Improve welfare and productivity by exploiting the chickens’ sense of smell

Chickens form olfactory memories and regulate their behaviour in response to odours. The presence of a familiar odourant attracts birds and moderates fear levels in otherwise unfamiliar surroundings. It also reduces fear of strangers and accelerates acceptance of novel food. These findings suggest that we might be able to use olfactory therapy to minimize certain behavioural problems in poultry.

This article can also be found at World Poultry Volume 18 number 5. To view the article online simply click on the link below.

Keywords: climate, olfactory, odour, behaviour, smell, welfare, chickens