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Primary Behavioral Problems
Primary Behavioral Problems
• Aggression: One of the two most common behavioral issues.
• Aggression: One of the two most common behavioral issues.
• Feather Pecking or Plucking: The other most common issue; it may be related to aggression and share similar underlying components.
• Feather Pecking or Plucking: The other most common issue; it may be related to aggression and share similar underlying components.
• Cannibalism: In rare cases, unchecked aggression can advance to cannibalism.
• Cannibalism: In rare cases, unchecked aggression can advance to cannibalism.
Underlying Causes and Factors
Underlying Causes and Factors
• Environmental Stressors:
• Environmental Stressors:
◦ Overcrowding.
◦ Overcrowding.
◦ Competition over resources such as food.
◦ Competition over resources such as food.
◦ General Stress.
◦ General Stress.
• Chicken Types:
• Chicken Types:
◦ Broilers and free-ranging chickens are more likely to exhibit these problems.
◦ Broilers and free-ranging chickens are more likely to exhibit these problems.
◦ Egg-laying chickens in mass production are often less affected because they are confined to small groups.
◦ Egg-laying chickens in mass production are often less affected because they are confined to small groups.
Manifestations of Aggression
Manifestations of Aggression
• Target Areas: Pecking typically occurs at the head and face or involves pulling at feathers.
• Target Areas: Pecking typically occurs at the head and face or involves pulling at feathers.
• Severity: Because chickens have sharp, strong beaks, these behaviors can lead to severe physical injuries.
• Severity: Because chickens have sharp, strong beaks, these behaviors can lead to severe physical injuries.
Management and Prevention Strategies
Management and Prevention Strategies
• Environmental & Social Adjustments:
• Environmental & Social Adjustments:
◦ Addressing the underlying stress or overcrowding.
◦ Addressing the underlying stress or overcrowding.
◦ Providing enrichment.
◦ Providing enrichment.
◦ Changing the social structure by adding or removing specific individuals.
◦ Changing the social structure by adding or removing specific individuals.
◦ Removing the "instigator" of the behavior.
◦ Removing the "instigator" of the behavior.
• Physical & Nutritional Interventions:
• Physical & Nutritional Interventions:
◦ Reducing daylight in battery conditions.
◦ Reducing daylight in battery conditions.
◦ Adding tryptophan to the feed.
◦ Adding tryptophan to the feed.
◦ Beak trimming: Used as a symptomatic treatment, though it is noted to raise welfare concerns.
◦ Beak trimming: Used as a symptomatic treatment, though it is noted to raise welfare concerns.
• Hygiene Support:
• Hygiene Support:
◦ Providing dust baths to help reduce the incidence of feather picking.
◦ Providing dust baths to help reduce the incidence of feather picking.
Normal vs. Abnormal Hygiene
Normal vs. Abnormal Hygiene
• Normal Grooming: Feather care and grooming are part of normal hygiene and are often social activities.
• Normal Grooming: Feather care and grooming are part of normal hygiene and are often social activities.
• Distinction: It is important to distinguish these healthy social/hygienic behaviors from pathological feather pulling and pecking.
• Distinction: It is important to distinguish these healthy social/hygienic behaviors from pathological feather pulling and pecking.
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