University of Hohenheim, Poultry Science, Stuttgart, Germany.
Poult Sci. 2012 Jul;91(7):1514-21. doi: 10.3382/ps.2011-01865.
Recent studies in laying hens have shown that feather peckers eat more feathers than nonpeckers. We hypothesized that food pellets containing feathers would decrease the birds' appetite for feathers and thereby also decrease feather pecking. To separate the effect of feathers from that of insoluble fiber per se, additional control groups were fed pellets containing similar amounts of cellulose. Sixty (experiment 1) and 180 (experiment 2) 1-d-old Lohmann-Selected Leghorn birds were divided into 12 groups of 5 (experiment 1) and 15 (experiment 2) birds, respectively, and kept on slatted floors. During the rearing period, 4 groups each had ad libitum access to either a commercial pelleted diet, a pelleted diet containing 5% (experiment 1) or 10% (experiment 2) of chopped feathers, respectively, or a pelleted diet containing 5% (experiment 1) or 10% (experiment 2) of cellulose, respectively. In the consecutive laying period, all groups received a commercial pelleted diet. In experiment 1, feather pecking was recorded weekly from wk 5 to wk 16. In the laying period, observations were made in wk 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 30. In experiment 2, feather pecking was recorded weekly from wk 5 to 11, in wk 16 to wk 18, and in wk 20 and 21. At the end of the rearing period, plumage condition per individual hen was scored. Scores from 1 (denuded) to 4 (intact) were given for each of 6 body parts. The addition of 10% of feathers to the diet reduced the number of severe feather-pecking bouts (P < 0.0129) and improved plumage condition of the back area (P < 0.001) significantly compared with control diets. The relationship between feather pecking/eating and the gastrointestinal consequences thereof, which alter feather pecking-behavior, are unclear. Understanding this relationship might be crucial for understanding the causation of feather pecking in laying hens.
最近在产蛋母鸡中的研究表明，啄羽鸡比非啄羽鸡吃更多的羽毛。我们假设含有羽毛的饲料颗粒会降低鸡对羽毛的食欲，从而也减少啄羽行为。为了将羽毛的作用与不溶性纤维本身的作用分开，还设置了额外的对照组，给它们喂食含有相似量纤维素的颗粒。60 只（实验 1）和 180 只（实验 2）1 日龄洛曼选莱亨鸡分别分为 12 个组，每组 5 只（实验 1）或 15 只（实验 2），饲养在有缝隙的地板上。在育雏期间，4 个组分别自由采食商业颗粒饲料、分别含有 5%（实验 1）或 10%（实验 2）切碎羽毛的颗粒饲料、或分别含有 5%（实验 1）或 10%（实验 2）纤维素的颗粒饲料。在连续产蛋期间，所有组都喂食商业颗粒饲料。在实验 1 中，从第 5 周到第 16 周每周记录啄羽情况。在产蛋期间，在第 18、20、22、23、24、25、26、27、28 和 30 周进行观察。在实验 2 中，从第 5 周到第 11 周、第 16 周到第 18 周以及第 20 周和第 21 周每周记录啄羽情况。在育雏期末，按个体母鸡给羽毛状况评分。给每个鸡的 6 个身体部位的羽毛状况分别评 1（光秃）到 4（完整）分。与对照饲料相比，日粮中添加 10%的羽毛显著减少了严重啄羽发作的次数（P < 0.0129），并显著改善了背部羽毛状况（P < 0.001）。啄羽/吃羽与改变啄羽行为的胃肠道后果之间的关系尚不清楚。了解这种关系对于理解产蛋母鸡啄羽的原因可能至关重要。
