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Jantina De Vylder presents Oral paper 18
In session 4: Assessing health status of groups of animals in relation to welfare
Friday, 12 September 2008 from 9h15-9h30 in the Aula chaired by Jeffrey Rushen
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Oral paper 18
BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS AND COLONIZATION OF LAYERS HOUSED IN
A BATTERY CAGE, AN ENRICHED CAGE AND AN AVIARY AFTER
EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION WITH SALMONELLA ENTERITIDIS
J. De Vylder 1 , J. Jennings 2 , S. Van Hoorebeke 3 , R. Ducatelle 1 , F. Pasmans 1 , F. Haesebrouck 1 ,
T. Cogan 2 , J. Dewulf 3 , T. Humphrey 2 , F. Van Immerseel 1
1 Department of Pathology, Bacteriology, Avian Diseases, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
2 School of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, England
3 Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics, Herd Health, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Conventional cages have been criticised because they restrict the layers’ natural behaviour. As a
result of welfare concerns the EU has issued the Council Directive 1999/74/EC prohibiting housing
in conventional cages from 2012.
It was unclear what the consequence of this decision was on Salmonella infections. A study was
designed in which the effect of the housing system (under controlled environmental conditions) on
infection with Salmonella and on behaviour of the animals was examined.
Therefore layers were housed in three different housing systems: (1) 72 layers in a conventional
cage, (2) 60 in an enriched cage and (3) 60 in an aviary. All animals were orally inoculated with
109 cfu of Salmonella. Behavioural observations were performed over a three-day period. Measures
included feather pecking, walking, body shaking, dust bathing, litter pecking, feeding, preening and
ground scratching. At day 1, 4, 7, 14 and 21 post-infection cloacal swabs were taken of all layers.
At 3 weeks post-infection all hens were euthanized and the organs were analysed.
The first week post-infection faecal shedding of Salmonella was significantly lower (p