The Relationships between Damaging Behaviours and Health in Laying Hens
Virginie Michel,
Jutta Berk,
Nadya Bozakova,
Jerine van der Eijk,
Inma Estevez,
Teodora Mircheva,
Renata Relic,
T. Bas Rodenburg,
Evangelia N. Sossidou,
Maryse Guinebretière
Affiliations
Virginie Michel
Direction de la Stratégie et des Programmes, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), 94701 Maisons-Alfort, France
Jutta Berk
Institute for Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 29223 Celle, Germany
Nadya Bozakova
Department of General Animal Breeding, Animal Hygiene, Ethology and Animal Protection Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Student’s Campus, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Jerine van der Eijk
Animal Health and Welfare, Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen University and Research, De Elst 1, 6708 Wageningen, The Netherlands
Inma Estevez
Department of Animal Production, Neiker-Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development, 01080 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Teodora Mircheva
Section of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
Renata Relic
Faculty of agriculture, University of Belgrade, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
T. Bas Rodenburg
Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands
Evangelia N. Sossidou
Laboratory of Farm Animal Health and Welfare, Veterinary Research Institute, Ellinikos Georgikos Or-Ganismos-DIMITRA (ELGO-DIMITRA), 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maryse Guinebretière
Epidemiology, Health and Welfare Unit, French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), 22440 Ploufragan, France
Since the ban in January 2012 of conventional cages for egg production in the European Union (Council Directive 1999/74/EC), alternative systems such as floor, aviary, free-range, and organic systems have become increasingly common, reaching 50% of housing for hens in 2019. Despite the many advantages associated with non-cage systems, the shift to a housing system where laying hens are kept in larger groups and more complex environments has given rise to new challenges related to management, health, and welfare. This review examines the close relationships between damaging behaviours and health in modern husbandry systems for laying hens. These new housing conditions increase social interactions between animals. In cases of suboptimal rearing and/or housing and management conditions, damaging behaviour or infectious diseases are likely to spread to the whole flock. Additionally, health issues, and therefore stimulation of the immune system, may lead to the development of damaging behaviours, which in turn may result in impaired body conditions, leading to health and welfare issues. This raises the need to monitor both behaviour and health of laying hens in order to intervene as quickly as possible to preserve both the welfare and health of the animals.
