Hen ranging in relation to sunlight on commercial free-range farms

Abstract

These data are counts of hens on the range across three commercial free-range farms in TAS, QLD, and WA. Sunlight wavelengths and other weather variables were also recorded on the farms to match with hens' use of the sunny or shaded range areas. Video cameras and weather stations were set up on three commercial farms over the summer/autumn period of 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 for one shed per farm. The video recordings were used to count hens in sunny and shaded areas across the day for each farm. These counts were matched with sunlight and weather variables recorded at the same time points. Then the relationship was established between sunlight and weather variables and hen range use.