Feather Pecking in Laying Hens: Why They Do It, and Welfare Implications

Severe feather pecking in laying hens is a significant welfare problem, causing pain, increased susceptibility to infection and an increased risk of premature death. Severe feather pecking is strongly related to absent, inadequate or insufficient foraging opportunities or to dietary deficiencies. Management practices that acknowledge the importance of foraging and dietary factors have been shown to be protective against feather pecking in commercial flocks. Further progress in prevention and control will depend on a greater understanding of the causal basis of feather pecking, and differences in individual bird propensity to peck.