The concern about the use of cages is related to barren environment and the minimal space offered to the laying hens, which negatively affects bird welfare. The present study focused on the aspect evaluation related to the behavior and welfare of birds, making a comparison between the alternative housing system (with litter and nests) and the conventional cage system. Two groups of 20 laying hens (10 Hy-Line W36 and 10 Hy-line Brown) at the beginning of the production were divided in two breeding systems (litter+nest and cages). Both of them were kept in climatic controlled chambers: one group with an ambient temperature of 26 °C and 60% RH (Thermal Comfort Condition) and the other in a temperature of 35 °C and 70% RH (Heat Thermal Stress Condition). A system of video cameras recorded the behavior of the laying hens. According to the behavior analysis, it was verified that the housing system on litter led to the expression of all natural behaviors related to bird comfort, which permitted to improve welfare conditions. In conventional system (laying cages) it was verified that birds tried to show their natural behavior in spite of lacking condition for it. This impossibility for expressing natural behaviors may have increased stress caused by the housing system and ambient condition.
poultry welfare; animal behavior; image analysis
