An important indicator of the health and behavior of laying hens is their plumage condition. Various scoring systems are used, and various risk factors for feather damage have been described. Often, a summarized score of different body parts is used to describe the overall condition of the plumage of a bird. However, it has not yet been assessed whether such a whole body plumage score is a suitable outcome variable when analyzing the risk factors for plumage deterioration. Data collected within a German project on farms keeping laying hens in aviaries were analyzed to investigate whether and the extent to which information is lost when summarizing the scores of the separate body parts. Two models were fitted using multiblock redundancy analysis, in which the first model included the whole body score as one outcome variable, while the second model included the scores of the individual body parts as multiple outcome variables. Although basically similar influences could be discovered with both models, the investigation of the individual body parts allowed for consideration of the influences on each body part separately and for the identification of additional influences. Furthermore, ambivalent influences (a factor differently associated with 2 different outcomes) could be detected with this approach, and possible dilutive effects were avoided. We conclude that influences might be underestimated or even missed when modeling their explanatory power for an overall score only. Therefore, multivariate methods that allow for the consideration of individual body parts are an interesting option when investigating influences on plumage condition.

Feather pecking still presents a major problem in organic laying hen farming. In order to identify important risk factors during the laying period as well as during the rearing period in an exploratory epidemiological approach, we followed birds from 23 organic rearing units in Austria and Germany to 46 laying units. Management and housing conditions were recorded during one day visits in the 16th to 18th and 30th to 40th week of age, respectively. As an indicator of feather pecking, feather conditions of random samples of 30 hens per laying farm were assessed. Average feather scores from 0 (best) to 3 (worst) were calculated. The average score of 0.73 (± 0.44) was not significantly different from the score of 0.77 (± 0.33) from 54 conventional farms assessed in the same way (p=0.247). 73 % of the total variance in feather score between the different organic farms could be explained by 6 variables. About 79 % of the explained variation was due to rearing conditions. The major risk factors for poor plumage were little elevated perch space, few drinking places and no regular scattering of grain during the rearing period, as well as poor litter quality during the laying period. It is concluded that these are feasible starting points for improved prevention strategies against feather pecking.

Feather pecking and cannibalism are still major problems in alternative systems for laying hens. Literature and practical experience indicate that unfavourable rearing conditions might be important risk factors for the occurrence of these behavioural disturbances during the laying period. Typical rearing conditions of laying hens from 50 rearing units in Germany and Austria are presented. Obvious risk factors during rearing for feather pecking and cannibalism during the laying period were found. Most flocks were kept under high stocking density (mean: 15 pullets per m' useable area) and some flocks had access to litter only after the second week of life or access to raised perches after the fourth week of life. Plumage condition of pullets and laying hens varied widely in non-beak-trimmed as well as in beak-trimmed flocks. The percentage of pullets with damaged plumage was higher in beak-trimmed than in non-beak-trimmed flocks (medians: 53 % versus 30 %, p = 0,022). In laying hens there was a higher percentage of hens with plumage damage in non-beak-trimmed flocks compared to beak-trimmed flocks (medians: 23 % versus 50 %, p = 0,007). Data analysis will be continued, especially with regard to particular risk factors.

Feather pecking and cannibalism are still major problems in alternative systems for laying hens. Literature and practical experience indicate that unfavourable rearing conditions might be important risk factors for the occurrence of these behavioural disturbances during the laying period.Typical rearing conditions of laying hens from 50 rearing units in Germany and Austria are presented. Obvious risk factors during rearing for feather pecking and cannibalism during the laying period were found. Most flocks were kept under high stocking density (mean: 15 pullets per m 2 useable area) and some flocks had access to litter only after the second week of life or access to raised perches after the fourth week of life. Plumage condition of pullets and laying hens varied widely in non-beak-trimmed as well as in beak-trimmed flocks.The percentage of pullets with damaged plumage was higher in beak-trimmed than in non-beak-trimmed flocks (medians: 53 % versus 30 %, p = 0,022). In laying hens there was a higher percentage of hens with plumage damage in non-beak-trimmed flocks compared to beak-trimmed flocks (medians: 23 % versus 50 %, p= 0,007). Data analysis will be continued, especially with regard to particular risk factors.

