Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T00:50:13.991Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Behaviour and Well-being of Hens (Gallus Domesticus) in Alternative Housing Environments1,2

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

J. V. Craig
Affiliation:
Kansas State UniversityManhattan, 66506, U.S.A.
A. W. Adams
Affiliation:
Kansas State UniversityManhattan, 66506, U.S.A.
Get access

Abstract

Image of the first page of this content. For PDF version, please use the ‘Save PDF’ preceeding this image.'
Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adams, A. W. and Craig, J. V. (1984). Effect of crowding and cage shape on productivity and profitability of caged layers: a survey. Poultry Science (in press).Google Scholar
Adams, A. W. and Jackson, M. E. (1970). Effect of cage size and bird density on performance of six commercial strains of layers. Poultry Science 49: 17121719.Google Scholar
Adams, A. W., Craig, J. V. and Bhagwat, A. L. (1978). Effects of flock size, age at housing and mating experience on two strains of egg-type chickens in colony cages. Poultry Science 57: 4853.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, J. and Perry, G. C. (1975). Feather pecking and cannibalism in a caged layer flock. Poultry Science 16: 441451.Google Scholar
Al-Rawi, B. and Craig, J. V. (1975). Agonistic behavior of caged chickens related to group size and area per bird. Applied Animal Ethology 2: 6980.Google Scholar
Al-Rawi, B., Craig, J. V. and Adams, A. W. (1976). Agonistic behavior and egg production of caged layers: genetic strain and group-size effects. Poultry Science 55: 796807.Google Scholar
Andrade, A. N. and Carson, J. R. (1975). The effect of age and methods of debeaking on future performance of White Leghorn Pullets. Poultry Science 54: 666674.Google Scholar
Archer, J. (1979). Animals under Stress. University Park Press, Baltimore. MD.Google Scholar
Arthur, F. H. and Axtell, R. C. (1983). Northern Fowl Mite population development on laying hens caged at three colony sizes. Poultry Science 62: 424427.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bareham, J. R. (1976). A comparison of the behaviour and production of laying hens in experimental and conventional battery cages. Applied Animal Ethology 2: 291303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, M., Brake, J. and McDaniel, G. R. (1983). The relationship between body weight loss during an induced molt and postmolt egg production. egg weight, and shell quality in caged layers. Poultry Science 62: 409413.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beilharz, R. G. (1982). Genetic adaptation in relation to animal welfare. International Journal for Study of Animal Problems 3: 117124.Google Scholar
Beilharz, R. G. and Zeeb, K. (1981). Applied ethology and animal welfare. Applied Animal Ethology 7: 310.Google Scholar
Bell, D. (1972). Reverse cage demonstrates striking income advantage. Poultry Digest 31: 326328.Google Scholar
Beuving, G. and Vonder, G. M. A. (1978). Daily rhythm of corticosterone in laying hens and the influence of egg laying. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 51: 169173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhagwat, A. L. and Craig, J. V. (1979). Effects of male presence on agonistic behavior and productivity of White Leghorn hens. Applied Animal Ethology 5: 267282.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Biswas, D. K. and Craig, J. V. (1970). Genotype-environment interactions in chickens selected for high and low social dominance. Poultry Science 49: 681692.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Biswas, D. K. and Craig, J. V.Social tension indexes and egg production traits in chickens. Poultry Science 50: 10631065.Google Scholar
Bronson, F. H. and Eleftheriou, B. E. (1965). Adrenal response to fighting in mice: seperation of physical and psychological causes. Science 147: 627628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, K. I. (1982). Selecting for stress resistant animals – poultry. In Woods, W. (Ed.) Proceedings, Symposium on Management of Food Producing Animals, Vol. 1,Purdue University, W.Lafayette, IN.Google Scholar
Carey, J. B. (1983). Effect of cage design on productivity and behavior of several commercial strains of egg-type chickens. Ph.D. Thesis, Kansas State University, Manhatan, KS.Google Scholar
Carson, J. R. (1975). The effect of delayed placement and day-old debeaking on the performance of White Leghorn pullets. Poultry Science 54: 15811584.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Choudary, M. R., Adams, A. W. and Craig, J. V. (1972). Effects of strain, age at flock assembly, and cage arrangement on behavior and productivity in White Leghorn type chickens. Poultry Science 51: 19431950.Google Scholar
