About this course: 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
Who is this class for: 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.
Created by: The University of Edinburgh
Taught by: Dr Victoria Sandilands, Senior scientist
Avian Science Research Centre, SRUC
| Language | English, Subtitles: French |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Getting Started
This brief module will tell you all the things you need to know to begin, including the syllabus of the course, who we are, how to engage with one another.
2 videos, 1 reading
- Video: Chicken Behaviour & Welfare Promo Video
- Reading: Finding more information
- Video: Rules of engagement (from Animal Behaviour & Welfare course)
Introduction to Animal Behaviour: Domestication, Behaviour Development and Learning, the Senses
Welcome to the first week of the Chicken Behaviour and Welfare Course. If you haven't seen it - watch the video which introduces you to the course: you can find it under "Getting Started; Welcome!" During this lesson, we will consider what makes a domestic animal, how behaviour develops in the chicken from before hatching and beyond, different types of learning and the senses - vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch.
13 videos, 5 readings
- Video: What is behaviour?
- Video: What is a chicken?
- Reading: What is a chicken? Some images
- Video: Domestication
- Reading: Smithsonian's How the chicken conquered the world.
- Video: Prehatch and hatching
- Video: Imprinting
- Video: Other types of learning
- Video: Hormones and Behaviour
- Video: Motivation
- Reading: Learning who is your mother
- Reading: Exercise: how operant conditioning works
- Video: Vision
- Video: Hearing
- Video: Taste
- Video: Smell and Touch
- Reading: Article on vision
- Video: Interview with Sarah Brocklehurst
Graded: Domestication, Development and Learning, the Senses
WEEK 2
Behavior Patters of Chickens, Part 1
During this week, we will consider some of the major behaviour patterns of chickens, such as maintenance behaviours of chickens, and social behaviours. Maintenance behaviours means feeding, drinking, and comfort activities. Comfort activities include preening, dustbathing, and perching (among others). Social behaviours include communication, dominance, aggression, and spacing. This week will be a combination of video lectures, in-video quizzes and an interview with a backyard producer.
12 videos, 4 readings
- Video: Introduction To Maintenance Behaviours
- Video: Feeding Behaviour
- Video: History Of Feeding, Contrafreeloading
- Video: Motivation To Show Feeding Phases
- Video: Broiler Feeding Behaviour
- Reading: Article on feed choice in chickens
- Video: Drinking Behaviour
- Reading: Drinking from a nipple drinker or dish
- Video: Preening And Dustbathing
- Reading: Distinction between preening, and oiling + preening
- Video: Perching
- Video: Stretching, Wing Flapping, Thermoregulation, Sleeping
- Video: Communication
- Video: Dominance Behaviour, Aggression, Bird-to-bird Pecking
- Reading: Aggression between males
- Video: Social Spacing
Graded: Behaviour part 1
WEEK 3
Behaviour Pattens of Chickens, Part 2
Welcome back everyone! During this week, we will consider the reproduction process in chickens, from courtship to brooding and hatching of eggs. We will then look at some abnormal behaviours that you might see in chickens. This week will be a combination of video lectures, in-video quizzes, video clips from outside sources, and a downloadable poster on eggshell abnormality.
12 videos, 6 readings
- Video: Introduction To Reproduction
- Video: Courtship
- Video: Mating Behaviour
- Video: Nesting and Laying Behaviour
- Video: Brooding Behaviour
- Video: Problems With Nesting And Laying Behaviour
- Video: Interview With Johnny - Breeding And Preparing For The Show Ring
- Reading: Transcript for interview with Johnny - Breeding and preparing for the show ring
- Video: Interview With Derek - Small-scale Commercial Broiler Incubation And Hatching
- Reading: Hens that go broody
- Reading: How to assess developing embryos in eggs
- Reading: Egg shell abnormalities
- Video: Feather Pecking And Cannibalism
- Video: Stereotypic Behaviours
- Video: Overdrinking (polydipsia)
- Video: Litter Eating
- Reading: Egg eating
- Reading: Different types of feather pecking
Graded: Behaviour part 2
WEEK 4
What is chicken welfare? Defining "welfare", ethical obligations, and welfare standards
During this week, we will consider what we mean by "animal welfare", and how a set of criteria known as the Five Freedoms can help you assess it. Dr Dorothy McKeegan from the University of Glasgow will discuss what the ethical obligations are of meeting an animal's welfare needs, and we will explore some of the various welfare standards that exist. Finally, we will look at welfare indicators, and Dr Barry Thorp from St David's Veterinary Team will discuss with Vicky what signs to look for in chicken flocks to make a welfare assessment. This week's Learning Outcomes: •Define 'welfare' and the Five Freedoms •What drives our ethical choices, including cost-benefit analysis •Describe some welfare standards available worldwide and how they differ •Explain ways to assess welfare, using behavioural and physiological indices
5 videos, 3 readings, 1 practice quiz
- Video: Defining Welfare, and the Five Freedoms
- Reading: Ruth Harrison
- Video: Ethics and Poultry Production
- Reading: Article on a 'good life' for hens
- Video: Welfare Organisations and Accreditation Schemes
- Reading: Welfare accreditation schemes
- Video: Effects of Stressors
- Video: Assessing Welfare: Behavioural and Physiological Measures
- Practice Quiz: A Life Worth Living Exercise (just for fun)
Graded: Welfare, ethics, welfare standards
WEEK 5
Effects of housing, transport and slaughter on bird welfare
This is the last week of the Chicken Behaviour and Welfare course, you are almost at the finish line... During this week, we will consider the welfare of layer hens and broiler (meat) chickens, from hatch to slaughter, particularly in common commercial systems. This week's Learning Outcomes: •Compare the most common housing systems used in Europe for laying hens •Compare the most common housing systems used in Europe for broiler chickens •Discuss the pros and cons of free range housing •Describe methods of emergency killing •Discuss different transport requirements, depending on the scale •Describe some of the common methods of slaughtering poultry.
10 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Egg Production: Furnished Cages
- Video: Egg Production: Free Range
- Reading: Laying hens: supplement to the Code of Practice
- Video: Chicken (Broiler) Production
- Reading: Article on welfare problems in meat chickens
- Video: Interview With Barry: Is Free Range Always Best?
- Video: Introduction To Killing Sick Or Injured Stock
- Video: Methods Of Culling Poultry
- Video: How Do You Know A Bird Is Dead?
- Video: Introduction To Transport
- Video: Depopulation, Transport, And Lairage
- Video: Stunning And Slaughter
Graded: Housing, transport and slaughter
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Ratings and Reviews
thoroughly enjoyed this course. taught me a great deal about things I can and should be improving for my own. Helped me understand a lot more about the commercial side too.
Things I really enjoyed about this course: the videos were short and organized around one central topic. The explanations were clear and concise with just enough photos to illustrate a concept. The course began with an explanation of chicken evolution and common behaviors and then those concepts were referenced later in relation to housing and behavior of commercial poultry. I would recommend this course to anyone who works in commercial poultry to better understand animal welfare concepts or to anyone keeping a backyard flock. Well done.
Very useful in-depth information. A must for those interested in raising chickens - explaining the whys behind chicken behavior and how to correct or minimize unwanted behavior.
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VC
Excellent course in both material content and the friendly and easy to understand approach from the lecturer.