The effect of stocking density, flock size and modified management on laying hen behaviour and welfare in a non-cage system

The current large-scale experiment aimed to study laying hen behaviour under commercial stocking densities, flock sizes and management practices using a replicated design. Thirty-six flocks of beak-trimmed Shaver laying hens (113,400 birds in total), six flocks per treatment, were housed within commercial single-tier aviary systems. The six treatments comprised different combinations of stocking densities (low: 7 birds m−2, medium: 9 birds m−2,...