Compton, M. M., Vankrey, H. P., Ruszler, P. L. and Gwazdauskas, F. C. (1981a). The effects of claw removal on growth rate, gonadal steroids, and stress response in cage reared pullets. Poultry Science 60: 21202126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Compton, M. M., Vankrey, H. P., Ruszler, P. L. and Gwazdauskas, F. C. (1981b). The effects of claw removal and cage design on the production performance, gonadal steroids, and stress response in caged laying hens. Poultry Science 60: 21272135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, J. V. (1970). Interactions of genotype and housing environment in White Leghorn chickens selected for high and low social dominance. 14th World's Poultry Congress,Madrid2: 37–42.Google Scholar
Craig, J. V. (1982). Behavioral and genetic adaptation of laying hens to high-density environments. BioScience 32: 3337.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, J. V. and Bhagwat, A. L. (1974). Agonistic and mating behavior of adult chickens modified by social and physical environments. Applied Animal Ethology 1: 5765.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, J. V. and Guhl, A. M. (1969). Territorial behavior and social interactions of pullets kept in large flocks. Poultry Science 48: 16221628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, J. V. and Toth, A. (1969). Productivity of pullets influenced by genetic selection for social dominance ability and by stability of flock membership. Poultry Science 48: 17291736.Google Scholar
Craig, J. V., Dayton, A. D., Garwood, V. A. and Lowe, P. C. (1982). Selection for egg mass in different social environments. 4. Selection response in Phase I. Poultry Science 61: 17861798.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, J. V., Craig, T. P. and Dayton, A. D. (1983). Fearful behavior by caged hens of two genetic stocks. Applied Animal Ethology 10: 263273.Google Scholar
Cunningham, D. L.The effects of social rank and cage shape on selected behavioral and performance traits of White Leghorn layers. Poultry Science 60: 25932598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cunningham, D. L. and Van Tienhoven, A. (1983). Relationship between production factors and dominance in White Leghorn hens in a study on social rank and cage design. Applied Animal Ethology 11: 3344.Google Scholar
Cunningham, D. L. and Van Tienhoven, A. (1984). The effects of management program and social rank on behavior and productivity of White Leghorn layers in cages. Poultry Science 63: 2530.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dawkins, M. (1976). Towards an objective method of assessing welfare in domestic fowl. Applied Animal Ethology 2: 245254.Google Scholar
Dawkins, M. (1977). Do hens suffer in battery cages? Environmental preferences and welfare. Animal Behaviour 25: 10341046.Google Scholar
Dawkins, M. S. (1983). Battery hens name their price: consumer demand theory and the measurement of ethological “needs”. Animal Behaviour 31: 11951205.Google Scholar
Dickerson, G. E. and Mather, F. B. (1976). Evidence concerning genetic improvement in commercial stocks of layers. Poultry Science 55: 23272342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duncan, I. J. H. (1970). Frustration in the fowl. In Freeman, B. M. and Gordon, R. F. (Eds.) Aspects of Poultry Behaviour. British Poultry Science Ltd., Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Duncan, I. J. H. (1981). Animal rights – animal welfare: a scientist's assessment. Poultry Science 60: 489499.Google Scholar
Duncan, I. J. H. and Dawkins, M. S. (1983). The problem of assessing “well-being” and “suffering” in farm animals. In Smidt, D. (Ed.) Indicators Relevant to Animal Welfare, CEC Seminar, Mariensee, German Federal Republic.Google Scholar
Duncan, I. J. H. and Filshie, J. H. (1979). The use of radio telemetry devices to measure temperature and heart rate in domestic fowl. In Amlaner, C. J. and Macdonald, D. W. (Eds.) A Handbook on Telemetry and Radio Tracking. Pergamon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Duncan, I. J. H. and Wood-Gush, D. G. M. (1971). Frustration and aggression in the domestic fowl. Animal Behaviour 19: 500504.Google Scholar
Duncan, I. J. H. and Wood-Gush, D. G. M. (1972a). An analysis of displacement preening in the domestic fowl. Animal Behaviour 20: 6871.Google Scholar
Duncan, I. J. H. and Wood-Gush, D. G. M. (1972b). Thwarting of feeding behaviour in the domestic fowl. Animal Behaviour 20: 444451.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duncan, I. J. H., Filshie, J. H. and McGee, I. J. (1975). Radiotelemetry of avian shank temperature using a thin-film hybrid microcircuit. Medical Biology and Engineering 13: 544550.Google Scholar
Elmslie, L. J., Jones, R. H. and Knight, D. W. (1966). A general theory describing the effects of varying flock size and stocking density on the performance of caged layers. Proc., 13th World's Poultry Congress,Kiev (pp. 490–495).Google Scholar
