%0 Journal Article
%T Influence of early environmental experience on development of pecking behaviour in chicks
%A ZHANG Si-He
%A BAO Jun
%J Acta Zoologica Sinica
%D 2008
%I 
%X An experiment was carried out to investigate the sensitive imprinting period and the influence of early experience on feather-pecking behaviour of young chicks. The experiment included 8 treatment-groups: one group of chickens (0F) were reared on sandy floor during the whole experiment period (0¨C14 weeks); one group (0P) were reared on barren floor; three groups were reared on barren floor for 2 weeks (3P), 4 weeks (5P), or 6 weeks (7P), respectively, and then reared on sandy floor till 14 weeks; the other three groups were reared on sandy floor for 2 weeks (3F), 4 weeks (5F), or 6 weeks(7F), respectively, and then reared on barren floor till 14 weeks. Feather-pecking, ground-pecking, object-pecking and staring at object were measured. The results showed that the most important period of imprinting for feather-pecking behaviour was during first four weeks after birth, especially week 3 and week 4. It was found that the early environmental experience can modify feather-pecking behaviour at later age, but can not completely change it. On the other hand, the environmental conditions seemed not to affect object-pecking and staring at object in this study [Acta Zoologica Sinica 54£¨6£©£º955¨C963, 2008].
%K Early experience
%K Environmental condition
%K Chicks
%K Pecking behaviour
%U http://www.currentzoology.org/paperdetail.asp?id=11031