Relationships between use of the free-range, behavior and cognition in the laying hen reared in an outdoor system ; Relations entre utilisation du parcours, comportement et cognition chez la poule pondeuse élevée en système plein air

Free-range poultry are provided access to an outdoor space, the range. Within the same group of individuals, reared under the same breeding conditions, a great inter-individual variability in the use of the range is often detected. This can result from behavioral and cognitive differences between individuals, present from an early age. The objective of this study was to improve understanding of the relationships between use of the free-range, behavior and cognition in the laying hen reared in an outdoor system. To that aim, laying hens of the White Leghorn strain (n = 93) were subjected, before their access to the range, to four behavioral and cognitive tests : the cognitive bias test, the detour test, the rotated floor test and the multivariate test. They were also observed on the range to determine their level of use of the range. Although the variables of the cognitive bias and rotated floor tests showed no correlation with the use of the range, outcomes revealed that the individuals who were the least explorers of the range (low rangers) seemed to have learned the detour task more quickly than the more exploratory individuals (high rangers), suggesting a better spatial memorization or a more pronounced social motivation. On the other hand, the hens most prone to exploring the range demonstrated less social dependence and explored the arena of the multivariate test more. ; Les volailles élevées en plein air ont accès à un espace extérieur, le parcours. Au sein d’un même groupe d’individus, élevés dans les mêmes conditions d’élevage, une grande variabilité inter- individuelle d’utilisation du parcours est souvent observée. Celle-ci peut résulter de différences comportementales et cognitives entre les individus, présentes dès leur plus jeune âge. L’objectif de cette étude était d’améliorer la compréhension des relations entre l’utilisation du parcours, le comportement et la cognition chez la poule pondeuse élevée en système plein air. Pour ce faire, des poules pondeuses de souche White ...