Effect of diet change on the behavior of chicks of an egg-laying strain

Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science : JAAWS
Greg DixonC J Nicol

Abstract

Injurious pecking has serious welfare consequences in flocks of hens kept for egg laying, especially when loose-housed. Frequent diet change is a significant risk for injurious pecking; how the mechanics of diet change influence pecking behavior is unknown. This study investigated the effect of diet change on the behavior of chicks from a laying strain. The study included a 3-week familiarity phase: 18 chick pairs received unflavored feed (Experiment 1); 18 pairs received orange oil-flavored (Experiment 2). All chicks participated in a dietary preference test (P); a diet change (DC); or a control group (C), 6 scenarios. All P chicks preferred unflavored feed. In Experiment 1, DC involved change from unflavored to orange-flavored; Experiment 2, orange- flavored to unflavored. Compared with controls, Experiment 2 DC chicks exhibited few behavioral differences; Experiment 1 DC chicks exhibited increased behavioral event rates on Days 1 and 7. They pecked significantly longer at their environment; by Day 7, they showed significantly more beak activity. There was little evidence of dietary neophobia. Change from more preferred to less preferred feed led to increased activity and redirected pecking behavior.

References

Sep 1, 1975·British Poultry Science·J Allen, G C Perry
Dec 5, 1992·The Veterinary Record·O Swarbrick, D G Parsons
Oct 31, 1992·The Veterinary Record·P E Curtis, N W Marsh
Mar 1, 1992·British Poultry Science·H J Blokhuis, J W van der Haar
Nov 1, 1989·Poultry Science·J M Balog, R I Millar
Oct 23, 1997·Physiology & Behavior·R B Jones, T J Roper
May 11, 2000·Applied Animal Behaviour Science·T M McAdie, L J Keeling

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Citations

Aug 11, 2015·Animal Behaviour·Anna C DaviesAndrew N Radford

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