Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T03:14:19.211Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Visual cues used in the choice of mate by fowl and their potential importance for the breeder industry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2007

E.K.M Jones  and
N.B Prescott
E.K.M Jones
Affiliation:
Silsoe Research Institute, Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedfordshire MK45 4HS, UK
N.B Prescott
Affiliation:
Silsoe Research Institute, Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedfordshire MK45 4HS, UK
Get access

Abstract

Modern fowl breeder production has resulted in a wide disparity between the environment, mating behaviour and morphology of modern breeds in comparison with progenitor species. The environment is strictly controlled in most respects and dim lighting is maintained with luminaires that were originally designed for humans and that differ substantially in terms of intensity and colour balance from natural daylight. The elaborate mating displays observed in feral poultry and red jungle fowl rarely, if ever, occur in breeder houses. In most avian species females choose the males, whereas cockerels in breeder houses often appear to mate forcibly and aggressively with hens in the absence of any assessment by the hen. Cockerel and hen breeder fowl also differ morphologically from their progenitor species through genetic selection (larger and heavier) or mutilations (dubbing, etc). Given the apparently large differences between the subtle, gradually evolved mating ‘ecology’ found naturally and the production environments found commercially, it is perhaps surprising that little consideration has been given to this disparity in modern breeder production environments. An understanding of the factors governing choice of mate in commercial breeder houses and the influence of the visual environment may highlight novel methods whereby efficiency of these enterprises can be improved and elements of the welfare of breeder fowl assessed.

Keywords

Behaviourdomestic fowlintensive housinglightingmate choicevisionwelfare
Type
Research Article
Information
World's Poultry Science Journal , Volume 56 , Issue 2 , June 2000 , pp. 127 - 138
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2000

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Appleby, M.C. (1985) Hawks, doves and chickens. New Scientist 1438: 16–18Google Scholar
Ashton, W.L.G., Pattison, M. and BARNETT, I.C.C. (1973) Light induced eye abnormalities in turkeys and the turkey blindness syndrome. Research in Veterinary Science 14: 42–46CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Banks, E.W. (1954) Social organisation in the red jungle fowl, Gallusg. bankiyu. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 35: 67Google Scholar
Boshouwers, F.M.G. and Nicaise, E. (1987) Physical activity and energy expenditure of laying hens as affected by light intensity. British Poultry Science 33: 711–717CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collias, N.E., Collias, E.C., Hunsaiker, D. and Minning, L. (1966) Locality fixation, mobility and social organisation within a confined population of red jungle fowl. Animal Behaviour 14: 550–559CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, J.C. and Bhagwat, A.L. (1974) Agonistic and mating behaviour of adult chickens modified by social and physical environments. Applied Animal Ethology 1: 57–65CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, G.S., Siopes, T.D., Peiffer, R.L. and Cook, C. (1986) Morphologic changes induced by photoperiod in eyes of turkey poults. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 47: 953–955Google ScholarPubMed
Davis, N.J., Prescott, N.B., Savory, C.J. and Wathes, C. M. (1999) Preferences of growing fowl for different light intensities in relation to age, strain and behaviour. Animal Welfare 8: 193–203CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Endler, J.A. (1993) The colour of light in forests and its implications. Ecological Monographs 1–27CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Endler, J.A. and Basolo, A.L. (1998) Sensory ecology, receiver biases and sexual selection. Trends in Evolution and Ecology 13: 415–426CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fawc (1998) Report on the Welfare of Broiler Breeders. FAWC, Surbiton, UKGoogle Scholar
Fisher, A.E. and Hale, E.B. (1957) Stimulus determinants of sexual and aggressive behaviour in male domestic fowl. Behaviour 10: 309–323Google Scholar
Fisher, R.A. (1930) The Gemtical Theory of Natural Selection. 2nd Edition. University Press, Oxford, UKGoogle Scholar
