Dixon Greg, Green Laura E, Nicol Christine J
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, England.
J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2006;9(1):41-58. doi: 10.1207/s15327604jaws0901_4.
Injurious pecking has serious welfare consequences in flocks of hens kept for egg laying, especially when loose-housed. Frequent diet change is a significant risk for injurious pecking; how the mechanics of diet change influence pecking behavior is unknown. This study investigated the effect of diet change on the behavior of chicks from a laying strain. The study included a 3-week familiarity phase: 18 chick pairs received unflavored feed (Experiment 1); 18 pairs received orange oil-flavored (Experiment 2). All chicks participated in a dietary preference test (P); a diet change (DC); or a control group (C), 6 scenarios. All P chicks preferred unflavored feed. In Experiment 1, DC involved change from unflavored to orange-flavored; Experiment 2, orange- flavored to unflavored. Compared with controls, Experiment 2 DC chicks exhibited few behavioral differences; Experiment 1 DC chicks exhibited increased behavioral event rates on Days 1 and 7. They pecked significantly longer at their environment; by Day 7, they showed significantly more beak activity. There was little evidence of dietary neophobia. Change from more preferred to less preferred feed led to increased activity and redirected pecking behavior.
在蛋鸡群中，尤其是散养时，有害啄癖会对母鸡的福利产生严重影响。频繁更换日粮是引发有害啄癖的一个重大风险因素；日粮更换的机制如何影响啄癖行为尚不清楚。本研究调查了日粮更换对蛋用型品系雏鸡行为的影响。该研究包括一个为期3周的熟悉阶段：18对雏鸡接受无味饲料（实验1）；18对雏鸡接受橙油味饲料（实验2）。所有雏鸡都参与了日粮偏好测试（P）、日粮更换（DC）或对照组（C）这6种情况。所有P组雏鸡都偏好无味饲料。在实验1中，DC组涉及从无味饲料更换为橙味饲料；实验2中，从橙味饲料更换为无味饲料。与对照组相比，实验2的DC组雏鸡行为差异较少；实验1的DC组雏鸡在第1天和第7天行为事件发生率增加。它们对环境的啄击时间显著延长；到第7天，它们表现出明显更多的喙部活动。几乎没有证据表明存在日粮新恐惧症。从更偏好的饲料更换为不太偏好的饲料会导致活动增加和啄癖行为的转移。
