The effect of early colour preference and of a colour exposing procedure on the choice of nest colours in laying hens

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Volumn 86, Issue 1-2, 2004, Pages 63-76

  Huber Eicher, B ^a  

^a SWISS FEDERAL VETERINARY OFFICE   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

Chicks; Colour preference; Imprinting; Laying hens; Nest site selection

Indexed keywords

COLOR; NEST SITE; SITE SELECTION;

AVES; GALLUS GALLUS;

EID: 1542291024     PISSN: 01681591     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2003.12.003     Document Type: Article

References (18)

1. Appleby M.C., McRae H.E. A method for identifying eggs laid by individual birds. Behav. Res. Meth. Instrum. 15:1983;399-400.
2. Hess E.H. Imprinting. Science. 130:1959;133-141.
3. Hurnik J.F., Jerome F.N., McMillian I. Hereditary effects of natural colour preference in domestic chicks. Biol. Behav. 2:1977;203-212.
4. Hurnik J.F., Jerome F.N., Reinhart B.S., Summers J.D. Colour as a stimulus for the choice of the nesting site by laying hens. Br. Poult. Sci. 14:1973;1-8.
5. Hurnik J.F., Reinhart B.S., Hurnik G.I. The effect of coloured nests on the frequency of floor eggs. Poult. Sci. 52:1973b;389-391.
6. Kathle J., Braastad B.O., Langstrad H. Non-beaked laying hens housed in aviaries. II. Behaviour of cockerels and their effects on hen performance. Norw. J. Agric. Sci. 10:1996;425-436.
7. Kathle J., Kolstad N. Non-beaked laying hens housed in aviaries. I. Production performance in cages and three types of aviaries. Norw. J. Agric. Sci. 10:1996;413-424.
8. Leyendecker M., Hamann H., Hartung J., Kamphues J., Ring C., Glunder G., Ahlers C., Sander I., Neumann U., Distel O. Analysis of genotype-environment interactions between layer lines and housing systems for performance traits, egg quality and bone breaking strength - 1st communication: performance traits. Züchtungskunde. 73:2001;290-307.
9. Miklosi A., Gonda Z., Osorio D., Farzin A. The effects of the visual environment on responses to colour by domestic chicks. J. Comp. Physiol. A: Neuroethol. Sens. Neural Behav. Physiol. 188:2002;135-140.
10. Nicol C.J., Gregory N.G., Knowles T.G., Parkman I.D., Wilkins L.J. Differential effects of increased stocking density, mediated by increased flock size, on feather pecking and aggression in laying hens. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 65:1999;137-152.
11. Petherick J.C., Seawright E., Waddington D. Influence of quantity of litter on nest box selection and nesting behaviour of domestic hens. Br. Poult. Sci. 34:1993;857-872.
12. Rietveld-Piepers B., Blokhuis H.J., Wiepkema P.R. Egg-laying behaviour and nest-site selection of domestic hens in small flocks. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 14:1985;75-88.
13. Schaefer H.H., Hess E.H. Color preferences in imprinting objects. Z. Tierpsychol. 16:1959;161-172.
14. Sherwin C.M., Nicol C.J. Factors influencing floor-laying by hens in modified cages. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 36:1993;211-333.
15. Taylor A., Sluckin W., Hewitt R. Changing colour preferences of chicks. Anim. Behav. 17:1969;3-8.
16. van Horne, P.L.M., van Niekerk, T.G.C.M., Bosch, J.G.M.J., 1997. Production, animal health and economic results of commercial layer flocks in aviary systems. In: Saloniemi, H. (Ed.), Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress on Animal Hygiene, Helsinki, pp. 561-564.
17. Zar, J.H., 1999. Biostatistical Analysis. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
18. Zolman J.F., Lattin W.J. Development of brightness preferences in young chicks: effects on brightness discrimination learning. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 79:1972;271-283.