that, while most published studies over the past decade assessing individual laying hen behavior included group-level replication (i.e., 83% of 54 articles reviewed), almost none considered inter-pen variation. The original data analysis of individual hens’ range use recordings showed significant treatment pen replicate variation in pop-hole following movements and hen–pair associations in the time spent together inside or outside. Significant inter-pen variation was also seen in tonic immobility tests on a subset of hens from the same study. Pen-level replication is important for scientific validity and for improving our understanding of why commercial flocks in the same environment can be so variable in their behavior to inform management practices. Further research could help to understand the mechanisms behind why groups of hens reared and housed in the same environments will show significant inter-group variation.

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Relationship between Range Use and Fearfulness in Free-Range Hens from Different Rearing Enrichments

Cited by 16 publications

References 56 publications

Commercial laying hens exhibit long-term consistent individual differences and behavioural syndromes in spatial traits

Commercial laying hens exhibit long-term consistent individual differences and behavioural syndromes in spatial traits

Welfare issues and potential solutions for laying hens in free range and organic production systems: A review based on literature and interviews

The necessity of pen replication to account for and understand the impacts of social dynamics on individual laying hen behavior

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