Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Understanding contest skill to reduce the welfare costs of aggression.

Biology letters·2026

Same author

Antimicrobial resistance genes in biosolid-amended pasture soils: Insights from a pilot study on a sheep farm.

Journal of environmental management·2026

Same author

Key takeaways from Stanford's symposium on AI for Data Science.

Journal of clinical and translational science·2025

Same author

Who Contracts on Diagnosis Related Groups and How Are They Priced? Evidence From Hospital Price Transparency.

Health services research·2025

Same author

Real-Time Auto-Monitoring of Livestock: Quantitative Framework and Challenges.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

Same author

Drivers of Delayed Time to Surgery for Hip Fracture Patients: A Multi-Center Qualitative Study.

The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 26, 2025

A Protocol for Housing Mice in an Enriched Environment

A Protocol for Housing Mice in an Enriched Environment

Published on: June 8, 2015

Do Hens Use Enrichments Provided in Free-Range Systems?

Victoria Sandilands¹, Laurence Baker¹, Jo Donbavand¹

¹Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI

|April 23, 2022

Summary

Different enrichments were tested for free-range hens. Pecking blocks, hay bales, and pelleted feed attracted more birds than jute ropes, but none improved feather condition.

Keywords:

behaviour cost feather scores hay injurious pecking pecking blocks ropes scattered feed welfare

More Related Videos

Providing Meaningful Environmental Enrichment and Measuring Saliva Cortisol in Pigs Housed on Slatted Flooring

Providing Meaningful Environmental Enrichment and Measuring Saliva Cortisol in Pigs Housed on Slatted Flooring

Published on: September 30, 2019

Production of Germ-Free Fast-Growing Broilers from a Commercial Line for Microbiota Studies

Production of Germ-Free Fast-Growing Broilers from a Commercial Line for Microbiota Studies

Published on: June 18, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 26, 2025

A Protocol for Housing Mice in an Enriched Environment

A Protocol for Housing Mice in an Enriched Environment

Published on: June 8, 2015

Providing Meaningful Environmental Enrichment and Measuring Saliva Cortisol in Pigs Housed on Slatted Flooring

Providing Meaningful Environmental Enrichment and Measuring Saliva Cortisol in Pigs Housed on Slatted Flooring

Published on: September 30, 2019

Production of Germ-Free Fast-Growing Broilers from a Commercial Line for Microbiota Studies

Production of Germ-Free Fast-Growing Broilers from a Commercial Line for Microbiota Studies

Published on: June 18, 2020

Area of Science:

Animal Behaviour and Welfare
Poultry Science
Agricultural Science

Background:

Free-range systems aim to improve hen welfare through environmental enrichments.
Investigating the efficacy of different enrichment types is crucial for optimizing hen behavior and health.
Injurious pecking and foraging behaviors are key welfare indicators in commercial flocks.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the behavioral responses of hens to various enrichment types in commercial free-range systems.
To assess the impact of different enrichments on foraging and feather condition.
To determine the cost-effectiveness and hen utilization of different enrichment materials.

Main Methods:

Eight commercial free-range flocks were studied, each with four enrichment types: jute ropes (control), lucerne hay bales, pecking blocks, and pelleted feed.
Hen behavior was observed at three ages and three times relative to feed application.
Feather scores were recorded, and bird locations and interactions with enrichments were documented.

Main Results:

Significantly more hens utilized areas with pecking blocks, hay bales, and pelleted feed compared to jute ropes or control areas.
Hens interacted more with pecking blocks, hay bales, and pelleted feed than jute ropes.
Enrichments did not consistently improve feather scores, which declined with age, and jute ropes showed no benefit.

Conclusions:

While pecking blocks, hay bales, and pelleted feed increased hen engagement, they did not demonstrably improve feather cover.
Jute ropes were poorly utilized and provided no apparent welfare benefits.
Balancing enrichment costs with proven benefits is essential, suggesting jute ropes are not an effective enrichment.