A COK Report:
Animal Suffering in the Egg Industry

 Previous | Index | Next 

Dustbathing and Perching

Battery hens are unable to dustbathe, perch, forage, or roost—natural behaviors which are replaced by inactivity on the barren cage floors. Under normal conditions, hens regularly bathe in dust to keep their feathers in good condition, as well as to regulate their temperature.(17) Caged hens still retain the natural urge to dustbathe, even when the stimulus of litter is not present.(18) In fact, battery hens will try to dustbathe against the wire bars of the cage.(19) This only leads to the further degradation of feather condition.(20)

Dr. Baxter states that hens without access to perches are shown to suffer reduced welfare from "increased aggression, reduced bone strength, impaired food condition and high feather loss."(21) Studies such as that by Drs. L.S. Cordiner and C.J. Savory have shown that supplementing cages with perches "reduces antagonistic interactions," by providing the means to form a hierarchy natural among laying hens.(22) The floors of battery cages themselves present larger problems, leading to foot and leg problems for the hens.

Because chickens' toes have evolved to grasp tree limbs and other natural perches, tendon tension causes a high incidence of crooked toes, a severely painful condition, when wire floors are used.(23) Since cage floors are slanted to facilitate egg collection, hens may slip, causing calluses that can rupture and become infected.(24) Research shows that hens in cages have a higher incidence of foot damage than those living in litter.(25, 26)

 Previous | Index | Next