Laying hens have complex behavioral needs including dust bathing, perching, foraging, and nesting. Meeting these needs through enrichment significantly improves welfare outcomes.
The behavioral needs of laying hens are well-documented and poorly met by minimum standard housing systems. Dust bathing is a highly motivated behavior that hens will perform on inadequate substrate if better material is unavailable, performing sham dust baths on wire floors. Perching at height allows natural roosting behavior. Nesting before laying is so strongly motivated that hens will delay laying and show signs of distress if nests are unavailable. Feather pecking, driven by boredom, frustration, and light levels, causes significant injury and death in flocks. Enriched environments that provide appropriate substrates, perches, and nest boxes address these needs and dramatically reduce feather pecking.