Influence of nest seclusion and nesting material on pre-laying behaviour of laying hens

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Volumn 112, Issue 1-2, 2008, Pages 106-119

  Struelens, Ester ^a   Van Nuffel, Annelies ^a   Tuyttens, Frank A M ^a   Audoorn, Lieve ^b   Vranken, Erik ^c   Zoons, Johan ^d   Berckmans, Daniël ^c   Ödberg, Frank ^b   Van Dongen, Stefan ^e   Sonck, Bart ^a  

^a INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERIES RESEARCH ILVO   (Belgium)

^b GHENT UNIVERSITY   (Belgium)

^c UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN   (Belgium)

^d Provincial Centre for Applied Poultry Research   (Belgium)

^e UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP   (Belgium)

Author keywords

Laying hens; Nest seclusion; Nesting material; Pre laying behaviour

Indexed keywords

BEHAVIORAL RESPONSE; COMPARATIVE STUDY; LAYING DATE; LOCOMOTION; NEST SITE; PEAT; POULTRY;

EID: 43049124444     PISSN: 01681591     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2007.07.010     Document Type: Article

References (44)

1. Abrahamsson P., Tauson R., and Appleby M.C. Behaviour, health and integument of four hybrids of laying hens in modified and conventional cages. Br. Poult. Sci. 37 (1996) 521-540
2. Appleby M.C., Hogarth G.S., and Hughes B.O. Nest box design and nesting material in a deep litter house for laying hens. Br. Poult. Sci. 29 (1988) 215-222
3. Appleby M.C., and McRae H. The individual nest box as a super-stimulus for domestic hens. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 15 (1986) 169-176
4. Appleby M.C., McRae H.E., Duncan I.J.H., and Bisazza A. Choice of social conditions by laying hens. Br. Poult. Sci. 25 (1984) 111-117
5. Appleby M.C., McRae H.E., and Peitz B.E. The effect of light on the choice of nests by domestic hens. Appl. Anim. Ethol. 11 (1984) 249-254
6. Appleby M.C., Mench J.O., and Hughes B.O. Poultry Behaviour and Welfare (2004), C.A.B. International, Oxfordshire pp. 91-117
7. Appleby M.C., Smith S.F., and Hughes B.O. Nesting, dust bathing and perching by laying hens in cages: effects of design on behaviour and welfare. Br. Poult. Sci. 34 (1993) 835-847
8. Baxter M.R. The welfare problems of laying hens. Vet. Rec. 134 (1994) 614-619
9. Beuving G. Invloed van het legnest op het corticosterongehalte in plasma van leghennen voor ovipositie. Tijdschr. Diergeneeskd. 114 (1989) 3-9
10. Brantas G.C. The pre-laying behaviour of laying hens in cages with and without laying nests. In: Moss R. (Ed). A Seminar in the EEC Programme of Coordination of Research on Animal Welfare. Luxembourg (1980), Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, The Hague 227-233
11. Breden L., Rauch H.W., Wegner R.M., and Speck J. Nest site selection: environmental aspects. Proceedings of the Second European Symposium on Poultry Welfare. Germany, 1-13 June (1985) 146-154 (Cell, World's Poultry Science Association)
12. Cooper J.J., and Appleby M.C. Prelaying behaviour and floor eggs in laying hens. Br. Poult. Sci. 36 (1995) 837
13. Cooper J.J., and Appleby M.C. Individual variation in prelaying behaviour and the incidence of floor eggs. Br. Poult. Sci. 37 (1996) 245-253
14. Cooper J.J., and Appleby M.C. Motivational aspects of individual variation in response to nestboxes by laying hens. Anim. Behav. 54 (1997) 1245-1253
15. Cronin G.M., Butler K.L., Desnoyers M.A., and Barnett J.L. The use of nest boxes by hens in cages: what does it mean for welfare?. Anim. Sci. Papers Rep. 23 Suppl. 1 (2005) 121-128
16. Duncan I.J.H. Behavior and behavioral needs. Poult. Sci. 77 (1998) 1766-1772
17. Duncan I.J.H., and Kite V.G. Nest site selection and nest-building behaviour in domestic fowl. Anim. Behav. 37 (1989) 215-231
18. Duncan I.J.H., Savory C.J., and Wood-Gush D.G.M. Observations on the reproductive behaviour of domestic fowl in the wild. Appl. Anim. Ethol. 4 (1978) 29-42
19. Duncan I.J.H., and Wood-Gush D.G.M. An analysis of displacement preening in the domestic fowl. Anim. Behav. 20 (1972) 68-71
