Hens experiencing stress treatment at their first test session showed less preference for the large reward option throughout the rest of the sessions. It is therefore a possibility that recent experiences in relation to the test procedure can affect the behaviour of hens in a choice test. However, the stress treatment did not have any major effects on the outcome of the choice test indicating the resilience of choice tests to mild stressors such as prior handling. In addition to this, heart rate decreased more rapidly when hens chose between two balanced options. This could indicate anticipation of difficulty in hens similar to the decrease in heart rate seen in gamblers making risky decisions.