LWV23067 Happy feet (BO-63-001-070)

Toe pecking is an injurious behaviour in laying hens, that can lead to pain, injuries, loss of toe limbs and mortality, and has been shown to be present in many commercial flocks. It is yet unclear what causes toe pecking in laying 
hens and what can be done to mitigate this injurious behaviour. It likely is a multifactorial problem, as many factors seem to be involved, including genetics, nutrition, metabolic factors (like fatty acid metabolism and energy balance), water consumption, physical damage, and other factors leading to dry feet and wounds that could trigger pecking behaviour towards the feet – potentially in combination with a response to a stressor in a flock. In the proposed research, we aim to gain more insight into toe pecking behaviour in laying hens and to 
develop strategies for the prevention or reduction of this problematic, injurious behaviour. The project encompasses two main objectives. In the first objective, we aim to gain more insight in the prevalence of toe pecking in the Dutch laying hen sector, risk factors and ontogeny of toe pecking. This will be done using farmer surveys, farm visits including behavioural observations of birds, and microbiological, infection-related, and metabolism-related examination of toe peckers and toe pecking victims. Indications of factors that play a role in 
the development of toe pecking or directions for potential interventions (i.e., the results from objective 1)  determine the direction of follow-up experiments to test risk factors and/or potential interventions (objective 2). The most promising risk factor(s) and/or intervention(s) will be tested in an experimental setting, to examine its role or efficacy. Overall, this project will provide more insight into laying hen behaviour including toe pecking behaviour and can aid in developing prevention strategies. This can contribute to improved laying hen welfare, 
which benefits the layers and the laying hen farmers, and contributes to sustainable egg production.