{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]],"date-time":"2026-10-17T20:00:42Z","timestamp":1792267242189,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":9,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,7,5]],"date-time":"2014-07-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1404518400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":4,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Veterinary Record"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2014,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Smothering in poultry is an economic and welfare\u2010related concern. This study presents the first results from a questionnaire addressing the incidence, location, timing and management of smothering of free\u2010range farm managers from two commercial egg companies (representing 35 per cent of the UK free\u2010range egg supply). Overall, nearly 60 per cent of farm mangers experienced smothering in their last flock, with an average of 25.5 birds lost per incidence, although per cent mortality due to smothering was low (x\u0304=1.6 per cent). The majority of farm managers also reported that over 50 per cent of all their flocks placed had been affected by smothering. The location and timing of smothering (excluding smothering in nest boxes) tended to be unpredictable and varied between farms. Blocking off corners\/nest boxes and walking birds more frequently were identified as popular smothering reduction measures, although there was a wide variety of reduction measures reported overall. The motivation to implement reduction measures was related to a farm manager's previous experience of smothering. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide a representative industry estimate on the incidence, location, timing and management of smothering. The results suggest that smothering is a common problem, unpredictable between flocks with no clear, effective reduction strategies. A follow\u2010up study will investigate the correlations among smothering, disease and other welfare problems and may shed further light on management solutions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/vr.102327","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,5,17]],"date-time":"2014-05-17T04:09:58Z","timestamp":1400299798000},"page":"19-19","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":36,"title":["Smothering in UK free\u2010range flocks. Part 1: incidence, location, timing and management"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"175","author":[{"given":"J.","family":"Barrett","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Zoology University of Oxford South Parks Road Oxford OX13PS UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A. C.","family":"Rayner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"FAI Farms Ltd The Field Station, Wytham, Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 8QJ UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"R.","family":"Gill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Lakes Free Range Company Ltd Meg Bank, Stainton Penrith CA11 0EE UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"T. H.","family":"Willings","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Noble Foods Ltd The Moor, Bilsthorpe Newark NG22 8TS UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A.","family":"Bright","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"FAI Farms Ltd The Field Station, Wytham, Oxford Oxfordshire OX2 8QJ UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,7,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_8_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/vr.c7462"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_3_1","first-page":"2013","volume-title":"Accessed July","author":"DEFRA","year":"2012"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_4_1","volume-title":"Questionnaires in Second Language Research: Construction, Administration. 2nd edin","author":"D\u00f6rnyei Z.","year":"2010"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_5_1","volume-title":"Developing a Questionnaire. 2nd edn","author":"Gillham B.","year":"2007"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_6_1","first-page":"248","volume-title":"Panic and hysteria in domestic fowl: a review. In Social Stress in Domestic Animals","author":"Mills A. D.","year":"1990"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_7_1","volume-title":"R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing","author":"R CORE TEAM","year":"2013"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"519","DOI":"10.1136\/vr.100685","article-title":"Panic in free\u2010range laying hens","volume":"170","author":"Richards G. J.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Veterinary Record"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_9_1","first-page":"455","article-title":"A strange fright\u2010flight behavior pattern (hysteria) in hens","volume":"140","author":"Sanger V. L.","year":"1962","journal-title":"Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association"},{"key":"e_1_2_8_10_1","volume-title":"Generalized Linear Mixed Models using AD. Model Builder. R package version 0.7.2.12","author":"Skaug H.","year":"2012"}],"container-title":["Veterinary Record"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/api.wiley.com\/onlinelibrary\/tdm\/v1\/articles\/10.1136%2Fvr.102327","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1136\/vr.102327","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,28]],"date-time":"2025-10-28T11:37:26Z","timestamp":1761651446000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1136\/vr.102327"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2014,7]]},"references-count":9,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2014,7]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/vr.102327"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/vr.102327","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["0042-4900","2042-7670"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0042-4900","type":"print"},{"value":"2042-7670","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2014,7]]}}}