By Jasmin Schiestel
Feather Pecking is repeated pecking or pulling of feathers towards other birds, which can lead to harm or cannibalism. A recent study found that feather cover damage (FD) in Canadian rearing and laying hen flocks due to feather-pecking behaviour was approximately 26%. However, this prevalence is likely underestimated because the surveyed flocks included relatively young or newly introduced birds. European studies suggest introducing edible pecking blocks (PB) could redirect the birds’ behaviour and mitigate FD due to their natural pecking and foraging tendencies.
Therefore, this study investigates for the first time in Canada the effects of PB on feather-pecking behaviour and feather cover in commercial aviary systems. The study involves 6 rearing and 6 laying hen farms, where the rearing farms (12–19 weeks of age) receive either PB (1 PB per 1000 birds) or control treatment (no PB) in a cross-over design. Three types of commercially available PB are used and placed throughout the bedding/litter area. When each rearing flock reaches the laying phase (19-21 weeks of age), one-half of the C and PB flocks will maintain their original treatment. The study assesses pecking behaviour directed at PBs and other birds using live or video recording, as well as FD via feather cover scoring (Decina et al. 2021) and body weight measurements on a subsample of 50 birds per barn section at various time points (12, 18, 30, 50, 65 weeks of age). This study can help identify a preferred type of PB that Canadian farmers can use on their farms. By doing so, they can reduce feather pecking and FD while providing enrichment for the hens.
