Feather loss in laying hens

Abstract

The paper examined the incidence of different forms of feather loss and cannibalism in laying hens aged 74 weeks following moulting and in laying hens following exploitation for a period of one year. The forms of feather loss were considered in detail through a repeated examination of video recordings and they were sorted according to localization - to feather loss on the ventral part of the neck, on the dorsal part of the neck, and on the back between the wings. Feather loss on the ventral part of the neck was established in 47.9% hens, and in the dorsal part in 16.77% hens of the 167 laying hens aged 74 weeks following moulting. The group of 129 laying hens that were observed following one-year exploitation exhibited considerably more frequent feather loss, in 96.90% hens it was localized on the ventral part of the neck, in 60.47% hens on the dorsal part of the neck, and in 20.16% hens it was localized on the back between the wings. A comparison of the results of the incidence of co localized forms of feather loss in the one and the other group of laying hens using the t-test showed statistically very significant differences. A detailed consideration of the video recordings using the method of sequence analysis did not reveal any cannibalism in either group of laying hens.

Keywords

• laying hens
• feather loss