The effects of precision feeding on the behavior of adult cockerels

The behavior of 15 precision-fed (PF) cockerels was compared with that of 15 normal (N) and 15 fasted (F) birds. In the 10 min after feeding, the PF birds had a higher incidence of beak movements (P less than .01) than N and F birds. Five PF birds retracted their heads and necks, and 3 made regurgitation-like movements, but the effects were generally slight and fleeting. When a flock of 48 PF birds was observed more casually, only 2 birds showed abnormal behavior. The low incidence of conspicuous abnormal behavior, after precision feeding, in contrast to that reported by Wehner and Harrold (1982), is probably due to the shorter time required to administer the feed.