International Journal of Comparative Psychology

Chickens ( Gallus gallus domesticus ) are a social species and will form a hierarchy through agonistic dyadic encounters. This hierarchy will affect how different members of the flock access food, which may affect the specific feeding behaviours of the hens. The hierarchy of a 20-hen flock was determined by analysing videoed dyadic encounters between the hens and creating a dominance matrix. The feeding behaviours were assessed by simultaneously offering free food via a feeder and food distributed in the grass requiring foraging. Overall, all hens preferred to forage, however, significantly more dominant birds ate at the feeder than neutral or subordinate birds. Foraging is a natural behaviour that chickens will innately perform and is related to a positive welfare state. The methodology for determining the flock hierarchy and measuring feeding choices could be tested within the intensive farming environment to elucidate potential effects of dominance on feeding methods in commercial hens.