The use of pecking blocks as foraging enrichment for improvement of feather condition in laying hens

使用啄块作为饲料丰富物以改善蛋鸡的羽毛状况

• 批准号: 578538-2022
• 负责人: Harlander, AlexandraA
• 金额: $ 1.46万
• 依托单位: University of Guelph
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Alliance Grants
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=743532
• 关键词: use; pecking; blocks; foraging; enrichment

Feather pecking leading to damaged feather cover, injury and mortality is a common problem in laying hens in enriched colonies and non-cage housing. Feather pecking is a form of redirected foraging and the risk of this behaviour appearing is lower when laying hens are given foraging resources. The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens, the national standard of care for the egg industry in Canada, requires foraging resources, though it does not specify which resources are most suitable. Pecking blocks are compressed blocks of minerals (mainly calcium carbonate), grains and/or other fiber sources, and are suggested to blunt hens' beaks. Consequently, they are promising foraging resources that can be provided in both enriched colonies and non-cage housing. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of comparative and detailed studies on the impact of pecking blocks on feather pecking in either housing system in Canada. This project will examine the effectiveness of commercially available pecking blocks to enhance foraging and, thereby, reduce feather pecking in pullets and laying hens in enriched colonies and non-cage housing. The proposed experiments use laboratory and field studies to closely represent real-world scenarios and investigate birds' motivation to interact with the pecking blocks, which location(s) is/are most feasible within the system, and quantify effects on feather pecking, feather damage, and production outcomes throughout lay. Understanding the use of pecking blocks and their potential benefit on the feather cover of birds will not only benefit the birds themselves, but the thousands of egg farmers and millions of Canadian consumers who care about production practices.

啄羽导致羽毛覆盖层受损、受伤和死亡是富集群落和非笼养蛋鸡的常见问题。啄羽是一种重新定向觅食的形式，当蛋鸡获得觅食资源时，出现这种行为的风险较低。 《小母鸡和蛋鸡护理和处理操作规范》是加拿大蛋业护理的国家标准，它要求觅食资源，但没有具体说明哪些资源最合适。啄块是矿物质（主要是碳酸钙）、谷物和/或其他纤维来源的压缩块，建议用来钝化母鸡的喙。因此，它们有望在丰富的群体和非笼养环境中提供觅食资源。然而，在加拿大的任何一个住房系统中，都缺乏关于啄块对啄羽影响的比较和详细研究。该项目将研究市售啄食块在增强觅食方面的有效性，从而减少富集群落和非笼养鸡舍中小母鸡和蛋鸡的啄羽行为。所提出的实验利用实验室和现场研究来密切代表现实世界的场景，并研究鸟类与啄木块相互作用的动机，系统内哪些位置最可行，并量化对羽毛啄食、羽毛损坏的影响，以及整个生产成果。了解啄木块的用途及其对鸟类羽毛覆盖层的潜在好处不仅有利于鸟类本身，还有成千上万关心生产实践的蛋农和数百万加拿大消费者。