The Behavioural Biology of Chickens

Chickens are by far the world’s most widely farmed animal, kept for both meat and egg production. They are at the centre of many debates regarding housing and production systems, causing significant interest in what lies behind chicken behaviour. This accessible book covers sensory biology, behavioural development, preferences and aversions, social behaviour, learning and cognition, behavioural issues in different systems and solutions for behavioural problems. Authored by an authority on chicken ethology, it brings together the fields of animal behaviour, neuroscience, psychology and epidemiology to provide a comprehensive understanding of chicken behaviour and help improve the lives of farmed chickens around the world.

• 1: Genetics and Domestication
• 2: Sensory Biology
• 3: Development of the Brain and Behaviour
• 4: Behavioural Contributions to Welfare Assessment
• 5: Behavioural Needs, Priorities and Preferences
• 6: Social Behaviour
• 7: Learning, Intelligence and Cognition
• 8: Applied Ethology of Broilers and Broiler Breeders
• 9: Applied Ethology of Laying Hens
• Conclusions