537
Views
24
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Behaviour, Welfare & Environment

Analysis of landing behaviour of three layer lines on different perch designs

, &
Pages 419-426 | Accepted 16 Apr 2014, Published online: 22 Aug 2014
 

Abstract

1. The prevalence of keel bone deformities in laying hens is high and is partly associated with unsuitable perch designs, which impose a risk of injury due to an unstable footing.

2. Over two experiments, 9 or 10 hens of each of three layer lines (Lohmann Selected Leghorn (LSL), Lohmann Tradition (LT) and Lohmann Brown (LB)) were filmed while landing on three different perch types, including steel perches of various diameters, a commercial mushroom-shaped plastic perch and a newly developed prototype perch with a soft surface material.

3. Data on landing behaviour (safe vs. unsafe or failed landing) following downward jumps were collected for 25, 50 and 60 cm vertical distances and 75 cm horizontal distance between a wooden start perch and the different destination perches.

4. The highest proportion of safe landings occurred on the prototype perch, whereas least safe landings were observed on steel perches, irrespective of their diameter. The mushroom-shaped perch was intermediate with regard to the safeness of landing.

5. A threshold of 50 cm vertical distance (34° slope) was identified as the optimum for downward jumps on perches in order to reduce the risk of unsafe or failed landings. Above this threshold, the proportion of safe landings declined significantly.

6. Brown shell layer types (LB and LT) had a lower proportion of safe landings compared to the white shell layer type (LSL), whereas no difference was found between LB and LT layer lines.

7. Although steel perches prevail in commercial housing, these perches were found to be least advantageous with regard to landing behaviour. The prototype perch provided the most stable footing on perching and is a promising alternative to replace commercial steel perches, thus helping to reduce the risk of perch-related keel bone injury.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank Günter Jokisch for constructing the experimental set-up, Katharina Aplas for supporting the experimental procedures and SteriOne GmbH & Co. KG for preparation of the prototype perch.

Log in via your institution

Log in to Taylor & Francis Online

PDF download + Online access

  • 48 hours access to article PDF & online version
  • Article PDF can be downloaded
  • Article PDF can be printed
USD 61.00 Add to cart

Issue Purchase

  • 30 days online access to complete issue
  • Article PDFs can be downloaded
  • Article PDFs can be printed
USD 169.00 Add to cart

* Local tax will be added as applicable

Related Research

People also read lists articles that other readers of this article have read.

Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine.

Cited by lists all citing articles based on Crossref citations.
Articles with the Crossref icon will open in a new tab.