Inferring resource use from functional area presence in a small, single-flock of chickens in a mobile barn

ABSTRACT: In poultry behavior research, the reliance on presence data to estimate actual resource usage has substantially increased with the advent of tracking technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID) and image-based systems. Although such widely used technologies are fundamentally designed for presence tracking, many studies claim to use them to investigate actual resource usage. This study investigates whether the duration of chickens' presence near key resources accurately reflects their actual usage. To this end, we analyzed 210 ten-min video sequences from 5 days of recordings of 21 chickens, focusing on their proximity to and use of 6 key resources in a mobile poultry barn. Human observers manually assessed the durations of proximity—presence in defined functional areas of interest—and resource use for each individual in the video sequences. Significant correlations (Spearman's coefficient 0.83–1) were found for most resources, except the pophole (Rho = −0.30). Usage-to-presence ratios varied: perches exceeded 87%, feeder and enrichments around 66%, drinker 50%, and pophole 10%. Our findings highlight that mere proximity to resources does not always guarantee their effective use. We emphasize the need for careful interpretation of data from tracking technologies, acknowledging the distinction between mere proximity and actual resource use. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and varied conditions to ensure broader applicability.