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Chicken Behaviour and Welfare
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 10 hours
  • Course by The University of Edinburgh
  • Offered by

About

This course explains the general principles of chicken behaviour and welfare, and the behavioural and physiological indicators that can be used to assess welfare in chickens kept in hobby flocks through to commercial farms. The focus is primarily on laying hens and meat chickens (broilers) although many of the principles are relevant to other types of poultry. The course is likely to be of interest to people who own chickens as pets or keep a small hobby flock, commercial egg and chicken meat producers, veterinarians and vet nurses. Learning Objectives: at the end of this course, you will be able to - - Describe avian sensory perception and motivation - Explain the main behaviour patterns of poultry - Define welfare and explain the bases of welfare standards - Assess chicken welfare, using behavioural and physiological means - Understand common welfare problems of chickens This course is taught by staff from Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), University of Glasgow, and St David's Poultry Team. You can follow us on Twitter! #chickenmooc © University of Edinburgh and Scotland's Rural College 2016 CC BY

Modules

Welcome!

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Chicken Behaviour & Welfare Promo Video

1 Readings

  • Finding more information

How to engage with one another

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Rules of engagement (from Animal Behaviour & Welfare course)

Animal behaviour and domestication

    • 3 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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3 Videos

  • What is behaviour?
  • What is a chicken?
  • Domestication

2 Readings

  • What is a chicken? Some images
  • Smithsonian's How the chicken conquered the world.

Behaviour development, including imprinting and other types of learning

    • 5 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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5 Videos

  • Prehatch and hatching
  • Imprinting
  • Other types of learning
  • Hormones and Behaviour
  • Motivation

2 Readings

  • Learning who is your mother
  • Exercise: how operant conditioning works

The senses

    • 4 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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4 Videos

  • Vision
  • Hearing
  • Taste
  • Smell and Touch

1 Readings

  • Article on vision

Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Domestication, Development and Learning, the Senses

Additional Material

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Interview with Sarah Brocklehurst

Feeding and drinking behaviours

    • 6 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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6 Videos

  • Introduction To Maintenance Behaviours
  • Feeding Behaviour
  • History Of Feeding, Contrafreeloading
  • Motivation To Show Feeding Phases
  • Broiler Feeding Behaviour
  • Drinking Behaviour

2 Readings

  • Article on feed choice in chickens
  • Drinking from a nipple drinker or dish

Comfort behaviours and social behaviours

    • 6 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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6 Videos

  • Preening And Dustbathing
  • Perching
  • Stretching, Wing Flapping, Thermoregulation, Sleeping
  • Communication
  • Dominance Behaviour, Aggression, Bird-to-bird Pecking
  • Social Spacing

2 Readings

  • Distinction between preening, and oiling + preening
  • Aggression between males

Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Behaviour part 1

Reproduction, courtship, mating and nesting

    • 8 Videos
    • 4 Readings
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8 Videos

  • Introduction To Reproduction
  • Courtship
  • Mating Behaviour
  • Nesting and Laying Behaviour
  • Brooding Behaviour
  • Problems With Nesting And Laying Behaviour
  • Interview With Johnny - Breeding And Preparing For The Show Ring
  • Interview With Derek - Small-scale Commercial Broiler Incubation And Hatching

4 Readings

  • Transcript for interview with Johnny - Breeding and preparing for the show ring
  • Hens that go broody
  • How to assess developing embryos in eggs
  • Egg shell abnormalities

Undesirable behaviours

    • 4 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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4 Videos

  • Feather Pecking And Cannibalism
  • Stereotypic Behaviours
  • Overdrinking (polydipsia)
  • Litter Eating

2 Readings

  • Egg eating
  • Different types of feather pecking

Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Behaviour part 2

Welfare, ethics, stress and how to assess welfare

    • 5 Videos
    • 3 Readings
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5 Videos

  • Defining Welfare, and the Five Freedoms
  • Ethics and Poultry Production
  • Welfare Organisations and Accreditation Schemes
  • Effects of Stressors
  • Assessing Welfare: Behavioural and Physiological Measures

3 Readings

  • Ruth Harrison
  • Article on a 'good life' for hens
  • Welfare accreditation schemes

Quiz

    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Welfare, ethics, welfare standards
  • A Life Worth Living Exercise (just for fun)

Housing: commercial poultry production

    • 4 Videos
    • 3 Readings
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4 Videos

  • Egg Production: Furnished Cages
  • Egg Production: Free Range
  • Chicken (Broiler) Production
  • Interview With Barry: Is Free Range Always Best?

3 Readings

  • Laying hens: supplement to the Code of Practice
  • Article on welfare problems in meat chickens
  • Pullet rearing, pullet welfare issues

Culling birds, transport and slaughter

    • 6 Videos
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6 Videos

  • Introduction To Killing Sick Or Injured Stock
  • Methods Of Culling Poultry
  • How Do You Know A Bird Is Dead?
  • Introduction To Transport
  • Depopulation, Transport, And Lairage
  • Stunning And Slaughter

Quiz

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Housing, transport and slaughter

Survey

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Post-Course Survey

Auto Summary

"Chicken Behaviour and Welfare" delves into the principles of chicken behaviour and welfare, focusing on laying hens and broilers. Ideal for pet owners, hobbyists, and commercial producers, this course covers avian sensory perception, behaviour patterns, welfare standards, and common welfare issues. Taught by experts from SRUC, University of Glasgow, and St David's Poultry Team, it offers foundational knowledge over a 600-hour duration. Available on Coursera with starter and professional subscription options. #chickenmooc

Dr Victoria Sandilands
Instructor

Dr Victoria Sandilands