Species: Laying hens

RSPCA Welfare Standards for Meat Chickens

RSPCA

Published in 2017

Standards developed by the RSPCA for the rearing, handling, transport and slaughter/killing of broilers, based on UK legislation, scientific findings, recommendations from veterinarians and the Farm Animal Welfare Committee, and the experience of livestock professionals.

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Enrichment, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system,Societal issues

Go to document

Décret n° 2022-137 du 5 février 2022 relatif à l’interdiction de mise à mort des poussins des lignées de l’espèce Gallus gallus destinées à la production d’œufs de consommation et à la protection des animaux dans le cadre de leur mise à mort en dehors des établissements d’abattage

Jean Castex, Julien Demormandie, Olivier Véran

Published in 2022

Decree to eother small companion animalst the new framework governing the killing of chicks in hatcheries and outside abattoirs, confirming the legal cessation of the culling of male chicks at birth by the end of 2022.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Pain, Human-animal relationships, Stress

Go to document

EU Broiler Chicken Welfare

Better Chicken Commitment

Published in 2020

White paper compiling the published scientific evidence on violations of broiler-chicken welfare in intensive farming in the EU and the UK.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Societal issues, Stress, Livestock farming system

Go to document

The Welfare Status of Hens in Different Housing Systems - A Review

Ewa Sosnówka-Czajka, Iwona Skomorucha, Eugeniusz Herbut

Published in 2021

Scientific review of the advantages and disadvantages of different chicken production systems in terms of animal welfare, showing that all systems, even if they take animal welfare into account, affect the behaviour, health and productivity of the birds to different degrees.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Welfare indicators, Housing, Human-animal relationships

Go to document

Bien-être animal : choisir les enrichissements de ses poulets

Estelle Guérin, Mathilde Stomp

Published in 2022

Technical article setting out the results of ITAVI's work on a multi-criteria analysis of different types of enrichment available on the market that take into account the needs of birds: exploration, perching, dust bathing, self protection and rest.

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Societal issues

Go to document

Heat stress in laying hens: impact and prevention

Jerson Andrés Cuéllar Sáenz

Published in 2021

Technical paper discussing the importance of heat stress in poultry farming, its impact on laying hens, and strategies to combat heat stress.

Document types: Technical Paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Stress, Livestock farming system

Go to document

Qualitative behaviour assessment as part of a welfare assessment in flocks of laying hens

Guro Vasdal, Karianne Muri, Solveig Marie Stubsjøen, Randi Oppermann Moe, Kathe Kittelsen

Published in 2021

Scientific paper on tests to ascertain the suitability of QBA to assess the emotional state of laying hens. Using QBA, 3 main dimensions were found to explain more than 80% of variations in emotional state - mood, alertness and arousal.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Brain integration, Stress

Go to document

Décret n° 2021-1647 du 14 décembre 2021 précisant les modalités d’application de l’article L. 214-11 du code rural et de la pêche maritime portant interdiction de la mise en production de tout bâtiment nouveau ou réaménagé d’élevage de poules pondeuses élevées en cages

Jean Castex, Julien Denormandie

Published in 2021

Decree clarifying the definition of what constitutes a new or refurbished building, which effectively limits the ban on the keeping of hens in cages to buildings where production capacity is increased. 

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Societal issues, Housing

Go to document

Perches as Cooling Devices for Reducing Heat Stress in Caged Laying Hens: A Review

Jiaying Hu, Yijie Xiong, Richard S. Gates, Heng-Wei Cheng

Published in 2021

Scientific review presenting the results of a multi-year study on the capacity of perches containing a cooling circuit to reduce heat stress in laying hens. It demonstrates the effectiveness of this cooling system when combined with an enrichment element in reducing body heat and heat stress in laying hens.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Enrichment, Housing, Livestock farming system

Go to document

In pursuit of a better broiler: growth, efficiency, and mortality of 16 strains of broiler chickens

Stephanie Torrey, Mohsen Mohammadigheisar, Midian Nascimento dos Santos, Daniel Rothschild, Lauren C. Dawson, Zhenzhen Liu, Elijah G. Kiarie, A. Michelle Edwards, Ira Mandell, Niel Karrow, Dan Tulpan, Tina M. Widowski

Published in 2021

Scientific paper comparing the production indicators of several strains of broilers, with a view to finding strains with sufficient growth to be profitable and presenting fewer risks to animal welfare than do fast-growing conventional strains.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Carcass quality, Livestock farming system

Go to document