EFFECT OF REARING DENSITY ON PECKING BEHAVIOR AND PLUMAGE CONDITION OF LAYING HENS IN 2 TYPES OF AVIARY

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of rear ing density on pecking behaviour and plumage during rearing and throug hout the laying period in aviaries. Chicks were reared on sand at high (H; 13 m(-2)) or low (L; 6.5 m(-2)) density, in four rearing pens of 390 chicks and eight pens of 195 chicks, respectively, each pen measur ing 30 m(2). Proportions of chicks per pen performing various types of pecking behaviour were recorded by scan sampling during 16 observatio n bouts in each rearing pen at 6 weeks of age and during 24 observatio n bouts at 12 weeks. Individual body weights and plumage condition wer e recorded. Later, these pullers were housed at 17 hens m(-2) in Tiere d Wire Floor (TWF; 3 H and 3 L pens of 275 hens) and Laco-Voletage (2 H and 2 L pens of 275 hens) aviaries. At 35 weeks, two samples of eigh t hens from each aviary pen were observed for pecking behaviour in a t est pen. Throughout the laying period, additional records were collect ed on pecking behaviour, body weight, plumage condition, egg productio n, and mortality. The L birds had better plumage condition at 6 weeks of age and throughout the laying period. These birds also ground pecke d more frequently than H birds during rearing and the laying period. A t 12 weeks, L birds feather pecked less than H birds, but no relations hip was found between rearing density and feather-pecking behaviour du ring the laying period. Although TWF hens feather pecked more frequent ly than Voletage hens, there was no interaction between rearing densit y and type of aviary for the various pecking behaviours.