The use of pecking blocks as foraging enrichment for improvement of feather condition in laying hens

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Feather pecking leading to damaged feather cover, injury and mortality is a common problem in laying hens in enriched colonies and non-cage housing. Feather pecking is a form of redirected foraging and the risk of this behaviour appearing is lower when laying hens are given foraging resources. The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens, the national standard of care for the egg industry in Canada, requires foraging resources, though it does not specify which resources are most suitable. Pecking blocks are compressed blocks of minerals (mainly calcium carbonate), grains and/or other fiber sources, and are suggested to blunt hens' beaks. Consequently, they are promising foraging resources that can be provided in both enriched colonies and non-cage housing. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of comparative and detailed studies on the impact of pecking blocks on feather pecking in either housing system in Canada. This project will examine the effectiveness of commercially available pecking blocks to enhance foraging and, thereby, reduce feather pecking in pullets and laying hens in enriched colonies and non-cage housing. The proposed experiments use laboratory and field studies to closely represent real-world scenarios and investigate birds' motivation to interact with the pecking blocks, which location(s) is/are most feasible within the system, and quantify effects on feather pecking, feather damage, and production outcomes throughout lay. Understanding the use of pecking blocks and their potential benefit on the feather cover of birds will not only benefit the birds themselves, but the thousands of egg farmers and millions of Canadian consumers who care about production practices.