The Behavioural Biology of Chickens

The Behavioural Biology of Chickens PDF Author: Christine J Nicol
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 1780642490
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
Chickens are by far the world’s most widely farmed animal, kept for both meat and egg production. They are at the centre of many debates regarding housing and production systems, causing significant interest in what lies behind chicken behaviour. This accessible book covers sensory biology, behavioural development, preferences and aversions, social behaviour, learning and cognition, behavioural issues in different systems and solutions for behavioural problems. Authored by an authority on chicken ethology, it brings together the fields of animal behaviour, neuroscience, psychology and epidemiology to provide a comprehensive understanding of chicken behaviour and help improve the lives of farmed chickens around the world.

The Behavioural Biology of Chickens

The Behavioural Biology of Chickens PDF Author: Surendra Mohite
Publisher: Scitus Academics LLC
ISBN: 9781681171005
Category : Chickens
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Archaeological evidence suggests that the bird commonly known as the chicken (Gallus domesticus) is a domesticated version of the Indian and Southeast Asian Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus gallus) which is still found in the wild today. It is thought that the bird was first tamed in China around 6000 BC, with the birds moving into India by 2000 B.C. The chicken then spread from China to Russia and from there into Europe between 750 B.C. 42 A.D. Some scholars believe that the bird may have been domesticated first for its use in cockfighting, and only later used as a food source. The White Leghorn breed or crosses of this breed is the large white bird most commonly used in agriculture and for research, but there are over 400 different breeds of chickens. Chickens have a rigid social structure called the "pecking order" by which every bird establishes who is dominant and who is submissive in relationship to every other bird.

Poultry Behaviour and Welfare

Poultry Behaviour and Welfare PDF Author: Michael C. Appleby
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 0851996671
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 288

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Book Description
This authoritative textbook provides an introduction and guide to poultry behavior and welfare. It describes the origin and biology of the various species of bird that are of agricultural importance, as well as giving a succinct overview of their key behavior patterns. There is careful discussion of the many factors that influence their welfare, and detailed consideration of the ways in which legislation and commercial interests interact in an attempt to satisfy the many needs involved. The final chapters discuss possible future developments within the subject. The book is in part an update of a previous work, Poultry Production Systems: Behaviour, Management and Welfare (CABI, 1992), completely rewritten and with much new material added.

Understanding the Behaviour and Improving the Welfare of Chickens

Understanding the Behaviour and Improving the Welfare of Chickens PDF Author: Christine Nicol
Publisher: Burleigh Dodds Agricultural Sc
ISBN: 9781786764225
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
Part 1 of this volume reviews advances in research on key aspects of poultry behaviour and welfare monitoring. Part 2 discusses particular welfare issues affecting broilers and layers such as housing and environmental enrichment as well as problems such as injurious pecking and bone health.

Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals

Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals PDF Author: Temple Grandin
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0124055087
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 496

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Book Description
Behavior is shaped by both genetics and experience--nature and nurture. This book synthesizes research from behavioral genetics and animal and veterinary science, bridging the gap between these fields. The objective is to show that principles of behavioral genetics have practical applications to agricultural and companion animals. The continuing domestication of animals is a complex process whose myriad impacts on animal behavior are commonly under-appreciated. Genetic factors play a significant role in both species-specific behaviors and behavioral differences exhibited by individuals in the same species. Leading authorities explore the impact of increased intensities of selection on domestic animal behavior. Rodents, cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, herding and guard dogs, and poultry are all included in these discussions of genetics and behavior, making this book useful to veterinarians, livestock producers, laboratory animal researchers and technicians, animal trainers and breeders, and any researcher interested in animal behavior. Includes four new chapters on dog and fox behavior, pig behavior, the effects of domestication and horse behavior Synthesizes research from behavioral genetics, animal science, and veterinary literature Broaches fields of behavior genetics and behavioral research Includes practical applications of principles discovered by behavioral genetics researchers Covers many species ranging from pigs, dogs, foxes, rodents, cattle, horses, and cats

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals PDF Author: Kristine Coleman
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 0429671296
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 1088

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Book Description
CHOICE Highly Recommended title, 2022! This 30-chapter volume informs students and professionals about the behavioral biology of animals commonly housed in laboratory and other captive settings. Each species evolved under specific environmental conditions, resulting in unique behavioral patterns, many of which are maintained in captivity even after generations of breeding. Understanding natural behavior is therefore a critical part of modern animal care practices. The descriptions, data, guidance, resources, and recommendations in this book will help the reader understand their animals better, refine the care and treatment that they receive, and improve the well-being, welfare, and wellness of their animals. The book is divided into three sections, all focusing on aspects of the behavioral biology of animals found in laboratories and related research settings. After five introductory chapters, 25 chapters are dedicated to specific taxonomic groups (including mice, zebrafish, zebra finches, reptiles, macaques) while a concluding section of ethograms provides a centralized resource for those interested in understanding, and potentially quantifying, animal behavior. The Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals will provide anyone working in maintenance, care, and/or research programs that involve laboratory animals with information about the way the animals live in the wild, and the way that they should live in captive research settings. Many of the guidelines and recommendations will also be valuable to those managing and working with animals in other environments, including zoological parks, aquaria, and sanctuaries.

Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals

Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals PDF Author: William M. Muir
Publisher: Elsevier Inc. Chapters
ISBN: 012806000X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 51

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Book Description
Many behaviors in poultry can be modified by genetic selection. Selection of laying hens for maximum egg production had the unfortunate side effect of increased rates of beak inflicted damage on other birds. Selective breeding has eliminated broodiness and has either increased or decreased other behaviors, such as hysteria, fearfulness, appetite in broilers, social dominance, ability and damage to other birds. Genetic selection can be used to reduce behaviors that cause welfare problems. However, it must be approached with caution to avoid unintended consequences that would be detrimental to welfare. A calm, docile bird that appears behaviorally calm, may take longer for its heart rate to return to normal after it is frightened. The use of group selection instead of single-bird selection can be effectively used to reduce undesirable behaviors such as feather pecking and to maintain high egg production. An entire group of birds is selected instead of selecting individuals.

Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery

Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery PDF Author: Cheryl B. Greenacre
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118335430
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 366

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Book Description
Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery is a practical resource offering guidance on developing diagnostic and treatment plans for individual companion poultry or small flocks. Organized by body system to aid in developing a differential diagnosis list for common presenting signs, the book provides all the information clinicians need to effectively treat backyard poultry. Written by experts from both the commercial poultry field and the companion avian field, the book provides thorough coverage of both common and less common diseases of backyard chickens, ducks, and other poultry. The book begins with introductory chapters covering general information, an overview of US laws, and basic husbandry concerns, then moves into specific disease chapters organized by system. The book takes an individual medicine perspective throughout, with photographs, radiographs, and histopathological photomicrographs to illustrate principles and diseases. Backyard Poultry Medicine and Surgery is an invaluable guide to diseases and treatments for any practitioners treating backyard poultry.

Biology of Breeding Poultry

Biology of Breeding Poultry PDF Author: Paul M. Hocking
Publisher: CABI
ISBN: 1845933753
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 478

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Book Description
This book reviews the biological science and background to breeding meat poultry, specifically broiler, turkey and duck. These commercial birds have been changed by genetic selection to such an extent that they are substantially different from traditional breeds and laying hens. Covering science, management and husbandry systems, this book is an essential reference for researchers and students in animal science, as well as technical staff of breeding companies and poultry meat producers. Part of the Poultry Science Symposium Series.

Domestication and early experiences in chickens

Domestication and early experiences in chickens PDF Author: Pia Katrine Løtvedt
Publisher: Linköping University Electronic Press
ISBN: 9176853926
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 30

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Book Description
A number of animal species have undergone domestication, the process of becoming adapted to living in captivity and in proximity to humans. Common for these species is that they have all developed certain traits, including changes to coat color, body size and level of fearfulness. This has been termed the domestic phenotype. Among these traits is also an attenuation of the response to stress, both behaviorally and physiologically. Thus, release of glucocorticoids such as cortisol or corticosterone is lower in domesticated species. However, the underlying mechanism for this is not yet well understood. In this thesis, we have investigated genetic mechanisms for the attenuation of the physiological stress response in ancestral chickens, the Red Junglefowl, and domesticated chickens, the White Leghorn. We found a number of genes that differed in expression between the two breeds in several tissues involved in the stress response. Among the most interesting findings were lower expression of genes involved in production and secretion of ACTH in the pituitary, and in the production of glucocorticoids in the adrenal glands, in the domesticated White Leghorns. We also found higher expression of the glucocorticoid receptor in White Leghorns, indicating that they may have a more efficient negative feedback of the physiological stress response. We then investigated the transcriptome of the chicken pituitary more closely, and we discovered that a number of genes highly involved in several important physiological axes showed differential expression between the ancestral and the domesticated breed. Among these were genes involved in the stress response, the reproductive system, and in metabolism and growth. As these traits are modified in domesticated species, our results suggest that changes to gene expression in the pituitary may be an important underlying factor of the domestic phenotype. A separate aim of this thesis was to investigate effects of hatching time in chickens on their subsequent phenotype. Time of hatching constitutes an early experience that may differ between individuals, and we therefore hypothesized that differences in hatching time would affect chickens later in life. While a number of studies have been performed on hatching time and post-hatch growth, very little work has been done on effects on behavior. We found that the time of hatching had sex-specific effects. Hatching times in females were negatively correlated with body weight, whereas in males, behaviors such as reaction to novelty and spatial learning were affected. As time of hatching is governed by various hormones, including thyroid hormone and corticosterone, we suggest that changes to the levels of these hormones could affect both hatching time and post-hatch phenotypes. Understanding these mechanisms better would be beneficial in terms of production, where batch homogeneity is important, in research on early experiences and the potential for maternal programming, and in evolutionary questions on trade-off between different life strategies.