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Investigations on the relationship between cognitive abilities and feather pecking behaviour in laying hens
Project
Project code: FAL-TT-02-JK-08-06
Contract period: 01.06.2006
- 31.12.2013
Purpose of research: Basic research
The objectives are to investigate specific cognitive abilities (CA) of hens laying hens showing low or high levels of feather pecking behaviour. If differences in CA can be shown, this will support the hypothesis that feather pecking behaviour in laying hens can be classified as a ‘true’ compulsive behaviour rather than a stereotypy. Classification of feather pecking behaviour as a compulsive disorder will be an important step in defining feather pecking behaviour in the laying hen as an animal model of compulsive disorders in other farm animals and in humans.
In the present experiment we set out to investigate the correlation between allo feather pecking and RP in laying hens. We used birds (N = 92) from the 10th and 11th generation (G10 and G11) of lines selectively bred for high feather pecking (HFP) and low feather pecking (LFP), and from an unselected control line (CON) with intermediate levels of feather pecking. We hypothesised that levels of RP would be higher, and the time taken (standardised latency) to repeat a response lower, in HFP compared to LFP hens, with CON hens in between. Using a two-choice guessing task, we found that lines differed significantly in their levels of RP, with HFP unexpectedly showing lower levels of RP than CON and LFP. Latency to make a repeat did not differ between lines. Latency to make a switch differed between lines with a shorter latency in HFP compared to LFP (in G10), or CON (in G11). Latency to peck for repeats versus latency to peck for switches did not differ between lines. Total time to complete the test was significantly shorter in HFP compared to CON and LFP. Thus, our hypotheses were not supported by the data. In contrast, selection for feather pecking seems to induce the opposite effects than would be expected from stereotyping animals: pecking was less sequenced and reaction to make a switch and to complete the test was lower in HFP.
Section overview
Subjects
- Special animal species
- Farm animal behaviour
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
FLI - Institute for Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry (FLI - ITT)
