Chicken Behaviour and Welfare

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.

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© University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College 2016 CC BY

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Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Getting Started
Introduction to Animal Behaviour: Domestication, Behaviour Development and Learning, the Senses
Week 2
Behaviour Patterns of Chickens, Part 1
Week 3
Behaviour Patterns of Chickens, Part 2
Week 4
What is chicken welfare? Defining “welfare”, ethical obligations, and welfare standards
Week 5
Effects of housing, transport and slaughter on bird welfare

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.

The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

perfectly organised and set on many short videos which makes learning much easier and simplified and i found all the topics very interesting and very well explained by the professor

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.

Excellent. Very Informative course. from Poultry Welfare point of view. It would have been richer if various processes, equipment were included for demonstration along with the lecture videos.

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.