Organic pullets are reared with daylight and are not beak-trimmed. Therefore, certain provisions are needed in order to prevent feather-pecking and cannibalism. Respec-tive guidelines are set by the German Organic Associations. It was the goal of this study to investigate whether the higher rearing standards are associated with an increased labour demand compared to conventional rearing systems. Using a ques-tionnaire, data from 32 hen-houses (10 conventional and 6 organic barn systems, 10 conventional and 6 organic aviary systems) about duration and number of working procedures were collected and exemplary models calculated. Total labour demand was between 2.36 and 7.37 worker`s hours/100 pullets. It did not differ between or-ganic and conventional rearing when comparing similar flock sizes, but were partly differently allocated to the different working procedures. On average, organic farms had smaller flocks, and there was a large influence of flock size on labour demand with small houses requiring most labour per hen. Also aviaries were more labour demanding than barn systems, but were usually associated with higher flock sizes. Our results indicate that improved pullet rearing that allows the birds to perform their natural behaviour more completely, does not necessarily cause higher labour re-quirements.

Ab August 2005 muss die Bio-Geflugelfutterung laut EU-Bio-Verordnung (1804/1999/EG) zu 100 % mit okologisch erzeugten Komponenten erfolgen. Fur die Rationsgestaltung fallen hochwertige, konventionell erzeugte Eiweistrager weg. Es wurde gepruft, inwieweit gekeimter Weizen in 100 % Bio-Rationen zur Proteinversorgung von Kuken, Jung- und Legehennen beitragen kann und ob diese Rationen bedarfsgerecht sind. In zehn Bodenhaltungs-Stallabteilen ohne Ausenauslauf wurden jeweils 19 Hennen und ein Hahn zweier Herkunfte (Lohmann Tradition –LT-, ISA Brown) vom Schlupf bis zur 40. Lebenswoche (LW) bei einer Besatzdichte von 5 Tieren/qm (ab der 5. LW) gehalten. Acht Versuchsgruppen wurden kombiniert mit 100 % Bio-Erganzer und Weizenkeimen (4 Gruppen) oder -kornern (4 Gruppen) gefuttert, zwei Kontrollgruppen mit Alleinfutter mit bis zu 15 % konventionellen Komponenten. Die 48-stundige Keimung des Weizens fuhrte zu keinen Anderungen in den Gehalten der Rohnahrstoffe, auser Starke und Zucker, und damit auch zu keiner Verbesserung der Proteinversorgung der Tiere. Einige Vitamingehalte (B1, B2, K, C) und der Gehalt der essentiellen Linolensaure stiegen an. Es gab keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen den Futtergruppen (Keim-, Korner und Alleinfutterung) und Herkunften in der Legeleistung, verschiedenen Eiqualitatsparametern und im Gefiederzustand, auser einer Tendenz zu hoheren Eigewichten in der Keimfutterungsgruppe und hoheren Lebendgewichten der LT-Hennen in der 14. und 21. LW. Unter den gegebenen Bedingungen gewahrleistete die 100 % Bio-Futterung einen sehr guten Gesundheits- und Gefiederzustand der Tiere bei zufrieden stellenden Leistungen. Biophotonenmessungen ergaben signifikant hohere Dotter-Lumineszenz-Werte als bei zugekauften Eiern aus konventioneller Boden- und Kafighaltung. Lediglich die nochmals hoheren Werte bei den Eiern der Kontrollgruppe deuteten moglicherweise darauf hin, dass die 100 % Bio-Futterung weniger bedarfsgerecht war als die Futterung mit Alleinfutter. Zudem bestanden beim 100 % Bio-Erganzer ein hoher Futterverbrauch und eine hohere Futtervergeudung. Weitere Untersuchung zur Bestimmung des Nahrstoffbedarfs von Jung- und Legehennen unter okologischen Haltungsbedingungen sowie zur Entwicklung bedarfsgerechter okologischer Futterrationen sind notwendig.