Effects of Vertical Panel on the Behavior of Thai Native Chicken Hens Paired with Cocks Kept in Bamboo Chicken Coops

Abstract

The incidence of over-mating and injuries by female are inevitable and vital welfare problem in mixed-sex chicken flocks. The experiment aimed to reduce the rate of sexual aggression in fighting cocks paired with hens in bamboo coop. The chickens were housed as mixed-sex pairs in 150 cm diameter, 124 cm height, bamboo coops provided with a wood perch in semi-open barn. Rice seeds were mixed with sand and wood shaving used as litter materials. Sixteen mature chickens (8 cocks, 8 hens) served as subjects. The experiment was conducted over two, four week periods. During the first period, coops containing no cover served as control. In the second period, coop was provided with a vertical panel. The panel constructed of bamboo and polypropylene fluted board was positioned 20 cm away from the center of coop. The behavior of each hen was recorded between 06.00 and 18.00 h using scan and behavior sampling methods. Hens allocated a large proportion of their time to resting activities, accounting for over 25% of the chicken time-budget. Aggression and mating behavior occurred less frequently in coops with vertical panel (P < 0.05). Ground scratching and dust-bathing bout were significantly increased (P < 0.05) when the vertical panel was provided. Overall, the presence of vertical panel allows hens to perform more natural behaviors (e.g. ground scratching, and dust-bathing) but reduced harmful interactions. This result indicates that vertical panel can control a severe over-mating problem in the bamboo chicken coop. This finding may be interpreted as the improvement of chicken welfare under the condition of restricted space.