Physiological Responses of Laying Hens to the Alternative Housing Systems

2003 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
pp. 357-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaniko Shini .
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
Housing Systems

scholarly journals The Effect of the Type of Alternative Housing System, Genotype and Age of Laying Hens on Egg Quality

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 541-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zofia Sokołowicz ◽  
Józefa Krawczyk ◽  
Magdalena Dykiel
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Egg Quality ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Color Intensity ◽  
Egg Weight ◽  
Blood Spots ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
System Type ◽  
Eggshell Color

Abstract The present study investigated the effect of the type of alternative housing system, and genotype and age of laying hens on physical traits of egg shell and contents. It was demonstrated that alternative housing system type influenced egg weight and shape, and eggshell color and yolk color intensity. Eggs from free-range system were heavier and were characterized by more intense yolk color. No effect of alternative housing system type on albumen height, value of Haugh units (HU value) and presence of meat and blood spots was noted. Hen genotype had a significant effect on egg weight and eggshell color intensity in each of the alternative housing systems tested in this study. Hy-line Brown hens laid heavier eggs than hens of native breeds. Genotype was also observed to affect egg content traits (albumen height, HU values and presence of meat and blood spots). Independently of the type of alternative housing system, most blood and meat spots were noted in eggs of hens laying brown-shelled eggs, i.e. R-11 and Hy-line Brown layers. Laying hen age significantly impacted on egg weight, yolk percentage, eggshell traits (color intensity, weight, thickness and strength) and egg content traits (HU value, yolk weight and color intensity, presence of meat and blood spots). Older hens laid heavier eggs with a greater yolk percentage but with thinner eggshell.

Welfare, Health, and Hygiene of Laying Hens Housed in Furnished Cages and in Alternative Housing Systems

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Bas Rodenburg ◽  
Frank A.M. Tuyttens ◽  
Bart Sonck ◽  
Koen De Reu ◽  
Lieve Herman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
Housing Systems

scholarly journals Survey of egg producers on the introduction of alternative housing systems for laying hens in Flanders, Belgium

2011 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 941-950 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.A.M. Tuyttens ◽  
B. Sonck ◽  
M. Staes ◽  
S. Van Gansbeke ◽  
T. Van den Bogaert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
Housing Systems

scholarly journals An Investigation of Associations Between Management and Feather Damage in Canadian Laying Hens Housed in Furnished Cages

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Decina ◽  
Olaf Berke ◽  
Nienke van Staaveren ◽  
Christine Baes ◽  
Tina Widowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linear Regression ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Laying Hens ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Feather Pecking ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Linear Regression Modeling

Feather pecking is a continuous welfare challenge in the housing of egg-laying hens. Canada is currently making the transition from conventional cages to alternative housing systems. However, feather damage (FD) among laying hens due to feather pecking remains a welfare concern. An explorative approach was taken to assess bird, housing, and management associations with FD in Canadian laying hens housed in alternative systems. A questionnaire focused on housing and management practices was administered to 122 laying farms across Canada in autumn of 2017 (response rate of 52.5%), yielding information on a subset of 26 flocks housed in furnished cages. Additionally, a three-point feather cover scoring system was developed to estimate the prevalence of FD. Farmers assessed FD by sampling 50 birds per flock. Linear regression modeling was applied to explain FD as a function of 6 variables (out of an available 54). Of the 6 modeled variables, “increased age”, “brown feather colour”, “midnight feeding”, and “no scratch area” were associated with higher levels of FD at farm level (R2 = 0.77). The results indicated that FD resulting from feather pecking is a multifactorial problem, and supported existing evidence that FD increases as birds age. These results also suggested that “feather colour”, “midnight feeding”, and “access to (or lack of) a scratch area or additional substrate” play a role in FD prevalence in furnished cages.

scholarly journals Endotoxin concentration in poultry houses for laying hens kept in cages or in alternative housing systems

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 523-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Huneau-Salaün ◽  
S. Le Bouquin ◽  
V. Bex-Capelle ◽  
D. Huonnic ◽  
L. Balaine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Alternative Housing ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Endotoxin Concentration ◽  
Poultry Houses

scholarly journals Investigation of the Morphology of Adrenal Glands in Hens Kept in Two Different Housing Systems—A Pilot Study

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2124
Author(s):  
Franziska Keßler ◽  
Angelika Grümpel-Schlüter ◽  
Christian Looft ◽  
Stefanie Petow
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Adrenal Glands ◽  
Laying Hens ◽  
Stress Hormones ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Adrenal Cells ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Chronic Effects ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Interrenal Cells

