Ethological assessment of welfare in laying hens of meat cross in industrial technology

The aim of the study was an ethological assessment of the well-being of laying hens of the Hubbard white meat cross with floor and cage technology of keeping at the final stage of the productive cycle. It is shown that the injury frequency and reaction of birds to humans depend on the keeping technology. The bird in the cage had a fewer risk of pecking and greater adaptability to human presence than in floor technology keeping. Reaction to a new object and qualitative assessment of behavior, on the contrary, favorably distinguished floor technology. The percentage of individuals with skin lesions and deformations of the keel bone can be used to assess of the reducing level of well-being in birds cross Hubbard white in cages. An integrated approach to assessing well-being is needed. The most close to the final (post-slaughter) assessment of the state of hens were indicators such as qualitative assessment of behavior and response to the new object. Higher pecking frequency and the fear of human in laying hens in floor technology are compensated by freedom to exercise a normal behavior.