The relative preferences for wood shavings or feathers in high and low feather pecking birds (2007)

Harlander-Matauschek, A., Benda, I., Lavetti, C. et al.

Abstract

High feather pecking birds (HFP) have been reported to be attracted by feathers of their pen mates while low feather pecking birds (LFP) direct most of their pecking activities towards litter...Our results showed that hens were motivated to eat feathers and wood shavings and that HFP birds had a stronger preference for feathers than LFP birds.