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Ester Struelens presents Oral paper 32
In Session 6: Free topics
Friday, 12 September 2008 from 16h45-17h00 in the Aula chaired by Elisabetta Canali
60
Oral paper 32
EFFECT OF CROSS-WISE PERCH DESIGNS ON PERCH USE IN LAYING
HENS
E. Struelens 1 , E. Van Poucke 1 , L. Duchateau 2 , F. Ödberg 3 , B. Sonck 1 , F.A.M. Tuyttens 1
1
Animal Sciences, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Melle, Belgium
2
Department of Physiology and Biometrics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke,
Belgium
3
Department of Animal Nutrition, Genetics, Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent
University, Merelbeke, Belgium
Directive 1999/74/EC requires 15 cm perch length per hen but no further recommendations about
perch arrangements are given. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cross-wise
perch designs on perch use in laying hens.
During a period of 5 weeks 8 groups of 6 hens were exposed to 4 perch arrangements: a straight
perch of 60 cm (P60), a 30 cm perch crossing the middle of another perch of 30 (P30+30), 45
(P45+30) or 60 cm (P60+30). Number of hens on the perches and their behaviours were recorded
during day, evening (15 min period starting from light dimming) and night. Statistical analyses
were performed using a mixed model (group as random factor, period and perch arrangement as
fixed factors).
Perch occupancy (mean number of hens using the perches) of P30+30 (day: 0.87±0.06, evening:
1.87±0.13, night: 2.01±0.15) was significantly lower compared to the other perch arrangements
during daytime (P60: 1.06±0.09, P60+30: 1.21±0.05, P45+30: 0.98±0.04), evening (P60:
3.38±0.19, P60+30: 3.16±0.11, P45+30: 2.61±0.14) and night (P60: 3.58±0.21, P60+30: 3.50±0.17,
P45+30: 2.90±0.10). Perch occupancy was lower for P45+30 as compared with P60+30 during
daytime (p