When one bird repeatedly pecks at the feathers of another
Feather pecking amongst laying hens. In the lower right of the picture, the white hen has lost her tail feathers and the brown hen has been feather pecked on the thigh and wing.
Feather pecking is a behavioural problem that occurs most frequently amongst domestic hens reared for egg production,[1][2] although it does occur in other poultry such as pheasants,[3] turkeys,[4] ducks,[5] broiler chickens[6] and is sometimes seen in farmed ostriches.[7] Feather pecking occurs when one bird repeatedly pecks at the feathers of another. The levels of severity may be recognized as mild and severe.[8] Gentle feather pecking is considered to be a normal investigatory behaviour where the feathers of the recipient are hardly disturbed and therefore does not represent a problem. In severe feather pecking, however, the feathers of the recipient are grasped, pulled at and sometimes removed. This is painful for the receiving bird[9] and can lead to trauma of the skin or bleeding, which in turn can lead to cannibalism and death.
Feather pecking is one of the major problems facing the egg industry in non-cage
systems and is set to become an even greater issue with the EU legislation (Council Directive 1999/74/EC)[10] ban on the keeping of laying hens in barren battery cages which came into force in 2012, and the prospect of a ban on beak-trimming (see below). Reducing feather pecking without resorting to beak-trimming is an important goal for the poultry industry.
^Huber-Eicher, B. and Sebo, F. 2001. The prevalence of feather pecking and development in commercial flocks of laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 74: 223–231
^Sherwin, C.M., Richards, G.J and Nicol, C.J. 2010. A comparison of the welfare of layer hens in four housing systems in the UK. British Poultry Science, 51(4): 488-499
^Butler, D.A. and Davis, C. 2010. Effects of plastic bits on the condition and behaviour of captive-reared pheasants. Veterinary. Record, 166: 398-401
^Sherwin, C.M., 2010. Turkeys: Behavior, Management and Well-Being. In “The Encyclopaedia of Animal Science”. Wilson G. Pond and Alan W. Bell (Eds). Marcel Dekker. pp. 847-849
^Gustafson, L.A., Cheng, H.W., Garner, J.P., et al. 2007. Effects of bill-trimming Muscovy ducks on behavior, body weight gain, and bill morphopathology. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 103: 59-74
^Girard, Ms. Teryn E.; Zuidhof, Martin J.; Bench, Clover J. (2017). "Feeding, foraging, and feather pecking behaviours in precision-fed and skip-a-day-fed broiler breeder pullets". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 188: 42–49. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2016.12.011.
^Reischl, E. and Sambraus, H.H. 2003. Feather-pecking of African ostriches in Israel. Tierarztliche Umschau, 58: 364-369
^McAdie, T.M. and Keeling, L.J. 2002. The social transmission of feather pecking in laying hens: effects of environment and age. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 75: 147-159
^Gentle, M.J. and Hunter, L.N. 1991. Physiological and behavioural responses associated with feather removal in Gallus gallus var domesticus. Research in Veterinary Science, 50: 95-101
^"COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens". Official Journal of the European Communities. 3 March 1999. Retrieved 2017-02-24.
is sometimes seen in farmed ostriches. Featherpecking occurs when one bird repeatedly pecks at the feathers of another. The levels of severity may be...
Vent pecking, sometimes called 'cloacal cannibalism', is considered to be a separate form of cannibalistic pecking as this occurs in well-feathered birds...
Pecking is the action of a bird using their beak to search for food or otherwise investigate an object or area by tapping it. Pecking can also be used...
bird repeatedly pecks the feathers of another. Toe pecking is a similar occurrence in commercialized hens which includes repeatedly pecking the toes of another...
measure to reduce damage caused by injurious pecking such as cannibalism, featherpecking and vent pecking, and thereby improve livability. Commercial...
Vent pecking is an abnormal behaviour of birds performed primarily by commercial egg-laying hens. It is characterised by pecking damage to the cloaca...
subsequently eaten. To reduce the harmful effects of featherpecking, cannibalism and vent pecking, most chicks eventually going into battery cages are...
names, were small eyeglasses made for chickens intended to prevent featherpecking and cannibalism. They differ from blinders in that they allow the bird...
reduce featherpecking, turkeys are often beak-trimmed. Ultraviolet-reflective markings appear on young birds at the same time as featherpecking becomes...
Light intensity is often kept low (e.g. 10 lux) to reduce featherpecking and vent pecking. Benefits of battery cages include easier care for the birds...
Because broiler breeders live to adulthood, they might show featherpecking or other injurious pecking behaviour. To avoid this, they might be beak trimmed which...
apparently many feathers; bald spots are typically signs of unrelated illnesses, such as gross injuries, parasites, featherpecking (especially in commercial...
on the side (distal umbilicus). featherpecking A behavioural problem in which one bird repeatedly pecks at the feathers of another, that occurs most frequently...
duration, and spontaneous recovery. Featherpecking; one bird repeatedly pecking or pulling at the feathers of another. Feather-plucking (pterotillomania); birds...
number of stress-induced behaviors, including cannibalism, vent pecking and featherpecking. A cauterizing blade or infrared beam is used to cut off about...
in the footage were exhibiting "behavioural signs of stress such as featherpecking and topical skin infection". KFC's actions were branded "misleading"...
animal welfare concerns. In intensive systems, cannibalism, featherpecking and vent pecking can be common, with some farmers using beak trimming as a preventative...
Animals have abnormal behaviors such as tail-biting, cannibalism, and featherpecking. Invasive procedures such as beak trimming, castration, and ear notching...
producing abnormal behaviors such as tail-biting, cannibalism, and featherpecking, and routine invasive procedures such as beak trimming, castration...
of ethology, a dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal...
their non-nutritive pecking, such as pecking structural features of their environment like wood or wire on fences or the feathers of other birds. It is...
behaviour of birds in captivity Cannibalism (poultry) Chicken#Farming Featherpecking "European Union Council Directive 1999/74/EC". Official Journal of...
junglefowl was also affected by allelomimetism, where behaviors such as featherpecking were more synchronized than in the white leghorn. A difference in feeding...
they are often slit-like and have special feathers to cover them. Woodpeckers are capable of repeated pecking on a tree at high decelerations on the order...
"'Carousel' Dances Are a New Feather in the Enigmatic Justin Peck's Cap". The New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2024. "Justin Peck on His Tony Win—and What...
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