Table 3.
Distribution of dichotomous husbandry characteristics in a sample of 107 organic laying hen flocks in eight European countries.
| Variables (Dichotomous) | Percentage of Flocks (Number) | |
|---|---|---|
| Brown layers 1 | Yes | 78.5 (84) |
| No | 21.5 (23) | |
| Beak trimmed | Yes | 13.1 (14) |
| No | 86.9 (93) | |
| Presence of cockerels 2 | Yes | 32.1 (34) |
| No | 67.9 (72) | |
| Multi-tier system | Yes | 35.5 (38) |
| No | 64.5 (69) | |
| Disinfection of hen house after depopulation | Yes | 85.9 (92) |
| No | 14.1 (15) | |
| Range rotation 3 | Yes | 29.5 (31) |
| No | 70.5 (74) | |
| Litter replacement or topping up during laying cycle | Yes | 68.2 (73) |
| No | 31.8 (34) | |
| Group nests | Yes | 91.6 (98) |
| No | 8.4 (9) | |
| Littered nests | Yes | 24.3 (26) |
| No | 75.7 (81) | |
| Dawn phase in light program | Yes | 63.6 (68) |
| No | 36.4 (39) | |
| Covered veranda | Yes | 73.8 (79) |
| No | 26.2 (28) | |
| Projecting roof 4 | Yes | 6.9 (7) |
| No | 93.1 (95) | |
1 Hens laying brown eggs; includes silver hybrids; 2 proportion ranging from 0.01 to 2.5%; 3 including temporary closing of (very) small parts of the range area in order to let the vegetation recover; 4 projecting at least 2 m; covered surface not closed/closable to all sides.