Acta Vet. Brno 2025, 94: 145-154
https://doi.org/10.2754/avb202594020145
The effect of different cage densities on selected stress and welfare indicators in brown and white laying hens
References
1. 2024: A systematic review of potential productivity, egg quality, and animal welfare implications of extended lay cycles in commercial laying hens in Canada. Poult Sci 103: 103-475
< V, Turner I, Bamber N, Ferdous J, Grassauer F, Doyon M, Pelletier N https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.103475>
2. 2023: Impact of growth trajectory on sexual maturation in layer chickens. Front Physiol 14: 1174238
< MA, Hanlon C, Ziezold CJ, Schaus S, Bedecarrats GY https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1174238>
3. 2022: The effect of hard pecking enrichment during rear on feather cover, feather pecking behaviour and beak length in beak-trimmed and ıntact-beak laying hen pullets. Anim 12: 674
PE, Nicol CJ, Weeks CA
4. 2018: Behaviour and welfare concepts in laying hens and their association with housing systems. IJPS 53: 1-10
SK, Bhadauria P
5. 2021: Thermal stress and high stocking densities in poultry farms: Potential effects and mitigation strategies. J Therm Biol 99: 102-944
< RM, Hassan F, Farag MR, Nasir TA, Ragni M, Mahgoub HAM, Alagawany M https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102944>
6. 2007: Plumage colour and feather pecking in laying hens, a chicken perspective? Brit Poult Sci 48: 253-263
< A https://doi.org/10.1080/00071660701370483>
7. 2018: Analysis of the influences on plumage condition in laying hens: How suitable is a whole body plumage score as an outcome? Poult Sci 97: 358-367
< A, Hoes C, Koesters S, Froemke C, Bougeard S, Staack M, Bessei W, Manton A, Scholz B, Schrader L, Thobe P, Knierim U https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pex321>
8. 2019: How best to improve farm animal welfare? Four main approaches viewed from an economic perspective. Anim Welf 28: 95-106
< T, Denver S, Sandøe P https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.28.1.095>
9. Clark P, Boardman W, Raidal S 2009: Atlas of clinical avian hematology. John Wiley & Sons
10. 2012: The probiotic Bacillus licheniformis ameliorates heat stress-induced impairment of egg production, gut morphology, and intestinal mucosal immunity in laying hens. Poult Sci 91: 575-582
< W, Dong XF, Tong JM, Zhang Q https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2010-01293>
11. 2009: Enhancing versus suppressive effects of stress on immune function: Implications for immunoprotection and immunopathology. Neuroimmunomodulation 16: 300-317
< FS https://doi.org/10.1159/000216188>
12. 2023: Welfare of laying hens on farm. EFSA J 21: 77-89
Panel on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (AHAW)
13. 2016: Impact of cage stocking density on egg laying characteristics and related stress and immunity parameters of Japanese quails in subtropics. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr 100: 893-901
< MS https://doi.org/10.1111/jpn.12404>
14. 2021a: Health welfare of laying hens reared in cage and non-cage systems. International Journal of Poultry-Ornamental Birds Science and Technology 2: 30-35
K, Sarıca M, Boz MA, Uçar A
15. 2021b: Effect of light intensity and stocking density on the performance, egg quality, and feather condition of laying hens reared in a battery cage system over the first laying period. Trop Anim Health Prod 53: 320
< K, Sarıca M, Noubandiguim M, Dur M, Aslan R https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-021-02765-5>
16. 2020: Meta-analyses of genome wide association studies in lines of laying hens divergently selected for feather pecking using imputed sequence level genotypes. BMC Genetics 21: 114
< C, Iffland H, Preuß S, Bessei W, Drögemüller C, Bennewitz J, Tetens J https://doi.org/10.1186/s12863-020-00920-9>
17. 2013: Cage position and density effect on some welfare criteria in Denizli chicken. Indian J Anim Res 83: 645-648
ED, Nazligul A
18. 2020: Importance of basic research on the causes of feather pecking in relation to welfare. Anim 10: 213
LB, Van Der Staay FJ, Goerlich-Jansson VC, Arndt SS
19. 2017: Assessment of health and welfare of Austrian laying hens at slaughter demonstrates influence of husbandry system and season. Brit Poult Sci 58: 209-215
< B, Polster S, Sulejmanovic T, Pürrerb B, Guggenberger B, Hess M https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2017.1280723>
20. 1983: Evaluation of the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio as a measure of stress in chickens. Avian Dis 27: 972-979
< WB, Siegel HS https://doi.org/10.2307/1590198>
21. 2015: The effects of environmental enrichment and beak-trimming during the rearing period on subsequent feather damage due to feather-pecking in laying hens. Poult Sci 94: 852-859
< KM, Tran KTN, Wilkinson SJ, Hemsworth PH, Thomson PC, Cronin GM https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pev061>
22. 2022: The relationship between animal welfare and farm profitability in cage and free-range housing systems for laying hens in China. Anim 12: 2090
