Rearing Laying Hens in Aviaries Reduces Fearfulness following Transfer to Furnished Cages
| Autor: | Christine J Nicol, Fernando Machado Tahamtani, Tane Beate Hansen, Randi Opperman Moe, Margrethe Brantsæter, Andrew M. Janczak, Rachel Orritt |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
Veterinary medicine
040301 veterinary sciences chicken Biology Furnished cages 0403 veterinary science stress Animal science Laying hen development Original Research lcsh:Veterinary medicine General Veterinary Novel object laying hens 0402 animal and dairy science 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences D328 Animal Welfare rearing C120 Behavioural Biology 040201 dairy & animal science fearfulness welfare Home cage lcsh:SF600-1100 fear D300 Animal Science Veterinary Science D423 Poultry keeping |
| Zdroj: | Frontiers in Veterinary Science Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Vol 3 (2016) Brantsaeter, M, Tahamtani, F M, Moe, R O, Hansen, T B, Orritt, R, Nicol, C J & Janczak, A 2016, ' Rearing Laying Hens in Aviaries Reduces Fearfulness following Transfer to Furnished Cages ', Frontiers in Veterinary Science, vol. 3, no. 13, 13 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2016.00013 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fvets.2016.00013 |
| Popis: | Appropriate rearing is essential for ensuring the welfare and productivity of laying hens. Early experience has the potential to affect the development of fearfulness. This study tested whether rearing in aviaries, as opposed to cages, reduces the fearfulness of laying hens after transfer to furnished cages. Fear responses were recorded as avoidance of a novel object in the home cage. Lohmann Selected Leghorns were reared in an aviary system or conventional rearing cages and then transported to furnished cages at 16 weeks, before the onset of lay. Observations of a selection of birds were conducted at 19 (N = 50 independent cages) and 21 (N = 48 independent cages) weeks of age. At 19 and 21 weeks, cage-reared birds showed higher levels of fearfulness indicated by spending more time away from the novel object compared to aviary-reared birds. These results suggest that rearing in an enriched aviary environment reduces fearfulness up to the fifth week after transfer to a new housing system, compared to rearing in cages. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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