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Imprint
Effects of early experience as pullets on the nest height preferences of adult laying hens
Project
Project code: FLI-ITT-08-TK-01-19
Contract period: 01.04.2019
- 29.02.2020
Purpose of research: Applied research
Aim: Do young pullets learn their preferred nest heights? Raising: week 1-10: standard litter floor with perches that equals subsequent nest heights 1+3, but without nests (one big groups of 72 hens; 36 LSL, 36 LB) week 11-20: rearing in 4 treatment groups (each group is housed in a 2*2m compartment with 14 pullets in total, of 7 LSL and 7LB) Group 1: has nests at height 1 (near floor, see Krause & Schrader, 2018; level 3 closed) Group 2: has nests at height 3 ( see Krause & Schrader, 2018; level 1 closed) Group 3: has nests at height 1 and 3 (see Krause & Schrader, 2018) Group 4: no nests open (level 1 and 3 closed; see Krause & Schrader, 2018) Always single nests are used! From week 24 on (thus layer stage): Hens of the 4 groups get mixed up and are housed in two of the previous compartments (i.e. 2 compartments of 2*2m (-Nest) with 28 hens in). In these groups hens have nests at the levels 1 AND 3! In the other two compartment tests areas are installed as in Krause & Schrader 2018 to test individually nest height preferences of hens. Always a LSL and LB will be tested as a dyad.
Section overview
Subjects
- Special animal species
- Farm animal behaviour
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
FLI - Institute for Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry (FLI - ITT)
