Here you will find information on on-going and completed research projects on laying hens and broiler chickens. The projects are listed in alphabetical order.
On-going
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
Including bioactive substances from brown algae or fungi biomass in chickens first feed will be evaluated in this project. The broiler chickens will either get access to feed and water already from time of hatch, or have to wait for a period corresponding to the normal situation in commercial settings.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
Can we improve the rearing environment of laying hens chicks, so that they are better prepared for their future life as laying hens? In this research project, we investigate if a rearing environment that offers functional areas providing both security and stimulating experiences improves their welfare. Our hypothesis is that there is a connection between a sense of security and positive animal welfare, where security creates resilient individuals who have a better quality of life.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
Today biochar is mainly used as a soil amendment. In animal husbandry, biochar can be used as an additive in bedding to bind water and nutrients and thereby reduce emission of ammonia from the bedding. Another option is to add the biochar (already) to the animals' feed. In this project, we aim to provide scientific evidence that will help Swedish chicken farmers to determine whether it is justified to add biochar to chicken feed.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
With an increasing world population and food consumption, poultry is predicted to be the most common meat source globally in 2020. However, to be able to meet the increasing demand in a sustainable way all parts of poultry meat production needs to be optimized. A way to accomplish this could be by the use of feed additives with bioactive substances. A bioactive substance promotes health and gives additional value to the diet. Brown algae has a higher content of bioactive substances than many other algae and plants and are therefore of interest to evaluate as feed additive to broiler chickens.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
This project aim to investigate the effect of specific environmental inputs during rearing, which has seen to promote animal welfare long-term for laying hens in experimental farms, on farms with parental animals within the chicken meat sector. Access to more or to a variation within biologically relevant resources during the development has seen to promote laying hens’ behavioural and physiological adaptability long term.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
This project aims to investigate the potential use of live soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) as a novel environmental enrichment to promote food foraging behaviours and reduce feather pecking in laying hens. A secondary aim, is to utilize fly larvae, grown in Sweden using local organic blue mussel by-products, as an alternative food source for poultry to reduce reliance on imported proteins (such as soy).
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
The FreeBirds project will generate more insight in the relation between chickens’ free range use and health and welfare of the chickens, as well as, to the consequences for the nutrient load of the soil. The project also aims to develop smart tools and management strategies for improvement of the free range system for organic poultry. FreeBirds was a three-year project performed in funded within Core Organic Co-fund, and participating countries are Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, and Belgium.
The project will generate knowledge about the management of the free range and factors contributing to improved bird welfare. The project will contribute to a more sustainable organic poultry production, as well as, consolidate consumer acceptance and marketing of the organic products, as the knowledge acquired will enable farmers to optimize the bird range use, according to the organic concept.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
The aim of the suggested project is to evaluate if ammonia
volatilization from the litter in laying hen facilities can be lowered by adjusted levels of crude protein, amino acids and insoluble fibre in the feed.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
This project aims to develop a virtual system of maternal care using video and audio signals to improve the naturalness of rearing conditions of newly hatched chicks and promote natural behaviours, behavioural synchronisation, reducing fearfulness and feather pecking in laying hens.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
The aim of this project is to study effects of different hatching concepts and feed additives on the day old chicks’ quality, gut microflora and immune system.
Completed
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
Vision is the laying hens´ most important sense that guides them in their daily activities such as finding food, recognizing fellow birds and move around safely in more complex housing systems.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
Farm animals are often reared in one type of environment but housed as adults in another. When moved, a lack of skill needed to adapt rapidly to the new environment can compromise welfare. “Adaptive developmental plasticity” is a phenomenon whereby early experience shapes later responses, influencing adaptive capacities and stress resilience.
Institutionen för tillämpad husdjursvetenskap och välfärd
This project will identify genomic regions affection bone strength in egglaying chicken (layers) and assess their potential welfare benefits in different environments.
