28. Research is required into the physiological and behavioural responses in hens at different light intensities and wavelengths with particular reference to the incidence of injurious pecking. More information is required to determine the minimum light levels required for hens to perform normal investigative behaviour and how visual acuity is affected by lighting conditions (paragraph 50).

29. We recommend that the egg production industry sets up a survey of the incidence of beak trimming of laying birds in all systems in the UK. FAWC will keep the matter under review (paragraph 70).

30. We believe that the prevention of injurious feather pecking and cannibalism is a most important area for research and development and we are clear that the poultry industry and scientists must work together to solve the problem. This should include studies using relatively large flock sizes and under a range of practical conditions which can be carefully defined in order to derive workable guidelines (paragraph 71).

31. More research into the pain, both immediate and chronic, associated with beak trimming of young (less than 10 day old) chicks is required. There is a need to assess the longer term effects of various methods of beak trimming on pecking behaviour patterns and whether beaks that re-grow are used for injurious feather pecking and cannibalism in a similar way to untrimmed beaks (paragraph 74).

32. Further research, under a range of conditions which reflect practice, is required to clarify understanding of the space requirements of hens which can be translated into more precise and practical recommendations

(paragraph 78).

33. We recommend that further research be carried out to determine what a hen perceives as a nest and to define the attributes of such a nest to aid practical developments which would suit a range of systems (paragraph 82).

34. We recommend that applied and carefully targeted research on the space and facilities required by hens in enriched cages should be continued and developed on a commercial scale. Measures must be made of the effect of space and facilities on both behaviour and production. This should take account of the quality of the environment, as it may be better for a hen to have less space in an enriched environment than more space in a barren cage where increased injurious pecking behaviour may occur resulting in the need to beak trim (paragraph 107).

35. Research is needed to establish optimum flock sizes for laying hens (paragraph 120).