Effect of increased floor space on aggressive behaviour in male turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)
Under commercial rearing conditions, domestic turkeys are often aggressive towards ‘‘pen-mates’’, and this may lead to serious injuries or even death. We hypothesized that restricted space, as a consequence of high stocking density,might prevent the attacked bird from retreating fromits opponent to avoid serious consequences from an encounter. This study examines the aggressive response in […]
Farmer attitudes to injurious pecking in laying hens and to potential control strategies
Farmers’ recognition of health and welfare problems, and their responses to related intervention programmes, such as those to reduce injurious pecking in hens, directly influence the welfare of animals in their care. Changing those responses can be achieved through a re-positioning of social drivers as well as from individual behaviour. This study begins by considering […]
Consumer attitudes to injurious pecking in free-range egg production
Free-range egg producers face continuing problems from injurious pecking (IP) which has financial consequences for farmers and poor welfare implications for birds. Beak-trimming has been practised for many years to limit the damage caused by IP, but with the UK Government giving notification that they intend to ban beak-trimming in 2016, considerable efforts have been […]