Welfare, health, and hygiene of laying hens housed in furnished cages and in alternative housing systems.
The aim of this review was to compare welfare, health, and hygienic status of laying hens housed in furnished cages and in alternative systems. In alternative systems (floor housing and aviaries), birds have more freedom of movement and a more complex environment than in furnished cages. However, housing birds in much larger flocks in alternative systems leads to an increased risk of feather-pecking. Furthermore, air quality can be poorer in alternative systems than in furnished cages. This can affect health and hygienic status. There are only limited data on a direct comparison between furnished cages and alternative systems. Therefore, there is a need for an on-farm comparison of welfare, health, and hygienic status in these systems.
Department of Mechanisation, Labour, Buildings, Animal Welfare and Environmental Protection, Agricultural Research Centre, Merelbeke, Belgium. dvl@clo.fgov.be
T Bas
TB
Rodenburg
Frank A M
FA
Tuyttens
Bart
B
Sonck
Koen
K
De Reu
Lieve
L
Herman
Johan
J
Zoons
D000374:Aggression; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology*; D005062:European Union; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005241:Feathers; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal / Q000592:standards*; D006920:Hygiene; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D011156:Population Density