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Behavioural Responses of Laying Hens to Carriage on Horizontal and Inclined Conveyors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

G B Scott  and
P Moran
G B Scott
Affiliation:
Poultry Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Auchincruive, Ayr KA6 5HW, UK
P Moran
Affiliation:
Agricultural Food Research Council, Silsoe Research Institute, Silsoe
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Abstract

Groups of end-of-lay (spent) hens were subjected to three different treatments on a short flat-belt conveyor. Observations of bird behaviour indicated that the incidences of wing flapping, loss of balance and alarm calling significantly increased when birds were conveyed up and down slopes in comparison to being conveyed horizontally (P<0.01). Birds were significantly more hesitant when approaching the incline compared to the horizontal (P<0.001). However, differences in behavioural responses were not reflected in times spent in tonic immobility or open-field tests. There were no significant differences for the three treatments. It is possible that human contact, before and after conveying, was a more significant fear stimulus than the treatment itself.

Keywords

animal welfarebehaviourconveyorsfearhandlinghensinjuryopen-fieldpoultrytonic immobility
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 1 , Issue 4 , November 1992 , pp. 269 - 277
Copyright
© 1992 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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