Environment, Well-Being, and Behavior
PS3885
The effects of environmental enrichment devices on feather picking in commercially housed Pekin ducks S. Colton and G. S. Fraley1
ABSTRACT Like other poultry species, Pekin ducks occasionally show an auto-mutilation behavior referred to as feather picking. Self-picking can lead to further pecking by conspecifics and ultimately to reduced feather quality and poor overall health of the bird. Although the reasons underlying feather picking are not clear, it appears to occur when the ducks are transitioning between downy feathers and adult plumage, between 17 and 22 d of age. We hypothesized that giving Pekin ducks a substitute outlet for this behavior in the form of environmental enrichment devices (EED) would decrease feather picking and improve feather quality and duck health and welfare. The EED were plastic Wifflestyle balls, each threaded with 4 zip-ties. In the first experiment, we set out to determine that placement of EED would not induce fear or harmful behaviors. Five barns were each divided into 2 pens, holding an average combined total of approximately 4,500 ducks with one pen per barn used as control. Upon placement of the
EED in one pen per barn, both pens were videotaped for a total of 2 h per day. The physical characteristics of 100 ducks per pen were scored at age 7, 21, 28, and 35. Results showed a decrease (P = 0.034) in both selfpicking and conspecific-pecking in pens with EED compared with pens without EED. Although no differences in body condition scores were observed at 7 d of age, by d 21 ducks with EED showed better (P = 0.021) feather quality and cleanliness scores compared with ducks without EED. In a second experiment, we set out to determine if ducks had a color preference for blue/green, red, or white EED. Again, ducks with EED showed reduced (P = 0.038) feather picking compared with ducks without EED. Ducks interacted considerably more (P = 0.00089) frequently with blue/green EED then either red or white EED. These results suggest that providing environmental enrichment may minimize feather picking and improve feather quality and duck welfare.
Key words: Pekin duck, feather picking, environmental enrichment, feather pecking TBC Poultry Science TBC:1–8 http://dx.doi.org/10.3382/ps.2014-03885
INTRODUCTION
particularly in galliforms (Madsen, 1966; Grindlinger and Ramsay, 1991; Bordnick et al., 1994; Jenkins, 2001; Seibert et al., 2004). It has been suggested that the incidence of these injurious behaviors may be related to a birds’ ability to forage in their bedding substrate (Rodenburg et al., 2004, 2005). Ducks are very curious creatures and the slightest change in a duck’s appearance, such as blood, can draw the attention of surrounding ducks and lead to pecking. Self-picking and conspecific pecking can cause damage to feathers and skin, and increase the potential for disease in the duck. Thus, picking and pecking in ducks may be different from the feather pecking observed in galliform species. Feather pecking in galliform species refers strictly to conspecifics, pecking at each other, damaging the skin and feathers of conspecifics in the same barn/pen (Keeling et al., 2004; Bright, 2007; Natt et al., 2007). Galliforms do not pick at themselves in the same manner as ducks. Pekin ducks pick mostly at themselves, although occasionally at each other. Both picking and pecking are episodic events in which the cause or stimulus is
Feathers provide a large part of the poultry economy in the form of down for pillows, blankets, and clothing. Considerable losses are noted each year due to feather picking and a subsequent reduced health/mortality. Some level of picking is good, however, in the form of preening. Ducks preen their feathers throughout their lives, but increase the level of preening between d 17 to 22 when the feathers change from down to adult plumage. Preening refers to a movement with the bill intended to care for the duck’s plumage aimed toward the breast, shoulders, wings, or back feather (Lersel and Bol, 1958). Injurious feather picking has been described and refers to an auto-mutilation behavior as opposed to feather pecking that occurs between birds, ©TBC Poultry Science Association Inc. Received January 7, 2014. Accepted June 1, 2014. 1 Corresponding author:
[email protected]
1
DRAFT
Biology Department, Hope College, Holland, MI 49423
2
Colton and Fraley
unknown, although one potential stimulus is thought to be due to a lack of environmental enrichment. Previous studies of the effects of environmental enrichment devices (EED) have been done with chickens and turkeys, using objects such as different colored strings, leg bands, or small balls (Gvaryahu et al., 1994; Newberry, 1995; Crowe and Forbes, 1999; Jones et al., 2000; Martrenchar et al., 2001; McAdie et al., 2005). A study on Muscovy ducks demonstrated that outdoor runs and open water sources possibly reduced feather picking; although this study has not been replicated on Pekin ducks (Klemm et al., 1992). However, most these studies were completed on very small numbers of birds and the results may not be translatable to full-size commercial barns. Thus, the effects of EED in chickens and turkeys have only been implemented to a limited extent on a production scale. To date, no EED study has been performed specifically on ducks to determine the effects of environmental enrichment to reduce feather picking. The purpose of our first study was to determine if the placement of EED within commercial barns would cause the ducks distress, as opposed to having beneficial effects. The purpose of our second study was to determine if the body condition scores of the Pekin ducks differ between control and treatment pens and to further determine if EED color affects the amount of interaction the Pekin ducks have with EED.
MATERIALS AND METHODS Birds and Housing The Pekin ducks used in this experiment were raised for production in poultry barns contracted by Maple Leaf Farms Inc. (Leesburg, IN). Male and female ducks (approximately equal ratios) were raised from 1 d of age until approximately 35 d of age in barns with 2 large floor pens (n = 10 barns; thus, 10 pens per treatment) with raised plastic-slatted floors following standard commercial conditions. Briefly, ducks are placed in the pens on the day of hatch where they are restricted to approximately one-third of the pen under brooding conditions (26.5°C, ~0.1 CFM[AU1: Throughout, provide SI units.]/duck ventilation,
