Welfare assessment
Using a broad range of welfare indicators considered alongside available information on bird choice, should enable a realistic evaluation of the welfare of laying hens in different housing systems. However, it remains a challenge to weight different aspects of welfare, particularly across different categories. It may never be possible to provide an ideal system because increasing the opportunities for behavioural freedom (for example) may unavoidably increase the risk of transmission of certain diseases, or the risk of injury. This imperfect but realistic scenario suggests that the costs and benefits of each housing system need to be carefully assessed, using measures which are directly comparable between husbandry systems. The feasibility of improvements needs to be evaluated, and then a balanced conclusion may be drawn about which system(s) maximise overall welfare.
Using a broad range of welfare indicators considered alongside available information on bird choice, should enable a realistic evaluation of the welfare of laying hens in different housing systems. However, it remains a challenge to weight different aspects of welfare, particularly across different categories. It may never be possible to provide an ideal system because increasing the opportunities for behavioural freedom (for example) may unavoidably increase the risk of transmission of certain diseases, or the risk of injury. This imperfect but realistic scenario suggests that the costs and benefits of each housing system need to be carefully assessed, using measures which are directly comparable between husbandry systems. The feasibility of improvements needs to be evaluated, and then a balanced conclusion may be drawn about which system(s) maximise overall welfare.
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| Animal welfare asses on the farm experts opininon |
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