BONUS SPRING SUMMER 2025

Feather pecking in layer chickens: causes and consequences Retha Gericke – Technical Advisor: Poultry Pecking is a natural exploratory behaviour that starts as chickens peck their way out of the egg and learn to forage for food. Chickens will naturally peck at each other out of curiosity and to establish a hierarchy, or “pecking order” among the flock. This can turn into aggressive feather pecking, which can cause feather loss, skin damage, and even death. Feather pecking can become amajor welfare problem, particularly in commercial settings, and lead to reduced flock health and productivity. Causes of feather pecking Stress is the most common trigger for aggressive feather pecking. In layers, stress can be caused by several environmental and management factors. • Heat stress: Excessive heat can cause extreme feather pecking and cannibalism. Temperatures should be measured at bird level and adjusted to a comfortable thermoneutral zone. • High stocking density: Overcrowding commonly causes aggressive behaviour as dominant chickens will peck at more submissive chickens, fighting for feeder and drinker space and causing high stress levels. • Excessive light: High light intensity or very long periods of light (>16 hours a day) outside the recommended breed guidelines can be stressful to chickens, in addition to increasing visibility for aggressive pecking. Prolapse or wounds: Chickens are attracted to the colour red, and will instinctively be drawn to the comb, wattles, and vent (often reddened after laying an egg). The colour and smell of blood will draw their attention, and untreated wounds can lead to cannibalism. This can be triggered when hens suffer from prolapse or during moulting season, when the curious hens will peck at the newly emerging quills or reddened skin. Cannibalism can become a vicious habit that spreads through the flock. Unbalanced ration/insufficient feed: It is important to differentiate between when hens eat the feathers they pluck out due to a deficiency or from typical aggressive pecking. If the feathers are being consumed, it can indicate that the layer is not receiving enough protein. While this can be caused by a protein imbalance in the feed ration, it can also occur if the layers aren’t receiving sufficient feed or water to meet their daily intake requirements. Spring/Summer 2025 BONUS www.agribonus.co.za 54