Canada: Chickens and egg production seen at beak level

They’re showgirls but they don’t really know it. They were born into the business. But the young hens seem to like being on display at the new egg research and display facility at the University of Manitoba, performing for schoolchildren, university students, researchers, and egg farmers and, on this day, a Western Producer reporter. On the “enhanced housing” side, the hens crane their necks out from their large, communal cages, perhaps curious about the camera pointed at their red-combed heads. They wander along inside their realm, between perches and feeding areas and the safe space of the nesting area. There’s lots to keep a hen busy. Down a short hallway and through a door, the hens gather in greater numbers and can get up close and personal with human visitors. On the “free run aviary” side of the facility, the hens gather, clucking and fluffing, while the bravest and most curious walk up to the masked and covered-head-to-toe reporter, perhaps suspecting he’s hiding feed ...