A COK Report:
Animal Suffering in the Egg Industry

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Feather Loss

Many birds show signs of feather loss in battery cages. Feather pecking by other birds because of close confinement poses one of the largest problems. A 2001 study found that feather pecking is greatly reduced in chicks who have early access to litter, regardless of later conditions.(27) In the study, there was a significant reduction in both feather pecking and feather damage in chicks who had access to litter in the first two weeks of life. Because nearly all caged laying hens spend their entire lives confined on metal flooring, even selective breeding against pecking may have less of an impact than access to litter. Feather pecking may also be caused by exposure to long periods of light. Dr. Philip J. Clauer warns that "constant light can be stressful to the birds."(28)

Hens may also experience feather loss due to the thwarted desire to dustbathe, as discussed earlier. Behavioral consequences, such as repeatedly throwing themselves against the cage bars, can contribute to feather loss on the body of the hens.(29) Research has also shown that feathers may not develop due to a deficiency in the crucial amino acid methionine.(30)

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