Preventive Measures to Control the Feather Pecking Behaviour in Laying Hens

Abstract

Feather pecking is an abnormal behaviour occurring in laying hens, breeders, and sometimes in broilers. Feather pecking is welfare and as well as economic problems in poultry species. Whereby removing others’ feathers resulted in poor plumage, feather loss, more incidences of injuries, pain, and even causes the occurrence of cannibalism. Feather pecking is dissimilar from aggressive pecking that is mostly directed to the head. Abundant loss of feathers from body increased heat loss which amplified more consumption of food. So different strategies such as environmental changing (alternative housing systems), management practices (feeding systems, lighting and density of birds), and genetic selection (sex, age, and genetic factors) were used to control the problem of feather pecking in poultry species.