PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Feather pecking and cloacal cannibalism are damaging allopecking behaviours well known and studied in the domestic chicken. They often lead to serious injuries or even death of the victims. Toe pecking is a less common phenomenon and much less is known about the potential effects on physiology and behaviour in victims of this type of allopecking. In the present study we found that exposure to toe pecking led to significantly enlarged adrenal glands which indicate increased physiological stress. The behaviour of toe pecked hens was also affected in that these hens stepped off a raised platform more quickly than Control hens, possibly indicating increased fearfulness of raised areas. Our results indicate that when toe pecking occurs in groups of hens, it represents an important welfare issue and more emphasis should be put on finding ways to reduce its occurrence.