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Can ‘Environmental Enrichment’ Affect Domestic Chickens’ Preferences for One Half of an Otherwise Symmetrical Home Cage?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

R B Jones  and
N L Carmichael
R B Jones*
Affiliation:
Division of Environment and Welfare, Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS, UK
N L Carmichael
Affiliation:
Division of Environment and Welfare, Roslin Institute (Edinburgh), Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9PS, UK
*
† Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints
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Abstract

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Chickens were reared in pairs in wooden boxes from 1 to 10 days of age. One chick from each pair was marked to facilitate identification and its position in one or other of the symmetrical halves of the home box was noted at each of 32 visual scans carried out every day. Cumulative sightings in each half were calculated across the first 5 days to establish the least preferred half. Three ‘enrichment’ objects were then placed in the least preferred half of each box on day 6. The chicks ‘positions were again recorded at each of 32 scans on 5 consecutive days. The enrichment objects were avoided on day 6 but such neophobia waned within 24h and a weak, non-significant trend for enrichment to increase usage of the least preferred half became apparent. The strong side preferences shown by the chicks before the introduction of enrichment stimuli, and their transitory neophobia, sound important cautionary notes for the design and assessment of husbandry and environmental enrichment procedures.

Keywords

animal welfarecage side preferencesdomestic chicksenvironmental enrichment
Type
Short Communication
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , May 1999 , pp. 159 - 164
Copyright
© 1999 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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