ABSTRACT The battery cage system is being banned
in the European Union before or by 2012, and the furnished
cage system will be the only cage system allowed
after 2012. This study was conducted to examine the
different effects of caging systems, furnished cages vs.
battery cages, on bird behaviors. One hundred ninetytwo
1-d-old non-beak-trimmed Hy-Line W-36 White
Leghorn chicks were reared using standard management
practices in raised wire cages. At 19 wk of age, the birds
were randomly assigned into battery cages or furnished
cages. The battery cages were commercial wire cages
containing 6 birds per cage, providing 645 cm2
of floor
space per birds. The furnished cages had wire floors
and solid metal walls, with perches, a dustbathing area,
scratch pads, and a nestbox area with a concealment
curtain. Based on the company recommendations, 10
birds were housed per cage, providing a stocking density
of 610 cm2
of floor space per bird. Behavioral observations
were conducted using the Noldus Observer
software package. The birds were observed at 5-min
intervals for the entire light period. The birds housed in
battery cages had higher posture and behavioral transitions
and increased time spent walking and performing
exploratory behavior (P < 0.05, 0.01, respectively),
which may indicate they were stressed, resulting
in restlessness, whereas the birds housed in furnished
cages had higher levels of preening (P < 0.05). Preening
has been considered as a comfort behavior in birds.
These results may suggest that furnished cages may be
a favorable alternative system for housing birds by allowing
them to perform certain natural behaviors.
ABSTRACT The battery cage system is being bannedin the European Union before or by 2012, and the furnishedcage system will be the only cage system allowedafter 2012. This study was conducted to examine thedifferent effects of caging systems, furnished cages vs.battery cages, on bird behaviors. One hundred ninetytwo1-d-old non-beak-trimmed Hy-Line W-36 WhiteLeghorn chicks were reared using standard managementpractices in raised wire cages. At 19 wk of age, the birdswere randomly assigned into battery cages or furnishedcages. The battery cages were commercial wire cagescontaining 6 birds per cage, providing 645 cm2 of floorspace per birds. The furnished cages had wire floorsand solid metal walls, with perches, a dustbathing area,scratch pads, and a nestbox area with a concealmentcurtain. Based on the company recommendations, 10birds were housed per cage, providing a stocking densityof 610 cm2 of floor space per bird. Behavioral observationswere conducted using the Noldus Observersoftware package. The birds were observed at 5-minintervals for the entire light period. The birds housed inbattery cages had higher posture and behavioral transitionsand increased time spent walking and performingexploratory behavior (P < 0.05, 0.01, respectively),which may indicate they were stressed, resultingin restlessness, whereas the birds housed in furnishedcages had higher levels of preening (P < 0.05). Preeningได้รับพิจารณาเป็นลักษณะความสะดวกสบายในนกผลลัพธ์เหล่านี้อาจแนะนำว่า กรงตกแต่งอาจระบบสำรองอันสำหรับบ้านนกโดยให้พวกเขาทำพฤติกรรมบางอย่างเป็นธรรมชาติ
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