Peter Skewes, an animal behaviorist at Clemson University, is analyzing the effect of cages and other confinement on the development and well-being of hens, according to a news report.
The three-year project, funded by a $348,000 National Research Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, would look into the role environment plays in the development and egg laying patterns of hens.
Advocates for animal protection have been calling for the elimination of caged layer production. However, due to lack of data on hen physiology and behavior, designing an alternative management system has proved difficult so far, Skewes said.
As part of the research, Skewes would observe and compare cage- and non-cage-production systems for more than 900 chickens at Clemson's Morgan Poultry Center.
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