POULTRY
From page 39
Pecking and feather pulling
clearly induce pain from Day
13, and by Day 18 weaker
chicks can be pulled down
and trodden.
When chicks are with their
mothers they will copy her
dusting activities, starting as
young as Day 3. Preening of
wing and breast feathers may
start at Day 2, but no preen
gland is used until Day 14.
The preening spells may last
up to four minutes.
Chickens keep their feathers
waterproof by preening. They
get oil from a gland located at
the base of their tail feathers.
This gland is called the
uropygial gland, or preen
gland. The preen gland
secretes an oily/waxy substance which the chicken
spreads over its feathers with
its beak.
If you watch your chickens
preening, you will see them
periodically rub their beak on
an area by the base of their
tail to get more oil from their
preen gland.
Chicks will start pecking at
toes by Day 10. If conditions
are hot, dry and too bright,
they'll pick at wing and tail
feathers until they bleed, as
well as pecking at pasted up
vents.
Chicks will peck at any bright
object in the litter, which may
include nails and staples that
can cause death if swallowed,
so constant and careful
checking of the litter or the
area where they spend their
day is most important.
Litter scratching is a very
stereotypical action from Day
2. It is best described as a
scratch with the right leg, then
two with the left, then one
with the right and so on,
while the litter is flicked over
with the beak.
The whole sequence takes
about 15 seconds and occurs
in the best-lit areas first. If the
environment is too cold, litter
may be eaten and the gizzard
impacted.
A study of chicks up to ten
weeks old shows many
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behavioural activities:
K Resting is very important
just after hatching, declines till
three and a half weeks, rises
to eight weeks, then declines
again.
K Females rest more than
males.
K Leg stretching increases
(especially in males) to a peak
at four to seven weeks old
and then declines.
K Scratching increases in the
first week, declines to almost
nothing at seven weeks and
then reappears at nine weeks
old.
K Preening increases with
feather growth while running
about decreases with age.
K Frolicking increases up to
week four and then declines
as sparring starts and reaches
a peak at week five.
K Fighting encounters replace
sparring by week seven and
this pecking reaches a peak at
eight weeks, by which time a
clear pecking order is
established.
Chicks dehydrate quickly at
the high temperatures of
rearing, so they must find
water quickly after hatching
and learn to drink. Drinking
often starts with the chick
pecking at a bubble, and
some water movement helps
to start them drinking.
A good idea is to lay paper on
the floor and place the feed
and water on that. The chicks
will discover both by pecking.
Remove the paper after a
week as it will be soiled and
by then they should all have
learned. Be guided by the
smallest chicks as they'll be
slowest to learn.
If you are keeping the chicks
in