Feather pecking (FP) in laying hens remains an important economic and welfare issue. This
paper reviews the literature on causes of FP in laying hens. With the ban on conventional …

In free-range and organic production systems, hens can make choices according to their
needs and desires, which is in accordance with welfare definitions. Nonetheless, health and …

This scientific opinion focuses on the welfare of laying hens, pullets and layer breeders on
farm. The most relevant husbandry systems used in Europe are described. For each system …

Abstract This Scientific Opinion considers the welfare of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) related
to the production of meat (broilers) and includes the keeping of day‐old chicks, broiler …

Severe feather pecking (SFP) in commercial laying hens is a maladaptive behavior which is
associated with anxiety traits. Many experimental studies have shown that stress in the …

Feather damage due to severe feather pecking (SFP) in laying hens is most severe during
the laying period. However, SFP can develop at an early age and is influenced by early …

Laying hens are typically moved to a novel environment after rearing, requiring adaptability
to cope with change. We hypothesized that the standard rearing of laying hen chicks, in non …

We hypothesised that resource choice during early life contributes to both current and longer-
term beneficial effects on animal welfare. We investigated this hypothesis in a longitudinal …

Pigs and poultry are by far the most omnivorous of the domesticated farm animals and it is in
their nature to be highly explorative. In the barren production environments, this motivation …

Feather damaging behaviour (also referred to as feather picking or feather plucking) is a
behavioural disorder that is frequently encountered in captive parrots. This disorder has …