The Gordon Memorial Lecture: Laying hen welfare

Nicol, Christine

Abstract

reference tests remain a useful tool in the assessment of laying hen welfare and have been used to establish what types of resources and enrichments are most likely to meet the birds’ needs. Evidence on the underlying structure of bird preference suggests that hens make stable and reliable choices across time and context. This means that their preferences can also be used as a benchmark in the validation of other welfare indicators. Hens have sophisticated cognitive abilities. They are quick to form associations between events and they are flexible in how they apply their knowledge in different contexts. However, they may not form expectations about the world in the same way as some mammalian species. Limited research in this area to date seems to show that hens judge situations in absolute terms rather than evaluating how a situation may be improving or deteriorating. The proportion of hens housed in cage-free systems is increasing globally, providing birds with greater behavioural freedom. Many of the problems associated with cage-free systems, such as keel bone fractures, mortality and injurious pecking, are slowly reducing due to improved experience and appropriate changes in rearing practices, diet, housing design and alignment of breeding goals. However, much remains to be done. The design and performance of veranda-based systems which provide hens with fresh air and natural light is a promising avenue for future research aimed at optimising hen welfare and improving sustainability.

Citation

Nicol, C. (2023). The Gordon Memorial Lecture: Laying hen welfare. British Poultry Science, 64(4), 441-447. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2023.2211891

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 30, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 26, 2023
• Publication Date: Jul 26, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jul 3, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 16, 2024
• Journal: British Poultry Science
• Print ISSN: 0007-1668
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-1799
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 64
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 441-447
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2023.2211891
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=cbps20; Accepted: 2023-04-30; Published: 2023-06-26