Ranging behaviour of commercial free-range laying hens

<p>Simple Summary: Commercial free-range production has become a significant sector of the freshegg market due to legislation banning conventional cages and consumer preference for productsperceived as welfare friendly, as access to outdoor range can lead to welfare benefits such as greaterfreedom of movement and enhanced behavioural opportunities. This study investigated dispersalpatterns, feather condition and activity of laying hens in three distinct zones of the range area; theapron area near shed; enriched zone 10–50 m from shed; and outer range beyond 50 m, in six flocksof laying hens under commercial free-range conditions varying in size between 4000 and24,000 hens. Each flock was visited for four days to record number of hens in each zone, theirbehaviour, feather condition and nearest neighbour distances (NND), as well as record temperatureand relative humidity during the visit. Temperature and relative humidity varied across the studyperiod in line with seasonal variations and influenced the use of range with fewer hens out of shedas temperature fell or relative humidity rose. On average, 12.5% of the hens were observed on therange and most of these hens were recorded in the apron zone as hen density decreased rapidlywith increasing distance from the shed. Larger flocks appeared to have a lower proportion of henson range. The hens used the range more in the early morning followed by a progressive decreasethrough to early afternoon. The NND was greatest in the outer range and decreased towards theshed. Feather condition was generally good and hens observed in the outer range had the bestoverall feather condition. Standing, pecking, walking and foraging were the most commonlyrecorded behaviours and of these, standing occurred most in the apron whereas walking andforaging behaviours were recorded most in the outer range. This study supported the findings ofprevious studies that reported few hens in the range and greater use of areas closer to the shed infree-range flocks. This study suggests that hens in the outer range engaged more in walking andforaging activities and showed signs of better welfare than those closer to the shed.Abstract: In this study, the range use and behaviour of laying hens in commercial free-range flockswas explored. Six flocks were each visited on four separate days and data collected from theiroutdoor area (divided into zones based on distance from shed and available resources). These were:apron (0–10 m from shed normally without cover or other enrichments); enriched belt (10–50 mfrom shed where resources such as manmade cover, saplings and dust baths were provided); andouter range (beyond 50 m from shed with no cover and mainly grass pasture). Data collectionconsisted of counting the number of hens in each zone and recording behaviour, feather conditionand nearest neighbour distance (NND) of 20 birds per zone on each visit day. In addition, we usedtechniques derived from ecological surveys to establish four transects perpendicular to the shed,running through the apron, enriched belt and outer range. Number of hens in each 10 m × 10 mquadrat was recorded four times per day as was the temperature and relative humidity of the outerrange. On average, 12.5% of hens were found outside. Of these, 5.4% were found in the apron; 4.3%in the enriched zone; and 2.8% were in the outer range. This pattern was supported by data fromquadrats, where the density of hens sharply dropped with increasing distance from shed.Animals 2016, 6, x 2 of 13Consequently, NND was greatest in the outer range, least in the apron and intermediate in theenriched belt. Hens sampled in outer range and enriched belts had better feather condition thanthose from the apron. Standing, ground pecking, walking and foraging were the most commonlyrecorded activities with standing and pecking most likely to occur in the apron, and walking andforaging more common in the outer range. Use of the outer range declined with lower temperaturesand increasing relative humidity, though use of apron and enriched belt was not affected byvariation in these measures. These data support previous findings that outer range areas tend to beunder-utilized in commercial free-range flocks and suggest positive relationships between rangeuse, feather condition and increased behavioural opportunities and decline in the use of range incold and/or damp conditions.</p>