Kang Hyungwook, Brocklehurst Sarah, Haskell Marie, Jarvis Susan, Sandilands Victoria
Scotland's Rural College, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jan 14;15(2):205. doi: 10.3390/ani15020205.
This study aimed to identify if sensor technology could be used to detect sickness-type signs (caused by a live vaccine) in laying hens compared to physiological and clinical sign scoring and behaviour observation. The experiment comprised 5 replicate batches (4 hens and 12 days per batch) using previously non-vaccinated hens ( = 20). Hens were moved on day 1 to a large experimental room with various designated zones (e.g., litter, perches, nest box), where they wore two sensors (FitBark, TrackLab). Saline was applied using ocular and nasal drops on day 3 as a control. A live vaccine (Infectious Laryngotracheitis, ILT, vaccine), applied using the same method on day 6, was used to induce mild respiratory and other responses. Physiological and clinical signs, and behaviour from videos were also recorded by a single observer. There were significant changes in body weight ( < 0.001), feed intake ( = 0.031), cloacal temperature ( < 0.001) and three out of five clinical signs (ocular discharge ( < 0.001), conjunctivitis ( < 0.001) and depression ( = 0.009)) over days. A significant decrease ( < 0.001) in activity level (FitBark) and distance travelled (both sensors) were identified over the study days, and activity and distance travelled were highly significantly associated ( < 0.001) with total clinical scores, with hens showing reduced activity and distance travelled with worsening total clinical scores. With behaviour observations from videos, the proportions of sitting, foraging and feeding behaviours ( = 0.044, 0.036 and 0.004, respectively), the proportion of total visit duration to the litter zone ( < 0.001) and perch ( = 0.037) with TrackLab and the proportions of visit counts of hens in the litter zone ( = 0.012) from video scanning changed significantly with days. This study suggests that the vaccine challenge caused associated changes in clinical/physiological signs and activity/distance travelled data from the sensors. Sensors may have a role in detecting changes in activity and movement in individual hens indicative of health or welfare problems.
本研究旨在确定与生理和临床体征评分及行为观察相比，传感器技术是否可用于检测蛋鸡的疾病型体征（由活疫苗引起）。实验包括5个重复批次（每批4只母鸡，共12天），使用先前未接种疫苗的母鸡（n = 20）。第1天，母鸡被转移到一个设有不同指定区域（如垫料、栖木、产蛋箱）的大型实验房间，在那里它们佩戴两个传感器（FitBark、TrackLab）。第3天，作为对照，通过眼滴和滴鼻的方式施用生理盐水。第6天，采用相同方法施用活疫苗（传染性喉气管炎，ILT，疫苗），以诱发轻度呼吸道反应和其他反应。一名观察者还记录了生理和临床体征以及视频中的行为。在几天内，体重（P < 0.001）、采食量（P = 0.031）、泄殖腔温度（P < 0.001）以及五项临床体征中的三项（眼分泌物（P < 0.001）、结膜炎（P < 0.001）和抑郁（P = 0.009））有显著变化。在研究期间，活动水平（FitBark）和行进距离（两个传感器）均显著下降（P < 0.001），且活动和行进距离与总临床评分高度显著相关（P < 0.001），随着总临床评分恶化，母鸡的活动和行进距离减少。通过视频观察行为，坐、觅食和进食行为的比例（分别为P = 0.044、0.036和0.004）、使用TrackLab时在垫料区的总访问持续时间比例（P < 0.001）和栖木区比例（P = 0.037）以及视频扫描中母鸡在垫料区的访问次数比例（P = 0.012）随天数有显著变化。本研究表明，疫苗激发导致临床/生理体征以及传感器的活动/行进距离数据出现相关变化。传感器可能在检测个体母鸡活动和移动的变化方面发挥作用，这些变化表明存在健康或福利问题。
