The relative preferences for feathers, straw, wood-shavings and sand for dustbathing, pecking and scratching in domestic chicks

Abstract

The relative attractiveness of feathers, straw, wood-shavings and sand as a substrate for pecking, scratching and dustbathing was examined in pairs of domestic chicks ( Gallus gallus domesticus). Chicks without experience of dustbathing showed no preference on Days 2–7 of life when feathers, straw and wood-shavings were presented for pecking (Batch 1), but during the remaining days (8–13) feathers were less preferred than straw and wood-shavings. In chicks that were presented with sand, feathers and straw for pecking (Batch 2), feathers were continually less preferred for pecking than sand or straw. During a subsequent dustbathing choice test (Days 15–16) there was no preference for any of the substrates in Batch 1, whereas sand was preferred for dustbathing (vertical wingshaking) over feathers and straw in Batch 2. Other pairs of chicks that were trained from Days 3 to 25–26 to dustbathe on either straw, wood-shavings or feathers dustbathed equally as much in their training substrates on the last day of training, and with equal numbers of pecks and scratches (while standing). When tested for their choices between their training substrate and sand, and after considerable experience of sand, most dustbathing was performed on sand. However, many of the chicks still performed most of their vertical wing-shakes on their training substrate; the chicks that were trained on feathers performed as much as those trained on wood-shavings and significantly more than those trained on straw. In the inexperienced chicks, feathers were generally less preferred for pecking and scratching than straw and wood-shavings. However, the subsequent experiments showed that the early preferences became modified as a result of specific experience. None the less, straw or wood-shavings were no more attractive than feathers as a substrate for dustbathing, and it is suggested that there is a risk of pathological feather pecking development when straw or wood-shavings are used as litter for young chicks.