Giving Chickens a Better Life: How a Busy Environment Boosts Their Well-being

Chickens raised in busy, interesting environments show big changes in how they act and feel. This is what a recent study found when they compared chickens in three rooms full of things to do with chickens in three plain rooms. Each room had about 2, 450 chickens and got natural light. In the busy rooms, chickens stood, walked, and explored more. They walked 38% of the time, while chickens in plain rooms only walked 19% of the time. They also explored or foraged 4% of the time, compared to just 1% in plain rooms. However, both groups enjoyed dustbathing just as much. When faced with something new, like an object or a person, chickens in busy rooms were more likely to check it out. This shows they were less scared and more curious. In a test where they had to figure out how to leave a U-shaped area, these chickens did better. They left more often and made less noise, showing they were better at solving problems and maybe even had better memory. Looking at their gut health, the study found no big differences in the number of different bacteria. But the types of bacteria were different. Chickens in busy rooms had more Bacteroidota, while those in plain rooms had more Bacillota. Overall, giving chickens a busy environment helps them act more naturally, feel less stressed, and even changes their gut bacteria. This could be a big step towards making chicken farming kinder to the birds.