title: Rearing Laying Hens in Aviaries Reduces Fearfulness following Transfer to Furnished Cages.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, NMBU School of Veterinary Science , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Margrethe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brantsæter
authors.affiliation: Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, NMBU School of Veterinary Science , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Fernanda M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Tahamtani
authors.affiliation: Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, NMBU School of Veterinary Science , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Randi O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Moe
authors.affiliation: Animalia, Norwegian Meat and Poultry Research Centre , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Tone B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Lincoln , Lincoln , UK.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Orritt
authors.affiliation: Division of Animal Health and Husbandry, University of Bristol , Bristol , UK.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nicol
authors.affiliation: Animal Welfare Research Group, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, NMBU School of Veterinary Science , Oslo , Norway.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Janczak
keywords: chicken; development; fear; fearfulness; laying hens; rearing; stress; welfare