Global InformationSham dustbathing information
Sham dustbathing is a behaviour performed by some birds when kept in cages with little or no access to litter, during which the birds perform all the elements of normal dustbathing, but in the complete absence of any substrate.[1][2][3] This behaviour often has all the activities and temporal patterns of normal dustbathing, i.e. the bird initially scratches and bill-rakes at the ground, then erects its feathers and squats. Once lying down, the behaviour contains four main elements: vertical wing-shaking, head rubbing, bill-raking and scratching with one leg. Normal dustbathing is a maintenance behaviour whose performance results in dust collecting between the feathers. The dust is then subsequently shaken off which reduces the amount of feather lipids and so helps the plumage maintain good insulating capacity and may help control of ectoparasites.[4]
- ^ Olsson, I.A.S., Keeling L.J. and Duncan, I.J.H., 2002. Why do hens sham dustbathe when they have litter? Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 76: 53–64
- ^ Merrill, R.J.N., Cooper, J.J., Albentosa M.J. and Nicol, C.J., 2006. The preferences of laying hens for perforated Astroturf over conventional wire as a dustbathing substrate in furnished cages. Animal Welfare, 15:173–178
- ^ van Liere, D.W., 1992. The significance of fowls' bathing in dust. Animal Welfare, 1:187–202
- ^ Olsson, I.A.S. and Keeling, L.J., 2005. Why in earth? Dustbathing behaviour in jungle and domestic fowl reviewed from a Tinbergian and animal welfare perspective. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 93: 259-282