It is difficult to objectively assess the chronic effects of housing systems on livestock and particularly on laying hens. However, this seems to be important in the context of animal welfare. Therefore, we conducted the present study in order to compare the effect of two different housing conditions, single cage (SC) and floor pen (FP), on the morphology of the adrenal gland. A higher amount of interrenal cells, which secrete stress hormones, can lead to a difference in the relation of adrenal and interrenal cells, which could be interpreted as an indication of chronic stress. For this purpose, adrenal glands were extracted, prepared, stained and examined by microscopy, and total area of the cut, total area of interrenal cells and total area of adrenal cells were measured. As a result, all laying hens had a higher percentage of interrenal cells than adrenal cells (FP: interrenal cells/adrenal cells = 78.37%/21.63%; SC: 80.00%/20.00%). The median of adrenal–interrenal ratio did not differ significantly (FP = 0.2503, SC = 0.2499), while the variation of the ratio between laying hens in FP and SC showed a slight tendency of a higher ratio in adrenal glands of FP (p < 0.0870). Body weight and adrenal–interrenal ratio were significantly negatively correlated in laying hens in FP (rS = −0.943, p < 0.0048) but not in SC (rS = −0.162, p = 0.7283). There was no significant correlation between body weight and total cell area for interrenal cells or adrenal cells. Body weight was significantly lower for laying hens kept in SC than for laying hens kept in FP (p < 0.0001). Due to the present results, it can be concluded that keeping laying hens in single cages can have a negative effect on body weight.

scholarly journals Positive Human Contact and Housing Systems Impact the Responses of Piglets to Various Stressors

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1619
Author(s):  
Megan E. Hayes ◽  
Lauren M. Hemsworth ◽  
Rebecca S. Morrison ◽  
Alan J. Tilbrook ◽  
Paul H. Hemsworth
Keyword(s):  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Lower Intensity ◽  
Oral Vaccination ◽  
Escape Behaviour ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Iron Administration ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Piglet Growth

This experiment studied the effects of lactation housing systems and human interaction on piglets’ responses to routine stressors. Forty litters of piglets were reared in either a standard farrowing crate (FC) or a loose farrowing and lactation pen (LP; PigSAFE pen) and received either routine contact with humans (C) or regular opportunities for positive human contact (+HC; 3 min of patting, stroking and scratching 5 times/week). Behavioural and physiological responses to routine husbandry procedures, weaning, novelty and humans were studied in addition to effects on piglet growth, injuries and survival. Compared to C piglets, +HC piglets vocalised for shorter durations (p = 0.018) during husbandry procedures and showed a lower intensity of escape behaviour during iron injection (p = 0.042) and oral vaccination (p = 0.026) at 3 d of age, capture at 2 wk of age (p < 0.001), and intramuscular vaccination (p = 0.005) at 3 wk of age. +HC piglets at 2 wk of age were faster than C piglets to approach (p = 0.048) and interact (p = 0.042) with a stationary unfamiliar human. Compared to LP piglets, FC piglets showed a lower intensity of escape behaviour during capture and iron administration by a stockperson at 3 d of age (p = 0.043). FC piglets at 2 wk of age were faster than LP piglets to approach (p = 0.005) and interact (p = 0.027) with a novel object and approach (p = 0.009) and interact (p = 0.008) with an unfamiliar human. FC piglets had fewer injuries than LP piglets at 2 wk of age (p = 0.004). +HC pigs had fewer injuries than C pigs after weaning (p = 0.003). After weaning there were more pigs from LP than FC observed to be upright (both stationary, p = 0.002 and walking, p = 0.024), vocalizing (p = 0.004), nosing another pig (p = 0.035) and nosing the pen floor (p = 0.038). There were no significant effects on neutrophil:lymphocyte ratios or plasma cortisol concentrations 1.5 h after weaning. However, 25 h after weaning +HC pigs had higher haptoglobin concentrations than C pigs (p = 0.002), and C/LP pigs had higher cortisol concentrations than +HC/LP and C/FC pigs (p = 0.012). There were no significant effects on piglet growth, the number of piglets born alive or the number stillborn, however there were more piglets weaned from FC than LP (p = 0.035). The results from this experiment raise questions that require further research on the ability of pigs reared in loose pens to cope with stressors such as exposure to humans, novelty, husbandry procedures and weaning. This experiment also provides evidence that regular positive human interaction reduces pigs’ fear of humans and husbandry procedures imposed by stockpeople. More research is required to determine if any of these effects are sustained long-term.

scholarly journals DAMAGES OF THE KEEL BONE IN LAYING HENS – OVERVIEW OF THE ETIOLOGICAL ASPECTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (Suppl.1) ◽  
pp. 19-23
Author(s):  
K. Uzunova ◽  
L. Lazarov
Keyword(s):  
Laying Hens ◽  
Breeding Systems ◽  
Locomotor System ◽  
Housing Systems ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Bone Damage ◽  
Industrial Complexes ◽  
Characteristic Behaviour ◽  
Unbalanced Diet ◽  
The Individual

The damages of the locomotor system and the skeletal system, in particular, are one of the major problems in the industrial poultry farming. The topic for the pathological changes in the keel bone in oviparous birds has become especially popular among scientists and researchers in recent years. The high incidence of keel bone damage (KBD) of laying hens in industrial complexes is one of the biggest welfare problems facing the industry. They lead to disturbance of the animal welfare, causing pain, limiting the ability to move and to perform the characteristic behaviour of the species. This in turn causes a decrease in productivity and unacceptably large losses not only for the individual producer but also for the whole sector. The problem with the KBD is widespread in Switzerland, Great Britain, the Nederland, Belgium, Germany, and Canada. Different genetic lines of laying hens are affected, as well as all types of breeding systems. In general, the etiological factors are reduced to three main groups – genetic predisposition, unbalanced diet and imperfections in housing systems. The causes and influencing factors of KBD remain unknown to the research community - a circumstance that seriously complicates the development of effective strategies to reduce their occurrence and severity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document