The Gordon Memorial Lecture: Laying hen welfare

Preference tests remain a useful tool in the assessment of laying hen welfare and have been used to establish what types of resources and enrichments are most likely to meet the birds' needs. Evidence on the underlying structure of bird preference suggests that hens make stable and reliable choices across time and context. This means that their preferences can also be used as a benchmark in the validation of other welfare indicators. Hens have sophisticated cognitive abilities. They are quick to form associations between events and they are flexible in how they apply their knowledge in different contexts. However, they may not form expectations about the world in the same way as some mammalian species. Limited research in this area to date seems to show that hens judge situations in absolute terms rather than evaluating how a situation may be improving or deteriorating. The proportion of hens housed in cage-free systems is increasing globally, providing birds with greater behavioural freedom. Many of the problems associated with cage-free systems, such as keel bone fractures, mortality and injurious pecking, are slowly reducing due to improved experience and appropriate changes in rearing practices, diet, housing design and alignment of breeding goals. However, much remains to be done. The design and performance of veranda-based systems which provide hens with fresh air and natural light is a promising avenue for future research aimed at optimising hen welfare and improving sustainability.

Automated summary

Preference tests are useful for assessing laying hen welfare and can be used to determine the resources and enrichments that best meet the birds' needs. Hens demonstrate stable and reliable preferences over time and across different contexts, making their preferences a valuable benchmark for validating other welfare indicators. While hens have sophisticated cognitive abilities, research suggests that they may judge situations in absolute terms rather than assessing improvements or deteriorations.