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On Feather Picking and Cannibalism in Pheasant and Partridge Chicks, Particularly in Relation to the Amino Acid Arginine By

Federpicken und Kannibalismus bei Fasanen- und Rephuhnküken besonders mit Bezug auf die Aminosäure Arginin

Fjerpilning og kannibalisme hos fasan- og agerhønsekyllinger med særligt henblik på aminosyren arginin

Summary

  1. 1)

    In the case of pheasant chicks in particular it could be demonstrated that what is most commonly collectively termed degrees of “cannibalism”, picking of the back and wings, picking of the tail feathers, and picking of the cloaca (cannibalism in its restricted sense) are three, in the main, independent phenomena.

  2. 2)

    At variance with results published by Sirén (1963a, b) no evidence was found in the experiments reported here that the amino acid arginine in any way influences the above mentioned phenomena. In fact, there was no evidence whatsoever indicating that nutritional factors play a rôle in any of the differences found.

  3. 3)

    As far as the feather picking of back and wings (even to the degree that wounds were found) is concerned, behavioural factors are evidently active, since in sexed groups, the female batches picked significantly less than the male ones. The picking of tail and cloaca was not influenced by this measure. Back picking and tail feather picking did not influence the weight gain of the chicks, whereas picking of the cloaca, when occurring to any extent, significantly depressed weight gain.

Zusammenfassung

  1. 1)

    Bei Fasanen- und Rephuhnküken konnte es gezeigt werden, dass was im Allgemeinen „Kannibalismus” genannt wird, dieses dass die Küken die Federn vom Rücken, von den Flügeln und vom Schwanz abzupfen, und dass sie die Kloake hacken (Kannibalismus im eingeschränckten Sinne) drei verschiedene, im wesentlichen voneinander unabhängige Phänomene sind.

  2. 2)

    Im Gegensatz zu den Resultaten, von Sirén (1963 a, b) publiziert, waren in den hier wiedergegebenen Experimenten keine Anhaltspunkte dafür, dass die Aminosäure Arginin irgendwelchen Einfluss auf die obenerwähnten Phänomene gehabt hat. Überhaupt spricht nichts dafür, dass die Zusammensetzung vom Futter in irgendeiner Weise die Ursache sein könnte für die Unterschiede, die in den Experimenten gefunden wurden.

  3. 3)

    Es ist offenbar, dass in Bezug auf Federpicken am Rücken und an den Flügeln (auch wenn sich sogar Wunden zeigten) irgend etwas im Verhalten der Vögel verantwortlich ist. Wenn die Küken nach Geschlecht geschieden wurden, hackten die Hähnchengruppen signifikant stärker. Die Sortierung nach Geschlecht hatte keinen Einfluss darauf wie stark nach den Schwanzfedern und der Kloake gehackt wurde. Die Gewichtzunahme wurde nicht von dem allgemeinen Federpicken beeinflusst, während sie bei den Vögeln, bei denen die Kloake blutig gehackt wurde, geringer war.

Sammendrag

  1. 1)

    Særligt på fasankyllinger kunde det vises, at hvad der i almindelighed kaldes „kannibalisme” i forskellige grader, pilning af fjerene på ryggen og vingerne, afrivning af halefjerene og hakning af kloakken (kannibalisme i snævrere betydning), er tre af hinanden umiddelbart uafhængige fænomener.

  2. 2)

    I modsætning til resultater offentliggjort af Sirén (1963 a, b), fand- • tes der i de her behandlede eksperimenter intet der talte for, at aminosyren arginin havde nogen som helst indflydelse på de ovennævnte fænomener. Der er overhovedet intet holdepunkt for at fødens sammensætning har nogen indflydelse på de forskelle, der fandtes i eksperimenterne.

  3. 3)

    Hvad angår fjerpilning på ryg og vinger (selv så vidt, at der fandtes sår), er det åbenbart, at det drejer sig om adfærdsforhold, da de nævnte former for pilning optrådte i signifikant ringere grad i hønegrupperne end i hanegrupperne. Kønssorteringen havde ingen indflydelse på om kyllingerne rev halefjerene af hinanden, eller om gattet blev hakket blodigt. Ryg- og halepilning havde ingen indflydelse på kyllingernes vægtforøgelse. Ved kloakhakningen (altså kannibalisme), hvis den forekom i noget omfang, var vægtforøgelsen signifikant mindre.

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Madsen, H. On Feather Picking and Cannibalism in Pheasant and Partridge Chicks, Particularly in Relation to the Amino Acid Arginine By. Acta Vet Scand 7, 272–287 (1966). https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.1186/BF03547117

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