Nest site selection and nest-building behaviour in domestic fowl

Abstract

Domestic hens, Gallus gallus domesticus, prefer to lay in nests containing loose material which can be both moulded by their body and feet movements and manipulated with their beaks during nest building. This study attempted to define which of these two functions the hen regards as more important. When given a choice, hens opted for nests that could be moulded by body and feet movements but could not be manipulated with the beak rather than nests that could not be moulded but could be manipulated. When the importance of loose material was assessed independently of whether the nest could be moulded or not, hens did not seem to regard its presence as essential. These findings suggest that it is more important for hens to have a nesting site with a substrate that can be moulded with the body and feet than one that can be manipulated with the beak. The study then attempted to elucidate whether it is the performance of nest-building motor patterns or the attainment of the final moulded nest that hens find rewarding. When given a choice between pre-moulded nests and mouldable nests, hens opted for the pre-moulded ones. The frequencies of nest-building activities performed in both nest types, however, were no different. These findings suggest that the hen has some ‘need’ to perform nest-building behaviour but does not have to build a nest herself; a pre-moulded nest is perfectly acceptable as long as it allows the performance of the behaviour. When pre-moulded nests were compared with traditional litter nests, the majority of hens opted for litter nests suggesting that these nests have features (as yet undefined) that are particularly attractive to nesting hens.