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  3. Development of a Scoring System to Assess Feather Damage in Canadian Laying Hen Flocks
 

Development of a Scoring System to Assess Feather Damage in Canadian Laying Hen Flocks

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BORIS DOI
10.7892/boris.133999
Publisher DOI
10.3390/ani9070436
PubMed ID
31295882
Description
Feather damage (FD) due to feather pecking behavior is an ongoing welfare concern among commercial egg-laying hens. Canada’s current transition from conventional cage housing to alternative housing systems, where FD can spread easily within large flocks, underlines the need for frequent and accurate assessment of plumage condition. A standardized methodology for assessing FD in Canada does not yet exist. To improve FD assessment on commercial farms, a FD scoring system and visual scoring guide for farmers were developed. Two existing plumage scoring systems, LayWel and AssureWel, which differ in level of detail and bird handling, were assessed for ease of use, and intra- and inter-observer reliability. Practical application of the AssureWel scoring system was greatest, with strong intra- and inter-observer reliability for the back region of the body (weighted kappa = 0.88 for both measures) in small-scale flocks. This informed the creation of a modified version of the AssureWel system, which included three scoring levels and the visual assessment of 50 birds per flock. An accompanying guide was developed including sampling instructions and depictions of the scoring scheme, both written and visual. This simplified scoring system can serve as a benchmarking tool for FD prevalence, and can allow for future effectiveness assessments of management strategies to prevent and control FD; however, farmers should be trained to apply this system under commercial conditions.
Date of Publication
2019
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
500 Science > 590 Animals (Zoology)
600 Technology > 630 Agriculture
500 Science > 570 Life sciences; biology
Language(s)
en
Contributor(s)
Decina, C.
Berke, O.
van Staaveren, N.
Baes, Christine Francoiseorcid-logo
Institut für Genetik
Harlander-Matauschek, A.
Additional Credits
Institut für Genetik
Series
Animals
Publisher
MDPI
ISSN
2076-2615
Access(Rights)
open.access
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