Effects of long-term deprivation of sand on dustbathing behaviour in laying hens
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
1992 |
Authors: |
Diederik W. van Liere, Piet R. Wiepkema |
Publication/Journal: |
Animal Behaviour |
Keywords: |
chickens, deprivation, dustbathing |
ISBN: |
0003-3472 |
Abstract:
During 21 weeks of sand deprivation, intact and beak-trimmed laying hens, Gallus gallus domesticus, dustbathed on a barren floor (sham-dustbathing). The amount of dustbathing increased during the experiment to the same level (in the intact hens) as in non-deprived control hens, or to a higher level (in the beak-trimmed hens). During deprivation, the proportion of complete sham-dustbaths increased, while the consummatory rubbing behaviour within these sham-dustbaths seemed to become more dominant than in baths in sand. After 16 weeks deprivation, abnormal sham-dustbaths started with rubbing instead of appetitive tossing behaviour. The hypothesis that the motivation to dustbathe increases during deprivation was supported, but on the first day after the long-term deprivation there was no significant compensation for the deprived bathing in sand and, instead, signs of conflict bathing and fear were found. Thus, sand as a bathing material becomes unfamiliar after long-term deprivation. In a second experiment, intact hens were deprived of sand for up to 30 weeks, but at either 3-5 or 28-30 weeks they were prevented from sham-dustbathing for 3 consecutive days. As they compensated for the deprived sham-dustbathing activity thereafter, the performance of dustbathing per se may be facilitated intrinsically.