Do Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge?
This study aimed to identify if sensor technology could be used to detect sickness-type signs (caused by a live vaccine) in laying hens compared to physiological and clinical sign scoring and behaviour observation. The experiment comprised 5 replicate batches (4 hens and 12 days per batch) using pre...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/205 |
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| author | Hyungwook Kang Sarah Brocklehurst Marie Haskell Susan Jarvis Victoria Sandilands |
| author_facet | Hyungwook Kang Sarah Brocklehurst Marie Haskell Susan Jarvis Victoria Sandilands |
| author_sort | Hyungwook Kang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aimed to identify if sensor technology could be used to detect sickness-type signs (caused by a live vaccine) in laying hens compared to physiological and clinical sign scoring and behaviour observation. The experiment comprised 5 replicate batches (4 hens and 12 days per batch) using previously non-vaccinated hens (<i>n</i> = 20). Hens were moved on day 1 to a large experimental room with various designated zones (e.g., litter, perches, nest box), where they wore two sensors (FitBark, TrackLab). Saline was applied using ocular and nasal drops on day 3 as a control. A live vaccine (Infectious Laryngotracheitis, ILT, vaccine), applied using the same method on day 6, was used to induce mild respiratory and other responses. Physiological and clinical signs, and behaviour from videos were also recorded by a single observer. There were significant changes in body weight (<i>p</i> < 0.001), feed intake (<i>p</i> = 0.031), cloacal temperature (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and three out of five clinical signs (ocular discharge (<i>p</i> < 0.001), conjunctivitis (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and depression (<i>p</i> = 0.009)) over days. A significant decrease (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in activity level (FitBark) and distance travelled (both sensors) were identified over the study days, and activity and distance travelled were highly significantly associated (<i>p</i> < 0.001) with total clinical scores, with hens showing reduced activity and distance travelled with worsening total clinical scores. With behaviour observations from videos, the proportions of sitting, foraging and feeding behaviours (<i>p</i> = 0.044, 0.036 and 0.004, respectively), the proportion of total visit duration to the litter zone (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and perch (<i>p</i> = 0.037) with TrackLab and the proportions of visit counts of hens in the litter zone (<i>p</i> = 0.012) from video scanning changed significantly with days. This study suggests that the vaccine challenge caused associated changes in clinical/physiological signs and activity/distance travelled data from the sensors. Sensors may have a role in detecting changes in activity and movement in individual hens indicative of health or welfare problems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-abc87da915124bd8b199c69423268d8d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-abc87da915124bd8b199c69423268d8d2025-01-24T13:18:04ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-01-0115220510.3390/ani15020205Do Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge?Hyungwook Kang0Sarah Brocklehurst1Marie Haskell2Susan Jarvis3Victoria Sandilands4Scotland’s Rural College, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UKBiomathematics and Statistics Scotland, James Clerk Maxwell Building, The King’s Buildings, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UKScotland’s Rural College, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UKGlobal Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UKScotland’s Rural College, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UKThis study aimed to identify if sensor technology could be used to detect sickness-type signs (caused by a live vaccine) in laying hens compared to physiological and clinical sign scoring and behaviour observation. The experiment comprised 5 replicate batches (4 hens and 12 days per batch) using previously non-vaccinated hens (<i>n</i> = 20). Hens were moved on day 1 to a large experimental room with various designated zones (e.g., litter, perches, nest box), where they wore two sensors (FitBark, TrackLab). Saline was applied using ocular and nasal drops on day 3 as a control. A live vaccine (Infectious Laryngotracheitis, ILT, vaccine), applied using the same method on day 6, was used to induce mild respiratory and other responses. Physiological and clinical signs, and behaviour from videos were also recorded by a single observer. There were significant changes in body weight (<i>p</i> < 0.001), feed intake (<i>p</i> = 0.031), cloacal temperature (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and three out of five clinical signs (ocular discharge (<i>p</i> < 0.001), conjunctivitis (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and depression (<i>p</i> = 0.009)) over days. A significant decrease (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in activity level (FitBark) and distance travelled (both sensors) were identified over the study days, and activity and distance travelled were highly significantly associated (<i>p</i> < 0.001) with total clinical scores, with hens showing reduced activity and distance travelled with worsening total clinical scores. With behaviour observations from videos, the proportions of sitting, foraging and feeding behaviours (<i>p</i> = 0.044, 0.036 and 0.004, respectively), the proportion of total visit duration to the litter zone (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and perch (<i>p</i> = 0.037) with TrackLab and the proportions of visit counts of hens in the litter zone (<i>p</i> = 0.012) from video scanning changed significantly with days. This study suggests that the vaccine challenge caused associated changes in clinical/physiological signs and activity/distance travelled data from the sensors. Sensors may have a role in detecting changes in activity and movement in individual hens indicative of health or welfare problems.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/205vaccine challengeclinical signsdiseasewelfaresensor technology |
| spellingShingle | Hyungwook Kang Sarah Brocklehurst Marie Haskell Susan Jarvis Victoria Sandilands Do Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge? Animals vaccine challenge clinical signs disease welfare sensor technology |
| title | Do Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge? |
| title_full | Do Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge? |
| title_fullStr | Do Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge? |
| title_short | Do Activity Sensors Identify Physiological, Clinical and Behavioural Changes in Laying Hens Exposed to a Vaccine Challenge? |
| title_sort | do activity sensors identify physiological clinical and behavioural changes in laying hens exposed to a vaccine challenge |
| topic | vaccine challenge clinical signs disease welfare sensor technology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/2/205 |
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