ArticleAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI2021
Effects of Different Scratch Mat Designs on Hen Behaviour and Eggs Laid in Enriched Cages.
Article in Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effects of Dust Bath Design on Hen Behavior in New Aviary Systems in China.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- The Neurobiology of Behavior and Its Applicability for Animal Welfare: A Review.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Review
- Dietary supplementation withFrontiers in veterinary science · 2022Article
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.
Funding
Abstract
Laying hens in the UK and EU must be provided with litter for pecking and scratching. In enriched cages, this is commonly provided by dispensing layer's feed onto a scratch mat. Mats vary in design and size, which might affect hen behaviour and egg quality, since eggs are sometimes laid at the mats. We investigated if four different scratch mats (BD, K, V, Z) provided to hens in enriched cages resulted in differences in behaviour on the mats and external egg quality. Twenty-four 60-bird cages (6 cages/bank × 4 banks) with 2 mats/cage at one tier of a commercial enriched cage unit were used. Mats were allocated to cages in a balanced design prior to the flock arriving. Hens and eggs were studied at 30, 50 and 79 weeks of age, with three behaviour observations (before, during or after scratch feed application). The data were analysed by GLMMs or LMMs. The vast proportions of birds on the mats were standing (0.720) or sitting (0.250). Bird proportions on the mats were low overall and declined from 0.028 (30 weeks) and 0.030 (50 weeks) to 0.020 (79 weeks) (
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Registered trials
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