Eskeland, B. (1981). Effects of beak trimming. In Sorensen, Y. (Ed.) Proc. First European Symposium on Poultry Welfare,Vester Farimagsgade 1,Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Etches, R. J. (1976). A radioimmunoassay for corticosterone and its application to the measurement of stress in poultry. Steroids 28: 763773.Google Scholar
Etches, R. J. (1979). Plasma concentration of progesterone and corticosterone during the ovulation cycle of the hen (Gallus domesticus). Poultry Science 58: 211216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gallup, G. G. Jr. (1977). Tonic immobility: the role of fear and predation. Psychological Record 1: 4161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gentle, M. J., Hughes, B. O. and Hubrecht, R. C. (1982). The effect of beak trimming on food intake, feeding behaviour and body weight in adult hens. Applied Animal Ethology 8: 147159.Google Scholar
Gowe, R. S. (1956). Environmental and poultry breeding problems. 2. A comparison of the egg production of 7 White Leghorn strains housed in laying batteries and floor pens. Poultry Science 35: 430435.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gross, W. B. (1976). Plasma steroid tendency, social environment and Eimeria necatrix infection. Poultry Science 55: 15081512.Google Scholar
Gross, W. B. (1983). Chicken-environment interactions. In Miller, H. B. and Williams, W. H. (Eds.) Ethics and Animals. The Humana Press, Inc., Clifton, NJ.Google Scholar
Gross, W. B. and Colmano, G. (1967). Further studies on the effects of social stress on the resistance to infection with Escherichia coli. Poultry Science 46: 4146.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gross, W. B. and Colmano, G. (1971). Effect of infectious agents on chickens selected for plasma corticosterone response to social stress. Poultry Science 50: 12131217.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gross, W. B. and Siegel, H. S. (1965). The effect of social stress on resistance to infection with Escherichia coli or Mycoplasma gallisepticum. Poultry Science 44: 9981001.Google Scholar
Gross, W. B. and Siegel, P. B. (1973). Effect of social stress and steroids on antibody production. Avian Diseases 17: 807815.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gross, W. B. and Siegel, P. B. (1980). Effects of early environmental stresses on chicken body weight, antibody response to RBC antigens, feed efficiency and response to fasting. Avian Diseases 24: 569579.Google Scholar
Guhl, A. M. (1953). Social behavior of the domestic fowl. Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 73.Google Scholar
Guhl, A. M. and Allee, W. C. (1944). Some measurable effects of social organisation in flocks of hens. Physiological Zoology 17: 320347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guither, H. D. and Curtis, S. E. (1983). Animal welfare developments in Europe - a perspective for the United States. Agricultural Economics 4536, Animal Science 675, University of Illinois, Urbana.Google Scholar
Hale, E. B. (1948). Observations on the social behavior of hens following debeaking. Poultry Science 27: 591592.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, R. S. (1976). Nervousness and hysteria of mature female chickens. Poultry Science 55: 531543.Google Scholar
Harrison, R. (1964). Animal machines. Vincent Stuart, London.Google Scholar
Hembree, D. J., Adams, A. W. and Craig, J. V. (1980). Effects of force-molting by conventional and experimental light restriction methods on performance and agonistic behavior of hens. Poultry Science 59: 215223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, A. T. and Hunt, J. R. (1978). Layer cage depth effects on nervousness, feathering, shell breakage, performance and net egg returns. Poultry Science 57: 12041216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, J. A. (1983). Indicators of stress in poultry. World's Poultry Science Journal 39: 2431.Google Scholar
Hughes, B. O. (1976). Preference decisions of domestic hens for wire or litter floors. Applied Animal Ethology 2: 155165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, B. O. (1979). Aggressive behaviour and its relation to oviposition in the domestic fowl. Applied Animal Ethology 5: 8593.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, B. O. and Black, A. J. (1973). The preference of domestic hens for different types of battery cage floor. British Poultry Science 14: 615619.Google Scholar
Hughes, B. O. and Black, A. J. (1976). Battery cage shape: its effect on diurnal feeding pattern, egg shell cracking and feather pecking. British Poultry Science 17: 327336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, B. O. and Black, A. J. (1977). Diurnal patterns of feeding and activity in laying hens in relation to dietary restriction and cage shape. British Poultry Science 18: 353360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, B. O. and Michie, W. (1982). Plumage loss in medium-bodied hybrid hens: the effect of beak trimming and cage design. British Poultry Science 23: 5964.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, B. O. and Wood-Gush, D. G. M. (1977). Agonistic behaviour in domestic hens: the influence of housing method and group size. Animal Behaviour 25: 10561062.Google Scholar
