Pressure load on keel bone and foot pads in perching laying hens in relation to perch design
The provision of perches in housing systems for laying hens is meant to improve hens’ welfare by allowing a more natural behavior repertoire. However,…
Two experiments were conducted to determine the shape and size of roost preferred by broiler breeder hens. The effect of roost position upon roosting …
What can I use for chicken perch? - Thank Chickens
What can I use for chicken perch? A chicken roost is a place where birds regularly gather to rest or sleep. The most common material used is wood. Generally a 2×4 inch piece of wood laid wide side up is perfect. Your roosts will need to be strong and stable. Another common problems with roosts … What can I use for chicken perch? Read More »
The Passive Perching Mechanism in Passeriformes Birds
Passeriformes, or perching birds and songbirds, are an order of birds that includes crows, jays, starlings, wrens, cardinals, finches and many other species. It has been suggested that these birds are able to passively perch due to a tendon locking mechanism. This allows them to rest for hours in trees without falling. When the bird's foot is placed on a perch, the weight of the bird causes the tendons to pull, thus closing the toes around the perch. However, there is currently much debate about whether the mechanism is entirely passive. Recent studies argue that the mechanism must be coupled with the active contraction of muscles. This study seeks to determine whether or not the perching mechanism in Passeriformes is passive through the analysis of morphological parameters of window-strike birds. Specifically, we looked at the angular changes of the toes as well as the distance between opposing toes, both when the foot is flexed and extended. Preliminary analysis of our results indicate decrease in many of the measured angles and distances as the foot changes from the extended to flexed position. Since this data was collected on dead birds, this suggests that the perching mechanism is in fact passive.
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Sand for chicken coop bedding: Pros, cons, and how to do it right — The Featherbrain
When I first started looking into whether or not I should use sand for my coop, I found these two opinions: Sand is the best bedding out there, and you are making a huge mistake if you use anything else for your chickens Sand is the worst bedding out there, and you are a monster if you use it
What is The Best Size Perch? | Plastic Chicken Coops
Nestera knows what your flock wants when it comes to comfortable roosting. Read our latest blog to discover the best size and shape perch for chickens.
Aart's Hoop Coop / Chicken Tractor
I've always been intrigued by the livestock panels as a structural material for a coop, and love the curved Quonset hut type imagery. Also like the idea of a chicken tractor to spread their industry and...
Hummingbirds are territorial and will use this swing as a perch to watch over their food source. Simply place this swing near hummer feeders and enjoy watching them sit and swing! Metal Durable and attractive Will not rust or rot Imported 0.15" D x 9.25" W x 9.50" H
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I have a five month old chicken that isn’t walking. He was fine Saturday and then all of a sudden, he was walking on his hawks and then not at all. His feet are curling and he can’t control his legs below the hawk. He can sit up on them but he’s very shaky when he does. We’ve been to...
Pullet Rearing Affects Collisions and Perch Use in Enriched Colony Cage Layer Housing
Hens reared in aviaries (AVI) as pullets have improved spatial abilities compared to hens reared in non-enriched cages (CON). However, this effect on behavior has been shown only to 23 weeks of age. Lohmann LSL-Lite hens were reared in either CON or AVI until 19 weeks of age and then moved into enriched colony cages (ECC) containing two elevated perches of different heights (n = 6 ECC/treatment). Focal hens (3 per ECC) were fitted with tri-axial accelerometers to record acceleration events at 21, 35, and 49 weeks of age. Video recordings from each age were used to identify behaviors associated with acceleration events as well as the proportion of hens utilizing perches. CON hens experienced more acceleration events (p = 0.008) and more collisions (p = 0.04) than AVI hens during the day at 21 and 35 weeks of age. The total proportion of hens perching at night was similar between treatments across most time points, but fewer CON hens used the high perch compared to AVI hens throughout the study (p = < 0.001). Rearing in aviaries influences hen behavior out to peak lay for collisions and out to mid-lay for perch height preference in ECC.
A short practical book of guidelines and advice to good welfare practice in broiler chicken farming. Broiler Chickens distils academic research into applied advice on the farm for industry and farm workers.
"Perches should be free of sharp edges and of a size that can be readily gripped by the claws but large enough in diameter that the bird’s toenails do not damage its footpad" "gently lifting broiler chicks resulted in a heightened willingness of chicks to ap-proach people and reduced fear responses after stressful events, but stroking chicks did not " "Laying hens prefer to dustbathe in fine-particle, friable substrates, such as sand and peat moss, than in coarse-particle substrates, such as wood shavings or sawdust, or Astroturf" "Once out-
breaks of feather pecking and cannibalism start, they are difficult to control because the behaviors are socially transmitted among birds in the flock; therefore, it is best to prevent their occurrence through early intervention." "Providing floor-housed chickens with cover in the
form of overhead vertical panels has been shown to
improve pen usage, increase resting and preening be-
haviors, and decrease the number of times that birds
disturb one another " "provision of shelters and canopies on
free-range areas has been found to increase range use
by chicken" "Other constraints on enrichment are
related to facility design, cost, sanitation, ease of man-
agement (including the amount of time and effort that
caretakers must put into maintaining the enrichment
program)"
NE1442: Poultry Production Systems and Well-being: Sustainability for Tomorrow – NIMSS
"25 cm is suggested as the minimum HD between laying-hen perches, 30 cm being preferable, and large HD’s such as 60 cm being ecessive." " thermally cooled perches used during a mild summer with 4 h of acute heat stress did not affect hen performance"
Stocking density | 27 | Achieving sustainable production of poultry me
As indicated in the introduction, a second major topic regarding broiler welfare is the
stocking density at which the birds are kept, usually expressed in
Differences in Fearfulness Indicated by Tonic Immobility Between Laying Hens in Aviaries and in Cages
the fearfulness of hens in cages, as measured by the TI test, increased considerably with time. The lower fearfulness shown by hens in aviaries suggests that this important aspect of welfare is more secured in avian'es than in cages.
Durvet is an animal health product marketing and sales distribution organization. Durvet first opened it's doors in 1970 and is located in Blue Springs, MO.
The Pharmacokinetics and Interactions of Ivermectin in Humans—A Mini-review
Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug with a broad spectrum of activity, high efficacy as well as a wide margin of safety. Since 1987, this compound has a widespread use in veterinary medicine and it use has been extended in humans. Here we present a brief ...
California lawmaker introduces bill of rights for cats, dogs
(The Hill) – A California lawmaker introduced a bill this month to give cats and dogs in his state the same legal rights and protections the American people have — a formal bill of rights.