Shelter preferences of commercial free-range hens

Abstract

This collection is comprised of images taken on a commercial free-range farm of hens using shade cloth shelters with different percentages of sunlight filtering. Corresponding weather data were collected simultaneously from an on-site weather station and temperature sensors recorded underneath each shelter. Nine shelters of three different sunlight filtering percentages were installed on a commercial farm in Queensland and hen use was recorded across the summer period. Two different flocks of hens on the same farm were assessed. Counts were made periodically across the day of the number of hens under each shelter. A weather station on the farm recorded temperature and sunlight parameters, loggers installed under each shelter recorded ambient temperature and humidity. Hens' shelter preferences and the relationship between sunlight spectrums and hens' shelter preferences were determined. All associated data belonging to this experiment have been uploaded to the data access portal through CSIRO.