02058nas a2200277   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043653002000113653001500133653001500148653001900163653001300182100001600195700001500211700002000226700001700246700001500263700001400278245016500292250000900457300001200466490000800478520128000486022001401766       2015                            d  c09/2015bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover10acaptive-rearing10aenrichment10aspectacles10ablood analysis10aethogram1 aE Voslarova1 aI Bedanova1 aK Radisavljevic1 aP Hrabcakova1 aP Marsalek1 aV Vecerek00aComparison of selected haematological and biochemical indices and behaviour patterns of pheasant hens kept in different housing systems during the laying period  a9/10  a355-3610 v1283 aSelected haematological and biochemical indices and behaviour patterns were monitored in cage-housed pheasant hens during the peak-of-lay egg laying period. Lower counts of monocytes (p = 0.05) and concentrations of plasma biopterin (p = 0.020) and higher concentrations of plasma neopterin (p = 0.005) and plasma phosphorus (p = 0.025) were found in spectacles-fitted pheasant hens kept in conventional cages compared to non-spectacled hens kept in enriched cages. Even more pronounced effects of the housing system were revealed by analysis of the behaviour of pheasant hens: spectacles-fitted pheasant hens kept in conventional cages exhibited higher occurrences of movement (p = 0.045), stereotyped behaviour (p = 0.09), and aggression (p = 0.004), and lower rates of feeding (p = 0.009), drinking (p  lt; 0.001), defecation (p = 0.08), preening (p = 0.01), and feather pecking (p  lt; 0.001). Our results show that the relatively easy and inexpensive enrichment of the cage environment (two perches, a simple hideout) where breeding groups of common pheasants are housed during the laying period can significantly contribute to the health and welfare (including the ability to express natural behaviour patterns) of pheasants kept in commercial cage systems.  a0005-9366