Hughes, B. O., Wood-Gush, D. G. M. and Jones, R. M. (1974). Spatial organization in flocks of domestic fowls. Animal Behaviour 22: 438445.Google Scholar
Jones, R. B. and Faure, J. M. (1981). Tonic immobility (“righting time”) in laying hens housed in cages and pens. Applied Animal Ethology 7: 369372.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kujiyat, S. K. (1983). Genetic stock and housing environment effects on tonic immobility, avoidance behavior and quantitative traits in White Leghorn hens. M.S. Thesis, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.Google Scholar
Kujiyat, S. K., Craig, J. V. and Adams, A. W. (1984). Fear-related responses of White Leghorn hens of several genetic stock in five bird cages and association with quantitative traits. Poultry Science 63: 16791688.Google Scholar
Lee, Y.-P. and Craig, J. V. (1981a). Agonistic and nonagonistic behaviors of pullets of two dissimilar strains of White Leghorns when kept separately and intermingled. Poultry Science 60: 17591768.Google Scholar
Lee, Y.-P. and Craig, J. V. (1981b). Evaluation of egg-laying strains of chickens in different housing environments: role of genotype by environment interactions. Poultry Science 60: 17691781.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, Y.-P., Craig, J. V. and Dayton, A. D. (1982). The social rank index as a measure of social status and its association with egg production in White Leghorn pullets. Applied Animal Ethology 8: 377390.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, K. Y., Stefanovic, M. P. and Slinger, S. J. (1972). Effects of population density on energy utilization, intestinal disaccharides, and adrenal function in hens. Canada Journal of Animal Science 52: 103112.Google Scholar
Lowry, D. C. and Abplanalp, H. (1970). Genetic adaptation of White Leghorn hens to life in single cages. British Poultry Science 11: 117131.Google Scholar
Lowry, D. C., Lerner, I. M. and Taylor, L. W. (1956). Intra-flock genetic merit under floor and cage environment. Poultry Science 35: 10341043.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McBride, G. (1960). Poultry husbandry and the peck order. British Poultry Science 1: 6568.Google Scholar
McBride, G. (1964). Social behaviour of domestic animals. II. Effect of the peck order on poultry productivity. Animal Production 6: 17.Google Scholar
McBride, G. and Foenander, F. (1962). Territorial behavior in flocks of domestic fowls. Nature 194: 102.Google Scholar
Martin, G. A., West, J. R., Morgan, G. W. and Burleson, T. R. (1976). Effects of wing and toe amputation on layers. Poultry Science 55: 2061 (Abstract).Google Scholar
Mashaly, M., Webb, M. and Roush, W. (1982). Adrenal gland response of laying hens to different cage densities. Poultry Science 61: 1506 (Abstract).Google Scholar
Mason, J. W. (1975). Emotion as reflected in patterns of endocrine integration. In Levi, I., (Ed.) Emotions: Their Parameters and Measurement. Raven Press, New York, NY.Google Scholar
Mauldin, J. M. and Siegel, P. B. (1979). “Fear”, head shaking and production in five populations of caged chickens. British Poultry Science 20: 3944.Google Scholar
Moss, R. (Ed.) (1980). The laying hen and its environment. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. Boston.Google Scholar
Murphy, L. B. (1978). The practical problems of recognizing and measuring fear and exploration behaviour in the domestic fowl. Animal Behaviour 26: 422431.Google Scholar
Nash, R. F., Gallup, G. G. Jr., and Czech, D. A. (1976). Psychophysiological correlates of tonic immobility in the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus). Physiology Behaviour 17: 413418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
North, M. O. (1978). Commercial Chicken Production Manual. 2nd ed. AVI Publishing Company Inc., Westport, CT.Google Scholar
Ouart, M. D. and Adams, A. W. (1982a). Effects of cage design and bird density on layers. 1. Productivity, feathering, and nervousness. Poultry Science 61: 16061613.Google Scholar
Ouart, M. D. and Adams, A. W. (1982b). Effects of cage design and bird density on layers. 2. Bird movement and feeding behavior. Poultry Science 61: 16141620.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pamment, P., Foenander, F. and McBride, G. (1983). Social and spatial organization of male behaviour in mated domestic fowl. Applied Animal Ethology 9: 341349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perkins, D. Jr., (1964). Prehistoric fauna from Shanidar, Iraq. Science 144: 15651566.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petersen, V. E. (1981). Deep litter and sloped wire floor housing systems. In Sorensen, Y. (Ed.) Proc. First European Symposium on Poultry Welfare,Vester Farimagsgade 1,Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Polley, C. R., Craig, J. V. and Bhagwat, A. L., (1974). Crowding and agonistic behavior: a curvilinear relationship? Poultry Science 53: 16211623.Google Scholar
