Chicken Behaviour and Welfare

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/chickens

Introduction

### Course Review: Chicken Behaviour and Welfare on Coursera In an increasingly urbanized world, many individuals are venturing into the world of poultry keeping, whether as a hobby or as a part of commercial enterprises. Understanding the complexities of chicken behavior and welfare is crucial for anyone looking to maintain a healthy and content flock. The Coursera course "Chicken Behaviour and Welfare" serves as an excellent resource for both novices and seasoned poultry owners, providing comprehensive insights into the lives of chickens and the principles of their care. #### Overview The course is designed to explain the general principles of chicken behaviour and welfare, focusing primarily on laying hens and broilers. By delving into behavioural and physiological indicators, learners can assess welfare in chickens ranging from hobby flocks to commercial farms. The course is particularly valuable for individuals who keep chickens as pets, maintain small hobby flocks, or operate commercial poultry farms. #### Course Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Getting Started** - This introductory module sets the stage for your learning journey, detailing the course structure and fostering engagement among participants. Familiarizing yourself with the resources and expectations from the onset makes for a more productive learning experience. 2. **Introduction to Animal Behaviour** - This week introduces the concepts of domestication, behavior development, and how chickens perceive the world through their senses. This foundational knowledge is critical for understanding the complexities of chicken behaviour. 3. **Behaviour Patterns of Chickens, Part 1** - Here, learners delve into maintenance behaviours like feeding and drinking, as well as social behaviours such as communication and dominance. The inclusion of video interviews with backyard producers enriches the learning experience, lending practical insights. 4. **Behaviour Patterns of Chickens, Part 2** - Focusing on reproduction, this module covers everything from courtship to brooding. The exploration of abnormal behaviours is particularly helpful for owners who want to ensure the well-being of their birds. 5. **What is Chicken Welfare?** - This key module tackles the definition of welfare, ethical obligations, and existing welfare standards. The involvement of experts, such as Dr. Dorothy McKeegan, provides credibility and depth to the content. Understanding the "Five Freedoms" is essential for anyone serious about poultry care. 6. **Effects of Housing, Transport, and Slaughter on Bird Welfare** - The final module brings everything together, comparing systems of housing for laying hens and broilers, while discussing the implications of transport and slaughter practices. This holistic view is invaluable for understanding the entire lifecycle of poultry. #### Recommendations **Who Should Take This Course?** This course is an excellent fit for: - Hobby chicken owners seeking to enhance their animals’ welfare. - Individuals interested in starting a small flock or poultry farm. - Students and professionals studying animal husbandry or veterinary sciences. - Those interested in ethical poultry practices and welfare standards. **Overall Experience** The course is well-structured and features a mix of video lectures, quizzes, and real-life insights from poultry producers. The systematic approach to both chicken behaviour and welfare ensures that learners receive a thorough grounding in essential concepts. The blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application makes this course not just informative but transformative for anyone hoping to improve their skills in chicken husbandry. #### Final Thoughts "Chicken Behaviour and Welfare" on Coursera is more than just an academic course; it is a gateway to better poultry care and management. By the end, participants will emerge with a robust understanding of how to promote welfare in their chickens, solidifying their role as responsible caretakers. Whether you're nurturing a few backyard birds or managing a large-scale operation, this course will equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary for success. I highly recommend enrolling to anyone interested in understanding the welfare of chickens and enhancing their care practices.

Syllabus

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.