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Updated: Feb 14, 2026
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Using Pharmacological Manipulation and High-precision Radio Telemetry to Study the Spatial Cognition in Free-ranging Animals
Published on: November 6, 2016
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Spatial Cognition and Range Use in Free-Range Laying Hens.
Dana L M Campbell1,2, Andrew C Talk3, Ziyang A Loh4
1Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Agriculture and Food, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia. dana.campbell@csiro.au.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|February 9, 2018
Summary
Individual free-range hens show varied range use, with indoor-preferring birds exhibiting slower spatial learning. Early environmental enrichment improved spatial learning in pullets, correlating with increased outdoor range use.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Cognitive ethology
- Poultry science
Background:
- Individual laying hens exhibit significant variation in outdoor range use, with some preferring indoor confinement.
- Environmental complexity of outdoor ranges necessitates navigation, potentially favoring hens with superior spatial abilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between spatial learning abilities and range use in free-range laying hens.
- To determine the impact of early life environmental enrichment on spatial cognition and subsequent range use.
Main Methods:
- Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracked hen range use.
- T-maze tasks assessed spatial learning in indoor-preferring vs. outdoor-preferring hens (Experiment 1).
- Spatial learning and range use were evaluated in pullets from enriched vs. non-enriched early rearing (Experiment 2).
Main Results:
- Exclusively indoor hens were significantly slower to achieve learning success in a T-maze.
- Enriched pullets learned the maze faster at 15-16 weeks but not at 17-18 weeks (onset of lay).
- Faster learning in enriched birds correlated with increased early range visits; no brain volume differences were found.
Conclusions:
- Spatial cognitive abilities appear linked to range use preferences in laying hens.
- Early environmental enrichment can enhance spatial learning, potentially promoting greater outdoor activity.
- Fear may influence spatial abilities; further research with varied rearing conditions is warranted.
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