Domesticated hens unfriendly, says research
The findings of a new study by the Royal Veterinary College suggest that domesticated hens do not form friendships.
The experiment, funded by the BBSRC was conducted to investigate whether or not the welfare of chickens could be improved by forming friendships with other hens.
Siobhan Abeyesinghe, a lecturer in animal welfare at RVC and one of the authors of the report said:
"This is not so odd a question you might think. In humans and other species, friendships have been shown to enrich life positively, buffer against stressful experiences and even improve reproductive success."
The movements of eight identical groups of 15 laying hens were observed over a period of eight weeks to see if particular pairs of birds were found together frequently, at both active and roosting times.
However, Abeyesinghe said the experiment found "no evidence" to suggest friendship between hens in commercial conditions, despite the fact that they were housed in small groups. The hens did not appear particular about which other hens they spent time with.
"This suggests that, at present, fostering of friendships cannot be used as a way to improve the welfare of chickens," she said.
The full article has been published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. According to RVS, more research is required to investigate whether or not the early social experiences of domesticated hens affect their later friendships. Further research is also required to determine if the lack of friendships in domestic hens is mirrored in their ancestors, the Red Junglefowl.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