S, Lin J, Jin Q, Ma X, Liu Z, Chen H, Ma J, Zhang H, Descovich K, Phillips CJC, Hartcher K, Wu Z
23. 2020: Natural behaviours, their drivers and their implications for laying hen welfare. Anim Product Sci 61: 915-930
< PH, Edwards LE https://doi.org/10.1071/AN19630>
24. 2018: Effects of a blend of essential oils and overcrowding stress on the growth performance, meat quality and heat shock protein gene expression of broilers. Brit Poult Sci 59: 92-99
< SM, Farhangfar H, Nourmohammadi R https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2017.1390209>
25. 2015: Review of rearing-related factors affecting the welfare of laying hens. Poult Sci 94: 1454-1469
< AM, Riber AB https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pev123>
26. 2024: The environmental impacts of commercial poultry production systems using life cycle assessment: A review. J World’s Poult Sci 80: 33-54
< K, Rafiee S, Karimi M, Nadimi M, Paliwalet J https://doi.org/10.1080/00439339.2023.2250326>
27. 2018: Feather pecking of laying hens in different stocking density and type of cage. IJAS 9: 549-556
S, Muangchum S, Yodprom S, Panyasake A
28. 2015: H/L ratio as a measurement of stress in laying hens – methodology and reliability. Brit Poult Sci 56: 157-163
< TL, Pendl H, Gebhardt-Henrich SG, Fröhlich EKF, Borell EV https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2015.1008993>
29. 2013: The prevention and control of feather pecking: Application to commercial systems. J World’s Poult Sci 69: 775-788
< CJ, Bestman M, Gilani AM, De Haas EN, De Jong IC, Lambton S, Wagenaar JP, Weeks CA, Rodenburg TB https://doi.org/10.1017/S0043933913000809>
30. 2015: Production performance, use of nest box, and external appearance of two strains of laying hens kept in conventional and enriched cages. Poult Sci 94: 559-564
< EE, Ünal N, Erdem E, Kocakaya A, Yaranoğlu B https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pev009>
31. Özentürk U, Yıldız A 2020: Assessment of egg quality in native and foreign laying hybrids reared in different cage densities. Braz J Poult Sci 22
32. 2021: Comparison of performance parameters, stress, and immunity levels of native andcommercial layers reared in different cage densities in Turkey. Turk J Vet Anim Sci 45: 1052-1064
< U, Yıldız A https://doi.org/10.3906/vet-2012-91>
33. 2023: Assessment of the feather score and health score in laying hens reared at different cage densities. Ankara Univ Fac Vet Med 7: 1-8
U, Yıldız A, Genç M
34. 2020: Welfare and performance of commercial laying hens in conventional California cages at different stocking densities. Indian J Anim Sci 90: 1300-1304
< P, Kadam MM, Bhanja SK, Kurkure NV, Bhaısare BD, Rokade JJ, Khose KK https://doi.org/10.56093/ijans.v90i9.109494>
35. 2020: Assessment of fear response and welfare indicators in laying hens from barn systems. Livest Sci 240: 104-150
< S, Esteves A, Oliveira I, Stilwell G https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104150>
36. 2022: Risk factors for the occurrence of feather pecking in non-beak-trimmed pullets and laying hens on commercial farms. Appl Sci 12: 19
< A, Rauch E, Bergmann S, Kirchner A, Lenz A, Hammes A, Erhard M, Reese S, Louton H https://doi.org/10.3390/app12199699>
37. 2022: Effect of housing environment and hen strain on egg production and egg quality as well as cloacal and eggshell microbiology in laying hens. Poult Sci 101: 101-595
MK, McDaniel CD, Kiess AS, Loar II RE, Adhikari P
38. 2023: Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks. Sci Rep 13: 61-78
< L, Newberry RC, Estevez I https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33212-0>
39. 2023: A comparison of the plumage condition of three egg-laying poultry genotypes housed in non-cage systems. Anim 13: 185
Z, Dykiel M, Topczewska J, Krawczyk J, Augustyńska-Prejsnar A
40. 2021: Comparison of behavioral time budget and welfare indicators in two local laying hen genotypes (Atak-S and Atabey) in a free-range system. Anim 12: 46
A, İpek A, Oğuz Z, Gunnarsson S, Riber AB
41. 2005: Applied scoring of integument and health in laying hens. Anim Sci Pap Rep 23: 153-159
R, Kjaer J, Maria GA, Cepero R, Holm KE
42. 2022: Effect of age, stocking density, genotype, and cage tier on feather score of layer pure lines. Turk J Vet Anim Sci 46: 115-123
S, Şekeroğlu A, Duman M, Tainika B
43. 2021: Advances in genetic selection and breeder practice improve commercial layer hen welfare. Anim Prod Sci 61: 856-866
< G, Andrews D, Phung T https://doi.org/10.1071/AN20383>
44. 2023: Effects of cage stocking density on the production performance, serum biochemistry, immune level, and intestinal morphology of 2 laying hen breeds. JAPR 32: 100-375
Y, Guan H, Wang D, Ma R, Qi R, Li J, Liu W, Li Y, Zhan K
45. 2019: Laying hen production and welfare in enriched colony cages at different stocking densities. Poult Sci 98: 3578-3586
< SL, Robison CI, Tempelman RJ, Jones DR, Karcher DM https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pez107>
46. 2020: Behaviour and stress in three breeds of laying hens kept in the same environment. S Afr J Anim Sci 50: 272-280
A, Kasperek K, Rozempolska-Rucińska I, Zieba G, Czech A