Feather damaging behaviour in parrots: A review with consideration of comparative aspects

Species differences in responses to captivity: stress, welfare and the comparative method

“…Walruses seem to be the only captive pinniped with an oral stereotypic behavior, probably reflecting their unusual, naturally molluscivorous diet: the tusk rubbing resembles actions used when foraging on mollusc beds in the wild. Another stereotypic behavior that possibly derives from natural foraging movements is the feather and skin plucking common in some birds, including caged parrots ( Figure Ib) [79,80]. Cockatoos, as shown here, are very prone to self-plucking, whereas certain other parrot species are far less prone (Table 1).…”

“…Feather and skin plucking in parrots: alternatives to the exploration hypothesis (see the text) Hypothesis I: This behavior is induced by social isolation [79,88]. Prediction: Feather and skin plucking will be most severe or prevalent in the most social species; effects will be stronger in birds kept as pets (often without conspecifics) than in reputable zoos or breeding centers (generally with conspecifics).…”

“…Traditional approaches for identifying causes of poor welfare include epidemiological investigations that exploit existing variation between facilities, and experimental manipulations of management Box 1. Stereotypic behavior: a captivity-induced behavioral anomaly with great interspecies variation Suboptimal captive environments induce abnormal, repetitive stereotypic behavior by eliciting sustained attempts to perform specific normal activities, and in some cases by disrupting normal brain development leading to general tendencies to show behavioral inflexibility [22,62,79]. Species differ greatly in how readily they develop stereotypic behavior, with some species displaying little because they adjust well to captivity and others displaying little because they instead react with profound inactivity (Box 2).…”

Proportion of insoluble fibre in the diet affects behaviour and hunger in broiler breeders growing at similar rates

“…Stereotypic pecking is likely to be a consequence of the lower level of feeding compared with the other two feeding treatments, as has also been found in food restricted sows (Appleby and Lawrence, 1987). Pecking their own feathers has been observed in parrots (van Zeeland et al, 2009) and laying hens (Blokhuis et al, 1993), but not necessarily towards the tail. It is not clear whether the behaviour observed in this experiment is a grooming disorder, or a form of misdirected tail pecking.…”

Assigning Degrees of Ease or Difficulty for Pet Animal Maintenance: The EMODE System Concept

“…Indeed, we would generally consider that where caging is involved, and in particular where exotic forms are concerned that require highly specialised temperature and humidity care, most if not all of these animals fit into the 'difficult' or 'extreme' categories. Numerous authors have concluded that captive conditions frequently result in stress, morbidity and premature mortality, for example, invertebrates (Smith 1991;Elwood 2011;Crook 2013), fishes (Wabnitz et al 2003;Livengood and Chapman 2007;Volpato 2009); Meijboom and Bovenkerk 2013), amphibians (DPI 2006;Arena et al 2012), reptiles (Warwick 1995;Kreger 2002;Toland et al 2012;Warwick et al 2013), birds (Mather 2001;Engebretson 2006;Meehan and Mench 2008;van Zeeland et al 2009), and mammals (Hediger 1955;Hutchins et al 1984;Broom and Johnson 1993;Morgan and Tromberg 2007;Soulsby et al 2009). In summary, there is a risk that current practices may fail to cater for all of the five freedom requirements.…”