This chapter discusses the importance of mental health and well-being in captive birds, with practical recommendations for bird caregivers to maximize the mental wellness of birds in their care.

Severe feather pecking in laying hens is a significant welfare problem, causing pain, increased susceptibility to infection and an increased risk of premature death. Severe feather pecking is strongly related to absent, inadequate or insufficient foraging opportunities or to dietary deficiencies....

Survival of commercial laying hens is an important trait. Feather pecking has a large effect on the survival of birds. To improve survival it is important to use quantitative genetic methods that take into account both the direct genetic effect (victim effect) and the indirect genetic effect (actor ...

This chapter considers how animals can (and historically have been) protected with limited or even no public resource, and indeed with limited or no animal protection laws. Given emphasis are cruelty (a positive act to deliberately cause unnecessary suffering of an animal) and negligence (an action ...

This chapter describes behaviours that are directed towards some part of the animal's own anatomy or some inanimate feature of the animal's surroundings.

This book contains chapters that discuss the natural engineering and multifunctionality of feathers, embryonic development of the avian integument, the reasons and welfare implications of feather pecking in laying hens, genetic solutions to reduce injurious pecking in laying hens, evidence-based...

Injurious pecking in laying hen flocks comprises feather pecking and tissue pecking, the latter often referred to as cannibalism. Although some gentle feather pecking belongs to the natural repertoire of laying hens, the more vigorous form, severe feather pecking, is considered an abnormal...

Feather cover of chickens can be influenced by many factors, including direct or indirect nutritional factors. Direct dietary factor effects are levels of protein/amino acids, vitamins, minerals and mycotoxins. Indirect nutritional factors will impact feather cover through their effects on feather...

This chapter discusses management factors in broiler breeders that can trigger abnormal feathering and unwanted feather damage, such that the birds are unable to maintain good feather cover at all times. Management practices to ensure good feed access include the following. Birds have correct...

This chapter describes abnormal behaviours directed at other animals.