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Effects Of Cage Stocking Density On Feeding Behaviors Of Group-Housed Laying Hens, Rachel Nichole Cook, Hongwei Xin, Dan Nettleton
Effects Of Cage Stocking Density On Feeding Behaviors Of Group-Housed Laying Hens, Rachel Nichole Cook, Hongwei Xin, Dan Nettleton
Dan Nettleton
Quantitative measurement of animal welfare continues to be a challenging task for both the animal agriculture industry and the scientific community. Characterization of animal feeding behavior provides a comparative elucidation of the animal’s behavioral deviation from its norms and thus carries implications for its welfare. This study examines the effects of cage stocking density (348, 387, 426, and 465 cm2; or 54, 60, 66, and 72 in.2 cage floor space per hen) on feeding behavior of W-36 White Leghorn laying hens kept in groups of six hens. The study employed a specialized instrumentation system and computational algorithm. The results revealed …