20. Huber-Eicher B. The influence of colour on nest choice in laying hens. In: Ferrante V., and the Scientific Committee (Eds). Proceedings of the 37th International Congress of the ISAE. Italy, 24-28 June (2003) 62 (Brescia, Fondazione Iniziative Zooprofilattiche e Zootecniche)
21. Huber H.U., Fölsch D.W., and Stähli U. Influence of various nesting materials on nest site selection of the domestic hen. Br. Poult. Sci. 26 (1985) 367-373
22. Hughes B.O. Choice between artificial turf and wire floor as nest sites in individually caged laying hens. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 36 (1993) 327-335
23. Hughes B.O., Duncan I.J.H., and Brown M.F. The performance of nest building by domestic hens: is it more important than the construction of a nest?. Anim Behav. 37 (1989) 210-214
24. Keeling L. Behaviour of fowl and other domesticated birds. In: Jensen P. (Ed). The Ethology of Domestic Animals. An Introductory Text (2002), CABI Publishing, Wallingford pp. 101-118
25. Kite V.G., and Duncan I.J.H. Nest en nesting in the domestic fowl: which is the reward?. Appl Anim. Behav. Sci. 18 (1987) 388
26. Martin P., and Bateson P. Measuring Behaviour. An introductory guide (1993), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge pp. 62-66
27. Meijsser F.M., and Hughes B.O. Comparative analysis of pre-laying behaviour in battery cages and in three alternative systems. Br. Poult. Sci. 30 (1989) 747-760
28. Mills A.D., and Wood-Gush D.G.M. Pre-laying behaviour in battery cages. Br. Poult. Sci. 26 (1985) 247-252
29. Mills A.D., Wood-Gush D.G.M., and Hughes B.O. Genetic analysis of strain differences in pre-laying behaviour in battery cages. Br. Poult. Sci. 26 (1985) 187-197
30. Nicol C.J. Non-exclusive spatial preference of the laying hen. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 15 (1986) 337-350
31. Nørgaard-Nielsen G. Nest choice of laying hens: the effect of nest shape and quantity of straw. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 30 (1991) 186-187
32. Petherick J.C., and Rushen J. Behavioural restriction. In: Appleby M.C., and Hughes B.O. (Eds). Animal Welfare (1997), C.A.B. International, Wallingford pp. 89-105
33. Reed H.J., and Nicol J. Effects of nest linings, pecking strips and partitioning on nest use and behaviour in modified battery cages. Br. Poult. Sci. 33 (1992) 719-727
34. Rietveld-Piepers, B., 1987. The development of egg-laying behaviour and nest site selection in a strain of White Leghorn hens. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wageningen, 144 pp.
35. Schenk, P.M., Meysser, F.M., Limpens, H.J.G., 1983. Gakeln als Indikator für Frustration bei Legehennen. K.T.B.L. Schrift. 299, 65-81.
36. Sherwin C.M., and Nicol C.J. Behaviour and production of laying hens in three prototypes of cages incorporating nests. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 35 (1992) 41-54
37. Sherwin C.M., and Nicol C.J. A descriptive account of the pre-laying behaviour of hens housed individually in modified cages with nests. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 38 (1993) 49-60
38. Struelens E., Tuyttens F.A.M., Janssen A., Leroy T., Audoorn L., Vranken E., De Baere K., Ödberg F., Berckmans D., Zoons J., and Sonck B. Design of laying nests in furnished cages: influence of nesting material, nest box position and seclusion. Br. Poult. Sci. 46 (2005) 9-15
39. Walker A.W., and Hughes B.O. Egg shell colour is affected by laying cage design. Br. Poult. Sci. 39 (1998) 696-699
40. Webster J. Animal Welfare. A Cool Eye Towards Eden (1995), Blackwell Science, Oxford pp. 146-166
41. Wood-Gush D.G.M., and Gilbert A.B. Observations on the laying behaviour of hens in battery cages. Br. Poult. Sci. 10 (1969) 29-36
42. Wood-Gush D.G.M., and Gilbert A.B. Some hormones involved in the nesting behaviour of hens. Anim. Behav. 21 (1973) 98-103
43. Yue S., and Duncan I.J.H. Frustrated nesting behaviour: relation to extra-cuticular shell calcium and bone strength in White Leghorn hens. Br. Poult. Sci. 44 (2003) 175-181
44. Zupan M., Kruschwitz A., and Huber-Eicher B. The influence of exposure to light and colour on the choice of nest colours in laying hens. Anim. Sci. Papers Rep. 23 Suppl. 1 (2005) 129-133