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Johny A, Janczak AM, Nordgreen J, Toscano MJ, Stratmann A. Mind the ramp: Association between early life ramp use and spatial cognition in laying hen pullets. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0302454. [PMID: 38669289 PMCID: PMC11051627 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ramps facilitate earlier access to complex environments and increase early life voluntary exercise, which may positively affect the cognitive development of chickens. This study focused on quantifying individual differences in ramp use and its impact on spatial cognition of laying hen pullets. Sixteen identical pens were housed with Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL) chicks of which eight chicks from each pen were colour marked from one day of age (DoA) to serve as focal birds. We quantified overall ramp use (walk/run, wing-assisted incline running, and jump/fly to and from ramps) by scan sampling recorded videos for 6, 10, 12, 20, 27, 41, and 55 DoA for all focal birds. From 56 to 95 DoA, long and short-term spatial memory of three focal birds per pen were assessed in a holeboard test in three consecutive phases: cued, uncued and reversal. Mixed model analysis showed that the spatial cognitive abilities of the birds were linked to differences in ramp use frequency averaged across all observation days. Birds with higher ramp use made fewer reference (Estimate ± Confidence Interval = 0.94 [0.88, 0.99], p = 0.08) and working memory errors (Est ± CI = 0.77 [0.59, 1.00], p = 0.06) in the cued phase than birds with lower ramp use. In contrast, birds with higher ramp use made more reference memory errors (Est ± CI = 1.10 [1.01, 1.20], p = 0.05) in the reversal phase. Birds with higher ramp use also made more reference memory errors compared to birds with lower ramp use as the phases changed from cued to uncued (p = 0.001). Our results indicate that there might be a relationship between early life ramp use and spatial cognition of laying hens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Johny
- VPHI Institute, Centre for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits, University of Bern, Zollikofen, Switzerland
- Graduate school of Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrew M. Janczak
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Clinical Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, Norway
| | - Janicke Nordgreen
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Michael J. Toscano
- VPHI Institute, Centre for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits, University of Bern, Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Ariane Stratmann
- VPHI Institute, Centre for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits, University of Bern, Zollikofen, Switzerland
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Pullin AN, Rufener CB, Millman ST, Tarlton JF, Toscano MJ, Blatchford RA, Makagon MM. Providing elevated structures in the pullet rearing environment affects behavior during initial acclimation to a layer aviary. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103357. [PMID: 38194831 PMCID: PMC10792628 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial abilities of hens are particularly sensitive to development during early life. Experiences in pullet housing may have lasting consequences on adult hens' movements in cage-free environments. We tested whether opportunities to access elevated spaces during rearing improved hens' use of a multitiered aviary. Female Dekalb White pullets were reared in either floor pens (FL), single-tiered aviaries (ST), or 2-tiered aviaries (TT; n = 5 pens/environment) through 16 wk of age. Rearing structures were replaced with identical multitiered aviaries at 17 wk. The distribution of the flock within the aviary and the vertical transitions of 10 focal hens/pen across the aviary were determined from videos recorded during their first (D1) and seventh (D7) day of aviary access, as well as at 19, 23, and 27 wk of age. Prevalence of floor eggs was recorded weekly from 17 to 28 wk of age. On D1, more ST and TT hens utilized the aviary during the daytime (P = 0.0077), made more vertical transitions when searching for a roosting spot in the evening (P = 0.0021), and maintained a consistent distance traveled during transitions compared to FL hens (P = 0.02). These differences disappeared by D7, except that ST and TT hens continued to roost on the highest perches of the aviary more (P < 0.0001) than FL hens through 27 wk of age. FL hens laid more floor eggs than ST and TT hens for the first 2 wk of lay (P < 0.0001). The majority (97.9%) of vertical transitions was controlled. Uncontrolled transitions were highest at D1 and decreased by D7 (P = 0.0009) and were not affected by rearing (P = 0.33). The results suggest that hens reared with minimal height are hesitant to use the laying hen aviaries when they are first transferred. They acclimate within 1 to 2 wk, but continue to roost less in the highest accessible level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison N Pullin
- Center for Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Animal Behavior Graduate Group, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Christina B Rufener
- Center for Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Center for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office FSVO, Agroscope, Ettenhausen, Switzerland
| | - Suzanne T Millman
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - John F Tarlton
- School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Toscano
- Center for Proper Housing of Poultry and Rabbits, Division of Animal Welfare, VPH Institute, University of Bern, 3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
| | - Richard A Blatchford
- Center for Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Animal Behavior Graduate Group, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Maja M Makagon
- Center for Animal Welfare, Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Animal Behavior Graduate Group, College of Biological Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Hong GAT, Tobalske BW, van Staaveren N, Leishman EM, Widowski T, Powers DR, Harlander-Matauschek A. A wing-assisted incline running exercise regime during rearing increases initial flight velocity during descent in adult white- and brown-feathered laying hens. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103375. [PMID: 38198915 PMCID: PMC10792642 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Domestic laying hens rely primarily on their hindlimbs for terrestrial locomotion. Although they perform flapping flight, they appear to use maximal power during descent and thus may lack control for maneuvering and avoiding injuries on landing. This in turn may result in injury in open rearing systems. Wing-assisted incline running (WAIR) requires a bird to use its wings to assist the hindlimbs during climbing of an incline, and training in WAIR may therefore provide a useful method to increase a hen's power reserve and control for flight. We subjected hens to an exercise regimen involving inclines to induce WAIR for 16 wk during rearing. We then measured wing and body kinematics during aerial descent from a 155 cm platform. We hypothesized that birds reared with exercise would be better able to modulate their wing and body kinematics for making slower, more-controlled descent and landing. Brown-feathered birds exhibited greater wing beat frequencies than white-feathered birds, which is consistent with the higher wing loading of brown-feathered birds and WAIR-trained birds exhibited greater initial flight velocities compared to control birds. This may indicate that WAIR training provided an improved capacity to modulate flight velocity and strengthen the leg muscles. Providing incline exercises during rearing may therefore improve welfare for adult laying hens as greater initial flight velocity should reduce the power required for supporting body weight in the air and allow a hen to direct her excess power toward maneuvering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace A T Hong
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Bret W Tobalske
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Nienke van Staaveren
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada; Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada; Department Population Health Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Emily M Leishman
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada; Centre for Nutrition Modelling, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tina Widowski
- Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Donald R Powers
- Department of Biology, George Fox University, Newberg, OR 97132, USA
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