Preference decisions of domestic hens for wire or litter floors

Abstract

A light and a medium hybrid strain of laying hen were tested to determine whether they differentiated between, and showed any preference for, wire and litter floors. In method 1 they were given constant access to both wire (2.5 × 2.5-cm mesh) and litter, and were observed to see how their time was partitioned. Although individual birds displayed a strong preference for spending their time on one floor or the other, the selections of the group as a whole did not differ from random. Previous experience with either wire or litter floors did affect their preference, but neither feeding, strain of bird nor time of day influenced their choice. However, 88% of eggs were laid on litter. A strain difference in roosting preference was noted: the light strain tended to roost on wire, whereas the medium strain showed a slight inclination towards litter. In method 2, in which birds were given a choice between separate cages, once the selection had been made it was irrevocable for a period of several hours, after which birds were returned to their home enclosure. In this situation six out of eight hens preferred litter; two showed no preference. Neither strain of bird nor time of day had an effect, but birds coming from cages with wire floors showed a stronger preference for litter than those from pens with litter floors. These experiments showed that an apparent preference for a particular environment can be influenced by several factors, including the method of testing used.