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Feather pecking in growers: a study with individually marked birds
B Wechsler1, B Huber-Eicher, D R Nash
1Bundesamt für Veterinärwesen, Prüfstelle für Stalleinrichtungen, Tänikon, Switzerland. Beat.Wechsler@fat.admin.ch
British Poultry Science
|July 3, 1998
Summary
Individual birds can specialize in feather pecking, with a few "high rate peckers" initiating many interactions. Feather pecking behavior is clustered in time, and high-rate peckers engage in more severe forms of the behavior.
Area of Science:
- Animal behavior
- Avian welfare
- Ethology
Background:
- Feather pecking is a common abnormal repetitive behavior in poultry.
- Understanding individual specialization is crucial for managing feather pecking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if individual birds specialize in feather pecking behavior.
- To identify characteristics of high-rate feather peckers.
Main Methods:
- Individually marked grower birds were observed in group settings.
- Feather pecking interactions were classified by intensity (pecking, pinching, pulling, plucking).
- High-rate peckers were defined as individuals pecking more than twice the group average.
Main Results:
- 83% of birds initiated feather pecking; 2-6 individuals per group were 'high rate peckers'.
- 'High rate peckers' initiated 39% of interactions and engaged in more severe plucking.
- No evidence of specialization in targeting specific birds or body areas was found.
Conclusions:
- Feather pecking is clustered in time and not solely performed by a few individuals.
- Some birds exhibit high rates and more severe forms of feather pecking.
- Individual specialization in feather pecking exists, characterized by frequency and intensity.