Nest location selection in laying hens

The overall aim is to gain knowledge about nest location selection in laying hens with special emphasis on the phenomenon of crowding in nest boxes, a behaviour that causes welfare and economical problems in commercial production.

In part one, the aim is to describe nest sharing and crowding, and investigate the welfare consequences of crowding. Neither of these behaviours has been described in detail previously, and this information will thus form a solid background for the subsequent experiments.

In part two, the aim is to answer the question of why crowding occurs. This will provide valuable knowledge that can be used to guide and optimize future research within this topic.

In part three, the aim is to determine how crowding can be reduced by using the results found in part one and two. This knowledge is important for finding solutions to the problems in the commercial production caused by crowding.

Fig. 1, 2, 3: Crowding in nest boxes by laying hens.