As egg farmers of Canada switch from conventional cages to alternative housing systems for laying hens, Jo Ann Chew is working to help pinpoint optimal conditions.
As egg farmers of Canada switch from conventional cages to alternative housing systems for laying hens, Jo Ann Chew is working to help pinpoint optimal conditions.
A graduate student in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan’s (USask) College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Chew is trying to determine the most appropriate light levels inside chicken barns.
Low light levels keep chickens calm but they may not be able to see well enough to navigate successfully through their complex living space. Brighter light makes them more fearful, aggressive and flighty.
“My project is to find what the right balance is,” Chew said of the research for her master’s thesis.
Continue reading at University of Saskatchewan.
Image via Gord Waldner.
