Monitoring of nest use through RFID tracking in cage-free laying hens

This study evaluated the frequency of nest use and behaviour inside the nests of brown hens housed in an aviary system. A total of 225 hens were individually tracked through a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) system. The accuracy of the RFID system in identifying animals entering/exiting the nests and the behaviours of hens (exploration, preening, rest, and deposition) inside the nests were assessed through video recordings (20 minutes every two hours) performed at 21 and 28 weeks of age, in two separate nests and two days a week (4 days of recording). The number of hens inside the nests, regardless of age, was strongly influenced by the hour of observation (P < 0.001), with the highest number of hens recorded between 2 and 4 hours after the opening of the nests. The time spent inside the nest did not change with the age or the hour of observation, whereas the exploration behaviour changed with the hour of observation (P < 0.001). The correlation between RFID and video-recorded data (R2= 0.47) suggests a good estimation of the number of animals inside the nests at a given time based on the RFID system. In conclusion, this preliminary study highlights the potential of the use of RFID system to monitor nest use in laying hens in an aviary system. Acknowledgements: This study was carried out within Agritech National Research Center and was funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU (Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (PNRR) – Missione 4 Componente 2, Investimento 1.4 – D.D. 1032 17/06/2022, CN00000022).