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Evidence of competition for nest sites by laying hens in large furnished cages
Contributor(s):: Hunniford, Michelle E., Torrey, Stephanie, Bédécarrats, Gregoy, Duncan, Ian J. H., Widowski, Tina M.
Furnished cages are designed to accommodate behaviour considered important to laying hens, particularly nesting behaviour. Few researchers have studied the degree of competition for nest sites or the extent to which the amount of nest space affects nesting behaviour in large furnished cages. We...
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Nest sharing under semi-natural conditions in laying hens
Contributor(s):: Riber, Anja Brinch
Under natural conditions, the feral hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) will choose a nest location away from the flock, whereas under commercial conditions, the domestic hen will often choose the same nest as other hens have used or are still using. Simultaneous nest sharing causes several welfare...
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Gregarious nesting—An anti-predator response in laying hens
Contributor(s):: Riber, Anja Brinch
Gregarious nesting can be defined as a behaviour that occurs when a laying hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) given the choice between an occupied and an unoccupied nest site chooses the occupied nest site. It occurs frequently in flocks of laying hens kept under commercial conditions, contrasting...
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Effect of heterogeneity of nest boxes on occurrence of gregarious nesting in laying hens
Contributor(s):: Clausen, Tina, Riber, Anja Brinch
Gregarious nesting, where hens select already occupied nest boxes even when other nest boxes are unoccupied, is an unwanted behaviour in laying hens that may reduce animal welfare and pose a financial cost to the producer. It has been suggested that gregarious nesting is caused by the...
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Laying hens’ preferences for nest surface type are affected by enclosure
Contributor(s):: Hunniford, M. E., Mason, G. J., Widowski, T. M.
The nest surfaces preferred by hens are inconsistent with those typically provided in commercial settings. However, little research has explored hens’ preferences for commercially available nest surfaces. Our objective was to compare hens’ preferences for two such surfaces – red smooth and yellow...
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Nest alternatives: Adding a wire partition to the scratch area affects nest use and nesting behaviour of laying hens in furnished cages
Contributor(s):: Hunniford, Michelle E., Widowski, Tina M.
Furnished cages (FC) are designed to accommodate highly motivated behaviour patterns like nesting; however, how hens perceive the resources provided in FCs is not fully understood. Our previous research of hens in FCs with a curtained nest (plastic mesh floor) and a scratch area (smooth plastic...
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Rearing environment and laying location affect pre-laying behaviour in enriched cages
Contributor(s):: Hunniford, Michelle E., Widowski, Tina M.
The number of eggs laid in a nest is often correlated with nest acceptance and therefore hen welfare. However, evaluating pre-laying behaviour may more accurately reflect welfare independent of egg location. Our objective was to compare the effect of rearing environment and laying location on the...
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Laying hens performing gregarious nesting show less pacing behaviour during the pre-laying period
Contributor(s):: Tahamtani, Fernanda M., Hinrichsen, Lena K., Riber, Anja B.
The phenomenon of gregarious nesting occurs when hens choose to enter and lay their eggs in a nest box which is already occupied by one or more hens, even when an empty nest box is also available. It has been suggested that inexperienced hens copy the nest selection preferences of experienced...
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Curtained nests facilitate settled nesting behaviour of laying hens in furnished cages
Contributor(s):: Hunniford, M. E., Widowski, T. M.
Egg location can be used to determine the nests that hens prefer, but it does not indicate whether the design of that nest satisfies a hen's nesting motivation. Hens that are satisfied with the nest resources exhibit characteristic settled nesting behaviour including less activity and longer...
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Nest location preferences in zoo-housed orangutans
Contributor(s):: Bastian, Meredith L., Glendinning, David R., Reddy, Alexandra J., Herrelko, Elizabeth S., Brown, Melba, Renner, Elizabeth, Thompson, Laurie
Nest building is an advanced and complex activity that wild orangutans engage in, yet they do so on a daily basis and with potential safety consequences. Like their wild counterparts, zoo-housed orangutans also make nests when given adequate materials, yet comparatively little research has...
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Influence of egg oiling on colony presence of ring-billed gulls
Contributor(s):: DeVault, Travis L., Schmidt, Paige M., Pogmore, Fred E., Gobeille, John, Belant, Jerrold L., Seamans, Thomas W.
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Generational habituation and current bald eagle populations
Contributor(s):: Guinn, Jeremy E.
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Movements, habitat selection, associations, and survival of giant Canada goose broods in central Tennessee
Contributor(s):: Dunton, E. M., Combs, D. L.
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Improved methods for deterring cliff swallow nesting on highway structures
Contributor(s):: Delwiche, M. J., Coates, R. W., Gorenzel, W. P., Salmon, T. P.
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Mate choice, maternal investment and implications for ostrich welfare in a farming environment
Contributor(s):: Bonato, M., Cherry, M. I., Cloete, S. W. P.
At present, the ostrich industry is inefficient, on account of being characterised by inadequate egg production, high embryo mortality, poor chick survival and suboptimal growth rates. However, as ostrich farming commenced only in the mid 19th century in South Africa, farmed ostriches have had a...
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Bringing the Endangered Barn Owl Back to McLean County, Illinois: Implementing a Local Nest Box Program
Contributor(s):: Anna Groves
Barn owls are an endangered species in Illinois, but populations have been known to increase where nest box programs have been implemented. In conjunction with the John Wesley Powell Audubon Society, a barn owl nest box program was established in McLean County and the surrounding area. Seventeen...
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Strategic use of straw increases nest building in loose housed farrowing sows
Contributor(s):: Westin, R., Hultgren, J., Algers, B.
In spite of domestication, sows are still genetically programmed to perform nesting behaviour close to farrowing. In order to facilitate nest building, a method for a strategic use of large quantities of straw has been developed by Swedish piglet producing farmers. The objectives of the present...
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Effect of pre- and post-partum sow activity on maternal behaviour and piglet weight gain 24 h after birth
Contributor(s):: Illmann, G., Chaloupkova, H., Neuhauserova, K.
Within the 24 h prior to parturition sows are active and motivated to perform nest-building behaviour. The aim of this study was to investigate: (i) whether pre-partum activity (e.g. nesting and postural changes) could predict maternal behaviour 24 h post-partum (pp) and weight gain 24 h pp, and...
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Effects of prepartum housing environment on abnormal behaviour, the farrowing process, and interactions with circulating oxytocin in sows
Contributor(s):: Yun, JinHyeon, Swan, K. M., Oliviero, C., Peltoniemi, O., Valros, A.
We evaluated the effects on sows of prepartum housing environment on bar-biting (BB) behaviour prior to parturition, farrowing duration from first to tenth piglets, litter size, and circulating oxytocin (OT) concentrations during birth of the first five piglets. A total of 35 sows, approximately...
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Housing condition and nesting experience do not affect the Time to Integrate to Nest Test (TINT)
Contributor(s):: Rock, M. L., Karas, A. Z., Gallo, M. S., Pritchett-Corning, K., Gaskill, B. N.
Managing and assessing well-being in laboratory mice ( Mus musculus) is both challenging and necessary. Assessments intended to detect negative welfare states in mice are usually performed via observation of animals in the home cage, but a substantial amount of time and skill may be required to...