Ratner, S. C. and Thompson, R. W. (1960). Immobility reactions (fear) of domestic fowl as a function of age and prior experiences. Animal Behaviour 8: 186191.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reed, C. A. (1974). The Beginnings of Animal Domestication. In Cole, H. H. and Ronning, M. (Eds.) Animal Agriculture, W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, CA.Google Scholar
Robinson, D. (1979). Effects of cage shape, colony size. floor area and cannibalism prevention on laying performance. British Poultry Science 20: 345356.Google Scholar
Rollin, B. E. (1981). Animal Rights and Human Morality. Prometheus Books, Buffalo, NY.Google Scholar
Ruszler, P. L. and Quisenberry, J. H. (1979). The effect of declawing two flock sizes of 23-week-old pullets on hysteria and certain production traits. Poultry Science 58: 778784.Google Scholar
Sanctuary, W. C. (1932). A study of avian behaviour to determine the nature and persistency of the order of dominance in the domestic fowl and to relate these to certain physiological reactions. M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts State College, Amherst.Google Scholar
Schjelderup-Ebbe, T. (1922). Beitrage zur sozialpsychologie des haushuhns. Zeitschrift fur Psychologie 88: 225252.Google Scholar
Scott, T. R., Satterlee, D. G. and Jacobs-Perry, L. A. (1983). Circulating corticosterone responses of feed and water deprived broilers and Japanese Quail. Poultry Science 62: 290297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sefton, A. E. (1976). The interactions of cage size, cage level, social density, fearfulness, and production of Single Comb White Leghorns. Poultry Science 55: 19221926.Google Scholar
Sefton, A. E. and Crober, D. C. (1976). Social and physical environmental influences and caged Single Comb White Leghorn layers. Canada Journal of Animal Science 56: 733738.Google Scholar
Selye, H. (1956). The Stress of Life. MGraw-Hill Book Company Inc., New York, NY.Google Scholar
Siegel, H. S. (1959). Egg production characteristics and adrenal function in White Leghorns confined at different floor space levels. Poultry Science 38: 893898.Google Scholar
Siegel, H. S. and Gross, W. B. (1965). Social grouping, stress and resistance to coliform infection in cockerels. Poultry Science 44: 15301536.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Siegel, H. S. and Siegel, P. B. (1961). The relationship of social competition with endocrine weights and activity in male chickens. Animal Behaviour 9: 151158.Google Scholar
Singer, P. (1975). Animal Liberation. A New Ethics for our Treatment of Animals. Avon Books, New York, NY.Google Scholar
Sorensen, Y. (Ed.) (1981). Proceedings First European Symposium on Poultry Welfare.Vester Farimagsgade 1,Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Syme, L. A. and Syme, G. J. (1983). Position in the peck order and response to human threat in domestic fowl. Applied Animal Ethology 9: 351357.Google Scholar
Tauson, R. (1981). Need for improvement in construction of cages. In Sorensen, Y. (Ed.) Proc. First European Symposium on Poultry Welfare.Vester Farimagsgade 1.Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Tindell, D. and Craig, J. V. (1959). Effects of social competition on laying house performance in the chicken. Poultry Science 38: 95105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tindell, D. and Craig, J. V. (1960). Genetic variation in social aggressiveness and competition effects between sire families in small flocks of chickens. Poultry Science 39: 13181320.Google Scholar
Vanskike, K. P. and Adams, A. W. (1983). Effects of declawing and cage shape on productivity, feathering, and fearfulness of eggtype chickens. Poultry Science 62: 708711.Google Scholar
Wegner, R. M. (1981). Choice of production systems for egg layers. In Sorensen, Y. (Ed.) Proc. First European Symposium on Poultry Welfare.Vester Farimagsgade 1.Copenhagen.Google Scholar
Wildey, H. E. (1982). Cages vs. floor systems for commercial layers. In Woods., W. (Ed.) Proc. Symposium on Management of Food Producing Animals, Vol. 1,Purdue University, W.Lafayette, IN.Google Scholar
Wood-Gush, D. G. M. (1972). Strain differences in response to sub-optimal stimuli in the fowl. Animal Behaviour 20: 7276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood-Gush, D. G. M. and Gilbert, A. B. (1969). Observations on the laying behaviour of hens in the battery cages. British Poultry Science 10: 2936.Google Scholar