Location: Livestock Behavior Research
Project Number: 5020-32000-013-064-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 24, 2020
End Date: Dec 31, 2021
Objective:
To determine if probiotic reduces social stress-associated injurious behaviors (feather pecking and aggression) in caged hens via regulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The goal of this study is to identify a novel intervention method to reduce social stress in laying hens.
Approach:
Chicks of a commercial egg layer strain will be used. The chicks will be assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: 1) non-beak trimmed chicks fed a regular diet, 2) beak trimmed chicks fed the regular diet, and 3) probiotic-treated chicks (non-beak trimmed chicks fed the regular diet mixed with 250 ppm of the probiotic). Hens will be evaluated for skeletal and foot health, feather quality, egg production traits, feed intake, causes of death, behavior, physiological responses, and gut microorganism changes at week 17, 30, 60, and 80, respectively.
