ArticleFrontiers in veterinary science2015
Early Life in a Barren Environment Adversely Affects Spatial Cognition in Laying Hens (Gallus gallus domesticus).
Article in Frontiers in veterinary science, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 77 citations in OpenAlex.
- Brains, quacks, and boojums: a review of neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine bases of welfare and enrichment in poultry with an emphasis on the Pekin duck.Poultry science · 2026Review
- Rearing systems alter growth performance, behavior, brain characteristics, and meat quality in slow-growing Korat broiler chickens.Poultry science · 2026Article
- Calves fed more milk prioritise play over feeding in a hole-board test.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Moving hens into cages affects cognitive performance, extinction learning and motivation for rewards.Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) · 2026Article
- Effects of access to a well-resourced environment on dairy calf cognition and affective state.PloS one · 2025Article
- Review
- The Effect of Rearing and Adult Environment on HPA Axis Responsivity and Plumage Condition in Laying Hens.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Making the most of life: environmental choice during rearing enhances the ability of laying hens to take opportunities.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2024Article
- Mind the ramp: Association between early life ramp use and spatial cognition in laying hen pullets.PloS one · 2024Article
- Influence of Perch-Provision Timing on Anxiety and Fearfulness in Laying Hens.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Article
- Environmental change or choice during early rearing improves behavioural adaptability in laying hen chicks.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Farm Environmental Enrichments Improve the Welfare of Layer Chicks and Pullets: A Comprehensive Review.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Review
- Increasing Environmental Complexity by Providing Different Types of Litter and Perches during Early Rearing Boosts Coping Abilities in Domestic Fowl Chicks.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Article
- Learning Ability and Hippocampal Transcriptome Responses to Early and Later Life Environmental Complexities in Dual-Purpose Chicks.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Article
- Maternal age and maternal environment affect egg composition, yolk testosterone, offspring growth and behaviour in laying hens.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Maternal age and maternal environment affect stress reactivity and measures of social behaviour in laying hens.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Stress during Commercial Hatchery Processing Induces Long-Time Negative Cognitive Judgement Bias in Chickens.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
- Effects of Rearing Aviary Style and Genetic Strain on the Locomotion and Musculoskeletal Characteristics of Layer Pullets.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2021Article
- Exploratory behaviour towards novel objects is associated with enhanced learning in young horses.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- A Perspective on Strategic Enrichment for Brain Development: Is This the Key to Animal Happiness?Frontiers in veterinary science · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Spatial cognition in vertebrates is adversely affected by a lack of environmental complexity during early life. However, to our knowledge, no previous studies have tested the effect of early exposure to varying degrees of environmental complexity on specific components of spatial cognition in chickens. There are two main rearing systems for laying hens in the EU: aviaries and cages. These two systems differ from one another in environmental complexity. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that rearing in a barren cage environment relative to a complex aviary environment causes long-lasting deficits in the ability to perform spatial tasks. For this purpose, 24 white Dekalb laying hens, half of which had been reared in an aviary system and the other half in a conventional cage system, were tested in a holeboard task. Birds from both treatment groups learnt the task; however, the cage-reared hens required more time to locate rewards and had poorer levels of working memory. The latter finding supports the hypothesis that rearing in a barren environment causes long-term impairment of short-term memory in chickens.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.