Effect of sight barriers in pens of breeding ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus): I. Behaviour and welfare

Abstract

1. The study investigated the effects of providing sight barriers in breeding pens on pheasant mortality, feather damage and behaviour.

2. Data were collected from 11 conventional pens (control) and 11 pens with additional sight barriers (barrier) over the course of a ten week breeding season. Each pen contained 8 males and 56 females at the beginning of the season.

3. There was a higher rate of mortality in males (6·25%) than females (2·11%) that was unaffected by treatment.

4. Feather damage increased over the breeding season and both male and female pheasants showed better feather condition in the pens with barriers at the end of the season.

5. The pheasants spent most of their time walking or standing. Providing barriers increased perching, but reduced preening.

6. The provision of sight barriers had no effect on the incidence of courtship and mating, but did reduce aggressive interactions such as pecking and chasing.

7. The study provides baseline data on the behaviour of breeding pheasants under these husbandry conditions, and suggests that barriers may improve pheasant welfare by reducing potentially harmful aggressive interactions, without affecting activity patterns or reproductive behaviour.

Acknowledgements

The study was funded in part by the Marsden's Game Feeds, UK Game Farmers’ Association, the Universities’ Federation for Animal Welfare, and the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Animals Sciences, University of Lincoln. Many thanks to Bernard and Wayne Voce of Shelford Pheasantries for their enthusiasm for this project, for providing facilities, and for their invaluable assistance in establishing treatment pens. Many thanks go to John Flynn for statistical advice and to Oliver Burman and the anonymous referee who provided constructive criticism of a previous version of the manuscript.