skinbeginstorubagainstthewire,anditiscommontosee
birdswhohavebeenin thecagesforsome time with few
feathers, and skin rubbed bright red and raw, especially
around the tail.
Aswith broilers,feather-peckingisa signofstressand, as
one of the previously quoted studies put it, “the lack of
appropriatestimulationfromthephysicalenvironment.”^55 It
hasbeenshownthatinanenrichedenvironment,withaccess
toperches,litterinwhichtoscratch,andnestingboxes,hens
pecklessanddolessfeatherdamagethanwhentheyarekept
inconventionalcages.^56 Feather-peckingisitselfthecauseof
furtherinjuries,because,asanothergroupofresearchershas
noted,
scratchesandtornskin,especiallyontheback...aremore
likely to occur when the skin on the back is no longer
protectedbyfeathers.Thus,fear,featherlossandpainmay,at
times, all be part of the same syndrome.^57
Finally,inmost cagesthereisone bird—maybemorethan
one in larger cages—who has lost thewill to resist being
shovedasideandpushed underfootby otherbirds. Perhaps
thesearethebirdswho,inanormalfarmyard,wouldbelow
inthepeckingorder;butundernormalconditionsthiswould
notmattersomuch.Inthecage,however,thesebirdscando
nothingbuthuddleinacorner,usuallynearthebottomofthe
slopingfloor,wheretheirfellowinmatestrampleoverthem
as they try to get to the food or water troughs.
Althoughafterallthisevidenceitmightseemotiosetostudy
whether hens prefer cages or outside runs, Dr. Marian
DawkinsofthedepartmentofzoologyatOxfordUniversity