Prediction of feather damage in laying hens using optical flows and Markov models.

Journal article

Feather pecking in laying hens is a major welfare and production problem for commercial egg producers, resulting in mortality, loss of production as well as welfare issues for the damaged birds. Damaging outbreaks of feather pecking are currently impossible to control, despite a number of proposed interventions. However, the ability to predict feather damage in advance would be a valuable research tool for identifying which management or environmental factors could be the most effective inter...

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Authors: Lee, H; Roberts, S; Drake, K; Dawkins, M

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Journal of the Royal Society, Interface / the Royal Society
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 57
• Pages: 489-499
• Publication date: 2011-04-01
• DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2010.0268
• EISSN: 1742-5662
• ISSN: 1742-5689
• Language: English
• Keywords: Animal Welfare; Markov Chains; Normal Distribution; Female; Chickens; Behavior, Animal; Feathers; Animals