This collection features five peer-reviewed reviews on ensuring the
welfare of laying hens.
The first chapter highlights the key welfare issues in poultry housing
and management, focussing on the use of conventional cages to house
laying hens. The chapter then explores the emergence of enriched cages
and cage-free housing, as well as the benefits and risks of each system
on bird health and welfare.
The second chapter reviews the range of welfare issues affecting free
range laying hens. The chapter also highlights the need to improve
current understanding of how laying hens behave in free range systems to
be able to adequately meet their health and welfare needs.
The third chapter discusses the use of beak trimming methods, as well as
the welfare concerns that arise as a result of their use. The chapter
highlights alternative strategies to reduce the need for these practices
which are known to incur acute pain.
The fourth chapter reviews the impact of housing and management systems
on the skeletal and cognitive development of laying hens. It discusses
how nutrition and housing can be optimised to reduce the occurrence of
bone health issues.
The final chapter reviews current research on the genetics of
behavioural traits in poultry, focussing on how breeding can be
optimised to reduce aggressive behaviour in laying hens.
