IMPACT OF LITTER TRAINING STRATEGIES ON EGG-LAYING, PILING, AND WELFARE OF LAYING HENS IN AVIARIES

Our long-term goal is to support the sustainability of the laying hen industry during the transition to cage-free housing by scientifically assessing strategies to reduce floor laying to determine which effectively reduces floor laying without impacting welfare. Our goal aligns with the priority of the Welfare and Well-Being of Agricultural Animals (A1251) Program Area to develop 'new or enhanced management approaches that safeguard both animal welfare and sustainable production efficiency'.To date, no study has examined the effectiveness of various litter restriction, human floor-walking, or robotic movement strategies on reducing floor laid eggs while not compromising laying hens' welfare. To help close this gap, our research addresses how different approaches to managing hens on litter areas impact floor laying, piling, and welfare of hens. To develop solutions that are practical for commercial producers, we will use two different styles of commercial aviaries to test and then refine protocols for effectiveness and efficiency. To collect welfare measures at the level of the individual hen necessary for understanding variation among hens in their perceived quality of life, we will observe behavior, quantify activity and movement, test hens' fearfulness, and assess physiological stress.