Folstad, I. and Karter, A.J. (1992) Parasites, bright males, and the immunocompetence handicap. American Naturalist 139: 603–622CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forkman, B. and Corr, S. (1996) Influence of size and asymmetry of sexual characters in the rooster and hen on number of eggs laid. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 49: 285–291CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibson, R.M. and Bradbury, J.W. (1985) Sexual selection in lekking sage grouse: phenotypic correlates of male mating success. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 18: 117–123CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilbert, A.B. (1971) The endocrine ovary in reproduction. In: Physiology and Biochemistry of the Domestic Fowl (Bell, D.J. and Freeman, B.M., Eds.), Volume 3, Academic Press, London, pp. 1449–1468Google Scholar
Graves, H.B., Hable, C.P. and Jenkins, T.R. (1985) Sexual selection in Gallus: effects of morphology and dominance on female spatial behaviour. Behavioural Processes 11: 189–197CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Groen, A.F., Jiang, X., Emmerson, D.A. and V'ereijken, A. (1998) A deterministic model for the economic evaluation of broiler production systems. Poultry Science 77: 925–933CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guhl, A.M. (1951) Measurable differences in mating behaviour of cocks. Poultry Science 30: 687–693CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halliday, T.P. (1983) Information and communication. Communication. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UKGoogle Scholar
Hamilton, W.D. and Zuk, M. (1982) Heritable true fitness and bright birds: a role for parasites. Science 213: 384–387CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howland, H.C. (1993) Early refractive development. In: Early Visual Development, Normal and Abnornal (Simons, K., Ed.), Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK, pp. 5–28Google Scholar
Johnsen, T.S. and Zuk, M. (1996) Repeatability of mate choice in female red jungle fowl. Behavioural Ecology 7: 243–246CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, E.K.M. (1998) The Effect of Ultraviolet Light on the Mating Behaviour and Mate Choice of broiler Breeders. MSc Thesis, University of Edinburgh, UKGoogle Scholar
Jones, E.K.M., Prescott, N.B. and Wathes, C.M. (1999) The role of UVA light in mating behaviour and mate choice by domestic broiler breeders, Gallus gallus domesticus. British Poultry Science (submitted for publication)Google Scholar
Kimball, R.T., Lignon, J.D. and Merola-Zwartjes, M. (1997a) Fluctuating asymmetry in red junglefowl. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 10: 441–457CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kimball, R.T., Lignon, J.D. and Merola-Zwartjes, M. (1997b) Asymmetry testicular and secondary sexual characters in red junglefowl. Auk 114: 221–228CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kratzer, D.D. and Craig, J.V. (1980) Mating behaviour of cockerels: effects of social status, group size and group density. Applied Animal Ethology 6: 49–62CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kruijt, J.P. (1964) Ontogeny of social behaviour in Burmese red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus spadiceus). Bonnaterre Behaviour Supplement 12: 1–201Google Scholar
Leary, R.F. and Allendorf, F.W. (1989) Fluctuating asymmetry as an indicator of stress: implications for conservation biology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 4: 214–217CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leonard, M.L. and Zanette, L. (1998) Female mate choice and male behaviour in domestic fowl. Animal Behaviour 56: 1099–1105CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leonard, M.L., Zanette, L. and Fairfull, R.W. (1993a) Early exposure to females affects interactions between male White Leghorn chickens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 36: 29–38CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leonard, M.L., Zanette, L., Thompson, B.K. and Fairfull, R.W. (1993b) Early exposure to the opposite sex affects mating behaviour in White Leghorn chickens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 37: 57–67CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leonard, M.L., Zanette, L. and Clinchy, M. (1996) The effect of early exposure to the opposite sex on mate choice in White Leghorn chickens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 48: 15–23CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ligon, J.D., Thornhill, R., Zuk, M. and