Keel bone fractures affect laying hens' mobility, but no evidence for reciprocal effects. [PDF]
PLoS ONEKeel bone fractures (KBF) are prevalent in commercial laying hens and are considered one of the greatest welfare concerns in the egg-production industry. While clear associations exist between KBF and animal mobility, suggesting that KBF impair mobility,
Camille M Montalcini +3 more
doaj +13 more sources
Wing-feather loss in white-feathered laying hens decreases pectoralis thickness but does not increase risk of keel bone fracture [PDF]
Royal Society Open Science, 2022 Feather loss in domestic chickens can occur due to wear and tear, disease or bird-to-bird pecking. Flight feather loss may decrease wing use, cause pectoral muscle loss and adversely impact the keel bone to which these muscles anchor.
Renée Garant +6 more
doaj +6 more sources
Early Onset of Laying and Bumblefoot Favor Keel Bone Fractures
Animals, 2015 Numerous studies have demonstrated influences of hybrid, feed, and housing on prevalence of keel bone fractures, but influences of behavior and production on an individual level are less known.
Sabine G. Gebhardt-Henrich +1 more
doaj +6 more sources
Do laying hens with keel bone fractures experience pain? [PDF]
PLoS ONE, 2012 The European ban on battery cages has forced a change towards the use of non-cage or furnished cage systems, but unexpectedly this has been associated with an increased prevalence of keel bone fractures in laying hens.
Mohammed A F Nasr +2 more
doaj +8 more sources
Pathological characterization of keel bone fractures in laying hens does not support external trauma as the underlying cause. [PDF]
PLoS ONE, 2020 Keel bone fractures in laying hens have been described with increasing prevalence from several countries over the last twenty years and are considered one of the greatest welfare problems to the layer industry.
Ida Thøfner +4 more
doaj +7 more sources
Explanations for keel bone fractures in laying hens: are there explanations in addition to elevated egg production? [PDF]
Poultry Science, 2020 The current article served to provide the most up-to-date information regarding the causes of keel bone fracture. Although elevated and sustained egg production is likely a major contributing factor toward fractures, new information resulting from the ...
Michael J. Toscano +5 more
doaj +12 more sources
PSXIII-4 Effects of Keel Bone Fracture on Behavioral Fear Responses of Laying Hens in the Late Laying Period [PDF]
J Anim Sci, 2022 Keel bone fracture (KBF) of laying hens has become one of the important welfare problems for health and production performance. The present study aimed to assess the fear responses in native breed of Lindian chickens and commercial Hyline Brown laying ...
Runxiang Zhang +3 more
europepmc +5 more sources
Behavioral differences of laying hens with fractured keel bones within furnished cages [PDF]
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2016 High prevalence of keel bone fractures in laying hens is reported in all housing systems. Keel fractures have been associated with pain and restricted mobility in hens in loose housing.
Teresa Marie Casey-Trott +1 more
doaj +5 more sources
A Reliable Method to Assess Keel Bone Fractures in Laying Hens From Radiographs Using a Tagged Visual Analogue Scale [PDF]
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2018 Up to 97% of laying hens housed in aviary systems are affected by keel bone fractures. Due to the scope of the problem, multiple efforts investigating causes and consequences of fractures have been conducted. The most frequently used techniques to detect
Christina Rufener +3 more
doaj +6 more sources
PLoS ONE, 2018 Keel fractures represent a major productivity and welfare issue for the laying hen industry with greater than 50% of birds in recent surveys across various commercial operations and nations exhibiting some form of damage by end of lay.
Michael Toscano +5 more
doaj +3 more sources