Effect of environment on Pekin duck behaviour and its correlation with body condition on commercial farms in the UK

Abstract

1. Forty-six flocks of commercially-reared Pekin ducks were studied to determine the effects of housing system and environment on the behaviour of farmed ducks and its correlation with physical condition. Houses differed predominantly in their ventilation, drinking, feeding and brooding systems, and were indicative of systems currently in use in the UK.

2. At 41 d of age ducks spent 1⋅5% of the time feeding, 6⋅7% drinking, 4⋅2% rooting and 15⋅5% dry preening. They spent large amounts of time relatively inactive, 43⋅5%, or performing comfort behaviours, 17%. On average 4⋅6% of their time was spent walking and only 1⋅8% wet preening.

3. A greater proportion of the maximum number of ducks able to use the drinker at any one time used the trough; nipple use was least and Plasson use intermediate. The proportion of ducks wet preening was not affected by drinker type but increased with increasing drinker space (mm/bird).

4. Duck behaviour was little affected by commercial production system and was influenced more by environment, age and physical condition. Activity at an older age incorporated more of the behaviours associated with thermal comfort (panting) and maintenance of plumage condition (dry and wet preening). These behaviours increased with increasing temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric ammonia. Poor walking ability was correlated to increased frequency of panting, reduced activity at the drinker, and longer resting bouts.

Acknowledgements

We thank Cherry Valley Foods, Kerry Foods (now Gressingham Farms) and Gressingham Farms for participation and DEFRA for funding (AWO233).