Back to Chicken Behaviour and Welfare
The University of Edinburgh

Chicken Behaviour and Welfare

This course explains the general principles of chicken behaviour and welfare, and the behavioural and physiological indicators that can be used to assess welfare in chickens kept in hobby flocks through to commercial farms. The focus is primarily on laying hens and meat chickens (broilers) although many of the principles are relevant to other types of poultry. The course is likely to be of interest to people who own chickens as pets or keep a small hobby flock, commercial egg and chicken meat producers, veterinarians and vet nurses. Learning Objectives: at the end of this course, you will be able to - - Describe avian sensory perception and motivation - Explain the main behaviour patterns of poultry - Define welfare and explain the bases of welfare standards - Assess chicken welfare, using behavioural and physiological means - Understand common welfare problems of chickens This course is taught by staff from Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), University of Glasgow, and St David's Poultry Team. © University of Edinburgh and Scotland's Rural College 2016 CC BY Learners can apply for Financial Aid directly with Coursera to assist with the cost of accessing the full course and gaining a certificate for successfully completing the course.

Status: Ethical Standards And Conduct
Status: Behavior Management
Course10 hours

Featured reviews

Reviewed Jun 8, 2016

I found this course to be very informative for those who are beginning to learn about chickens or would like to expand their knowledge to improve conditions for their backyard flock.

Reviewed Jan 9, 2017

perfectly organised and set on many short videos which makes learning much easier and simplified and i found all the topics very interesting and very well explained by the professor

Reviewed Oct 10, 2017

thoroughly enjoyed this course. taught me a great deal about things I can and should be improving for my own. Helped me understand a lot more about the commercial side too.

Reviewed Aug 18, 2018

Informative. However sometimes it was hard to hear the lecture over the chicks. I would have also liked a bit more photos or videos of what was being talked about instead of a video of the lecturer

Reviewed Jul 30, 2019

Great information about chickens' instinctive behaviors and the advantages and disadvantages of various means of caring for them. I learned a lot about the various systems used throughout the world.

Reviewed Sep 23, 2016

An excellent course, whether you have backyard poultry or just want to learn more about domestic, show or commercial poultry care, this course is a font of information.

Reviewed Apr 2, 2022

Excellent course. I wanted a basic understanding before getting some backyard chickens, this course went above and beyond my requirements, while still being accessible to a novice. Thank you.

Reviewed Oct 24, 2023

this is a great course for a beginner or an experienced chicken raiser or someone like me that has been out of it for Military service and trying to return to t raising birds.

Reviewed Oct 28, 2020

I learned so much. I am a hobby farmer with a small flock, but I really enjoyed learning about all aspects of chicken welfare as it pertains to both small and large scale operations. Thank you!

Reviewed Aug 9, 2023

This course is very well structured. The lecture delivery is impressive using all the helping materials as pictorials and videos. The given links and supporting material are very helpful.

Reviewed Jun 10, 2020

Very, very interesting and informative. I've always wanted to raise chickens for small scale selling and consumption and this course has provided me with the tools to do so. Thank you

Reviewed Nov 28, 2024

The course was very informative and would like urban residents to do it because more than 90% of them don't know how chicken meat ends up in a supermarket butchery section.

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