*2.5. Live Weight*

To check minimum body weight, which is 1300 g for HNS and 1479 g for HNB at the age of 18 weeks (according to the breeder and distributor H&N International), 50 numerically marked birds, 25 per line, were weighed during loading. To check a possible transport-related weight reduction due to water and feed withdrawal and "time in plastic crates," we compared body weights before and after transportation (following sampling) for each hen. Results were compared with a control flock that was not transported and was kept overnight in the winter garden without access to water and feed but were free to move around; hens of the control flock were weighed in the evening (8:00 p.m.) and in the morning (7:00 a.m.). For evaluation, the weight of the same numerically marked bird was compared in each case. Weight determination was carried out with a BAT1 poultry scale (VEIT Electronics, Moravany, Czech Republic). The 50 hens of the transport study were divided into four transport crates. To ensure a regular number of 16 birds per crate according to the Swiss Order on the Protection of Animals [4], the transport crates were supplemented with non-weighed birds.
