Differences among domestic chicken breeds in tonic immobility responses as a measure of fearfulness.

ABSTRACT:

Background

One priority for animal welfare is for animals to experience less fear, especially during human contact. For domestic animals, breeds that are less fearful may provide genetic resources to develop strains with improved welfare due to lower susceptibility to fear. Genetic predispositions inherited in these breeds might reflect the large diversity of chicken breeds. The goal of the present study was to systematically test a diverse group of chicken breeds to search for breeds that experience less fear.

Methods

Nineteen chicken breeds from commercial hybrid lines, native layer-type, meat-type and dual-purpose breeds, ornamental breeds as well as bantam breeds were tested in a standardized tonic immobility (TI) test. Chickens were manually restrained on their back, an

SUBMITTER: Tiemann I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10081456 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature