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. © University of Edinburgh and Scotland's Rural College 2016 CC BY Learners can apply for Financial Aid directly with Coursera to assist with the cost of accessing the full course and gaining a certificate for successfully completing the course.
MB
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.
PF
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.
AS
I found this course to be very informative for those who are beginning to learn about chickens or would like to expand their knowledge to improve conditions for their backyard flock.
CL
Fantastic course if you're just starting out in the world of chickens. I feel that I gained vital knowledge which has boosted my confidence in my abilities as a back garden hen keeper.
HK
his course is so informative. many things thay i took for granted in chicken are actually essential. welfare of chicken is important. i will now be a role model in my community to educate farmers.
ML
Informative. However sometimes it was hard to hear the lecture over the chicks. I would have also liked a bit more photos or videos of what was being talked about instead of a video of the lecturer
RH
Excellent course. I wanted a basic understanding before getting some backyard chickens, this course went above and beyond my requirements, while still being accessible to a novice. Thank you.
CC
There is some super helpful information in this course, at times it was difficult to maintain concentration with the background noise of the chickens and a monotone speach delivery.
AP
Very, very interesting and informative. I've always wanted to raise chickens for small scale selling and consumption and this course has provided me with the tools to do so. Thank you
PD
On the video section,the process should be shown by technically.It was just about telling the processes.But if the process was shown on the video,it would be more effecient.
SI
This course is very well structured. The lecture delivery is impressive using all the helping materials as pictorials and videos. The given links and supporting material are very helpful.
MS
Great information about chickens' instinctive behaviors and the advantages and disadvantages of various means of caring for them. I learned a lot about the various systems used throughout the world.
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I found the course excellent, but I was really confused about the fact that the course is talking about welfare and it have no problem to say that 50% of the chicks (male chicks) of the laying chicken breed are just destroyed after hatching, I don't know but I can't find this ethical or logical.
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.
Fantastic, detailed and mindfully planned course serving all those who connect their lives with the chicken ones. Very pleased with professional work performed by a very welcoming lector + finest extra interviews. I'd say that an additional week showing the basics of maintaining a proper small chicken barn or diving a bit deeper into organic chicken farming would make it even more great and useful. Warmest thanks anyway, couldn't help finishing the 5 weeks course in actual 2 - that fascinating it was.
I have a small flock of backyard chickens. I found your course to be very informative. I also felt that I could trust what I was reading, instead of relying on word of mouth and the internet. My hens thank you for educating their keeper.
I learned so much. I am a hobby farmer with a small flock, but I really enjoyed learning about all aspects of chicken welfare as it pertains to both small and large scale operations. Thank you!
I'm very glad I took this course. I've kept chickens throughout much of my life since childhood and some of the information presented here made me go, "Oh! Now I get it." The course was well structured and presented in an informal yet professional manner that I found appealing. This was one of my first coursera classes so I don't know if it's already offered, but I would love to see this team put together a course on chicken breeds if they haven't already. The only downside to this class was that the last section (slaughter) seemed (to me) a bad note to leave on. Maybe add a bit about bringing in the new batch of chicks or just anything a bit more upbeat. Thanks to everyone involved for a job well done.
i learned a lot of knowledge from this course because it is very critical and important part of my field related to Poultry Behaviour and welfare
i really thanks ful to coursea community
this course is very gainful for any person who is involved in any type of poultry production system directly or indirectly i would instigate all to involve and complete this course.
I have learned so much from this course that I hadn't even considered before attempting to raise layers. I especially appreciate the tips for rearing free ranged birds in an urban or small yard environment; expressly the difference in approach for broilers opposed to the layers. I will most definitely incorporate the tip about liming into our routine. I've used it in the past as it sweetens the soil and helps for a healthier lawn, but now I know it can help lessen events of worms. Couldn't be happier about the decision to take this class.
A very interesting and very developed course, wth so many concrete details ! Serious study in the depth of chickens life (backyard and commercial). Much useful, to be able to understand chickens, to evaluate their welfare, and then to improve it. I think that, thanks to this course, it's really possible to be a good stock keeper, and to have a happy flock ! Thank you so much for this precious help !
Really interesting and easy to follow. I was mostly learning with a view to owning a small backyard flock one day, but even so the information pertaining to commercial operations was important and easy to understand. A lot can be taken from that for a small set-up anyway.
Really insightful and useful - gave me some additional knowledge on how to care for my back yard chickens and also details on the supply chain of chickens raised for consumption.
Easy to follow videos and quizzes - would recommend to anyone with an interest in chickens!
Thank you very much to the instructor at Duke University. This course has taught me a great deal of information. Things that I never knew before, it was interesting and rewarding. Thank you very much.
Great information about chickens' instinctive behaviors and the advantages and disadvantages of various means of caring for them. I learned a lot about the various systems used throughout the world.
his course is so informative. many things thay i took for granted in chicken are actually essential. welfare of chicken is important. i will now be a role model in my community to educate farmers.
Fantastic course if you're just starting out in the world of chickens. I feel that I gained vital knowledge which has boosted my confidence in my abilities as a back garden hen keeper.
Very, very interesting and informative. I've always wanted to raise chickens for small scale selling and consumption and this course has provided me with the tools to do so. Thank you
I found this course to be very informative for those who are beginning to learn about chickens or would like to expand their knowledge to improve conditions for their backyard flock.
I realize this course is offered by the University of Edinburgh, however I wish there was less emphasis on unnecessary facts related to the UK such as "What percentage of chickens were free range in the UK in 2013" which in no way matters to me as someone trying to learn about raising and caring for chickens. That said, I learned A LOT in this course. So many things I did not know that I did not know. Chicken behavior, feeding, watering, transport, feather pecking, as a few examples. I will recommend this course to anyone I meet who asks where to learn more about chickens, raising them, or caring for them.
Tests can be too difficult, considering they have questions on details I'm not especially here to learn. I'm here to take care of chickens, I'm not going to remember the percentage of free range vs. enriched cages in the UK as of 2013.