Pullets - young hens raised to laying age - face welfare challenges during rearing that affect health and behaviour throughout their productive lives.
Pullet rearing determines the physical and behavioural capacity of laying hens throughout their productive life. Rearing environments that include litter, perches and foraging opportunities produce hens that use three-dimensional space better, have lower fearfulness and exhibit less injurious pecking in the laying unit. Beak trimming causes persistent pain and reduces the bird's ability to use social and tactile behaviours normally. Investing in early enrichment is the most cost-effective welfare intervention for laying flocks.