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 (n = 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, click here vaccine), applied using the same method on day 6, was used to induce mild respiratory and other responses.Physiological and clinical signs, hyfrodol and behaviour from videos were also recorded by a single observer.There were significant changes in body weight (p p = 0.031), cloacal temperature (p p p p = 0.
009)) over days.A significant decrease (p p p = 0.044, 0.036 and 0.004, respectively), the proportion of total visit duration to the litter zone (p p = 0.
037) with TrackLab and the proportions of visit counts of hens in the litter zone (p = 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.