PhD assessing risk factors and likely causes of toe pecking in commercial laying hens
Division of Animal Welfare, University of Bern
Bern, Switzerland
Applicants are sought for a PhD candidate as part of a funded three-year research program to investigate toe pecking within Switzerland. Toe pecking is a welfare problem that appears to be intensifying and represents a major problem for hens within cage-free housing where up to 50% of the flock may be affected. Despite the extent of the problem, most information collected to date is anecdotal making the development of interventions difficult. The project will serve to identify potential risk factors as well as whether toe pecking results from self- or allo-pecking, or a combination of both. The candidate will be involved in all aspects of the project including: experimental design, project coordination, data analysis, and presentations at conferences and peer-reviewed journal articles.
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