Crowding
Floor-reared birds sometimes have a tendency to crowd
together. This natural behaviour can be triggered by
different situations:
• Panic reaction: when birds are frightened, they try
to avoid danger
• Attraction: when they are attracted by something,
as they are curious and want to find feed and
discover their environment
• Sleeping behaviour: it enables them to reduce the
loss of body heat during the night, maintain social
links and protection against dangers.
Smothering may occur during lay in different parts of
the poultry house and often the reason is not clear.
However, in production flocks, it is most commonly
observed around the peak of production, as it seems
to be related to stress situations.