Johnson, C. (1990) Male male competition, ornamentation and the role of testosterone in sexual selection in the red jungle fowl. Animal Behaviour 40: 367–373CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ligon, J.D. and Zwartjes, P.W. (1995a) Ornate plumage of male red jungle fowl does not influence mate choice by females. Animal Behaviour 49: 117–125CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ligon, J.D. and Zwartjes, P.W. (1995b) Female red jungle fowl choose to mate with multiple males. Animal Behaviour 49: 127–135CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ligon, J.D., Kimball, R. and Merola-ZWARTJES, M. (1998) Mate choice by female red jungle fowl: the issues of multiple ornaments and fluctuating asymmetry. Animal Behaviour 55: 41–50CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lill, A. (1966) Some observations on social organisation and non random mating in captive Burmese red jungle fowl. Behaviour 26: 228–242CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maff (1996) Summary of the law relating to farm animal welfare. MAFF Publications, London p. 31Google Scholar
Manning, A. (1974) An Introduction to Animal Behaviour. 2nd Edition, Edward Arnold, London, pp. 119–122Google Scholar
Manser, C.E. (1996) Effects of lighting on the welfare of domestic poultry: a review. Animal Welfare 5: 341–360CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marks, H.L., Siegel, P.B. and Kramer, C.Y. (1960) Effect of comb and wattle removal on the social organisation of mixed flocks of chickens. Animal Behaviour 8: 192–196CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mcbride, G., Parer, I.P. and Foenander, F. (1969) The social organisation and behaviour of the feral domestic fowl. Animal Behaviour Monographs 2: 125–181CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Millman, S.T., Duncan, I.J.H. and Widowski, T.M. (1996) Forced copulations by broiler breeder males. In: Proceedings of the 30th International Congress of the ISAE, GuelphCanada p. 50Google Scholar
Millman, S.T., Duncan, I.J.H. and WIDOWSKI, T.M. (1997) Extreme aggression in male broiler breeder fowl. In: Proceedings of the 31st International Congress of the ISAE, PragueCzech Republic p. 188Google Scholar
Moller, A.P. (1994) Directional selection on directional asymmetry: testes size and secondary sexual characters in birds. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 258: 147–151Google Scholar
Moller, A.P., Santora, G.S. and Vestergaard, K.S. (1995) Developmental instability in relation to population density and breed of chickens Gallus gallus. Poultry Science 74: 1761–1771CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moller, A.P., Santora, G.S. and Vestergaard, K.S. (1999) Developmental instability and light regime in chickens (Gallus gallus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 62: 57–71CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morsy, I.E.D. (1998) Evaluation of broiler breeder production efficiency. World Poultry 14: 35–39Google Scholar
Nilipour, A.H. (1997) What affects hatchability and how can it be improved. World Poultry 13: 19–22Google Scholar
Nuboer, J.F.W., Van Nuys, W.M. and Van Sternbergen, J.C. (1983) Colour changes in a light regimen as synchronizers of circadian activity. Journal of Coniparative Physiology A151: 359–366Google Scholar
Pollock, D.L. (1999) A geneticist's perspective from within a broiler primary breeder company. Poultry Science 78: 414–418CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prescott, N.B. and Wathes, C.M. (1999a) The reflective properties of domestic fowl (Gallus g. domesticus), the fabric of their housing, and the characteristics of the light environment in environmentally controlled poultry houses. British Poultry Science 40: 185–193CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prescott, N.B. and Wathes, C.M. (1999b) Spectral sensitivity of the domestic fowl (Gallus g. domesticus). British Poultry Science 40: 332–339CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Price, E.O. (1984) Behavioural aspects of animal domestication. Quarterly Review of Biology 59: 1–31CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Proudfoot, F.G. and Sefton, A.E. (1978) Feed texture and light treatment effects on the performance of broiler chickens. Poultry Science 57: 408–416CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaeffel, F. (1997/1998) Neural control of eye growth in birds. Zoology 100: 244–259Google Scholar
Schaeffel, F. and Howland, H.C. (1991) Properties of the feedback loops controlling eye growth and refractive state in the chicken. Vision Research 31: 717–734CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siegel, P.B. and Siegel, H.S. (1964) Rearing methods and subsequent sexual behaviour of male chickens. Animal Behaviour 12: 270–271CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siegel, P.B., Haberfeld, A., Mukherjee, T.K, Stallard, L.C., Marks, H.L., Anthony, N.B. and Dunnington, E.A. (1992) Jungle fowl-domestic fowl relationships: a use of DNA fingerprinting. World's Poultry Science Journal 48: 147–155CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siopes, T.D., Timmons, M.B., Baughman, G.R. and Parkhurst, C.R. (1984) The effects of light intensity on turkey poult performance, eye morphology, and adrenal weight. Poultry Science 63: 904–909CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swaddle, J.P. and Witter, M.S. (1994) Food, feathers and fluctuating asymmetries. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 255: 147–152CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, C.E. and Forbes, J.M. (1999) Morphology of eyes of turkeys reared under commercial lighting regimes at different light intensities. In: Proceedings of fhe WPSA Spring Meeting, ScarboroughUK p. 48Google Scholar
Troilo, D., Li, T., Glasser, A. and Howland, H.C. (1995) Differences in eye growth and the response to visual deprivation in different strains of chicken. Vision Research 35: 1211–1216CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Upp, C.W. (1928) Preferential mating in fowls. Poultry Science 7: 225–232CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wathes, C.M. (1996) Availability of Choice in Cirrrent Systems of Husbandry in the UK. British Society of Animal Science Occasional Publications No. 20, pp. 68–73Google Scholar
Widemo, F. and Saether, S.A. (1999) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: causes and consequences of variation in mating preference. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14: 26–31CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Widowski, T.A., Danilo, M.A., LO FO WONG, D.M.A. and Duncan, I.J.H. (1998) Rearing with males accelerates onset of sexual maturity in female domestic fowl. Poultry Science 77: 150–155CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wiley, R.H. (1973) Territoriality and non random mating in sage grouse (Entrocercu urophasianus). Animal Behaviour Monographs 6: 87–169CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Witter, M.S. and Lee, S.J. (1995) Habitat structure, stress and plumage development. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 261: 303–308CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood-Gush, D.G.M. (1954) The courtship of the Brown Leghorn cock. British Journal of Animal Behaviour 2: 95–102CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood-Gush, D.G.M. (1956) The agonistic and courtship of the Brown Leghorn cock. British Journal of Animal Behaviour 4: 133–142CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood-Gush, D.G.M. (1958) The effect of experience on the mating behaviour of the domestic cock. Animal Behaviour 6: 68–71CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood-Gush, D.G.M. (1971) The Behaviour of the Domestic Fowl. Heinemann Educational Books Ltd, London, pp. 18, 66, 77Google Scholar
Wortel, J.F., Rugenbrini, C.H. and Nuboer, J.F.W. (1987) The phototopic spectral sensitivity of the dorsal and ventral retina of the chicken. Journal of Comparative Physiology A 160: 151–154CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yinon, U., Rose, L. and Shapiro, A. (1980) Myopia in the eye of developing chicks following monocular and binocular lid closure. Vision Research 20: 137–141CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zahavi, A. (1975) Mate selection: a selection for a handicap. Journal of Theoretical Biology 53: 205–214CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zuk, M., Thornhill, R., Ligon, J.D.M., Johnson, I.C., Austad, S., Ligon, S.H., Thornhill, N.W. and Costin, C. (1990) The role of male ornamentation and courtship behaviour in female mate choice of red jungle fowl. American Naturalist 136: 459–473CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zuk, M., Ligon, J.D. and Thornhill, R. (1992) Effects of experimental manipulation of male secondary sex characters on female preference in red jungle fowl. Animal Behaviour 44: 999–1006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zuk, M., Johnsen, T.S. and Maclarty, T. (1995) Endocrine-immune interactions, ornaments and mate choice in red jungle fowl. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 260: 205–210CrossRefGoogle Scholar