Filial imprinting is a type of early learning process in which young animals build strong connections during early developmental stage to the objects or individuals. These early-stage formed attachments could play significant role in ndividual’s life in a way of shaping their lives, by the effect of the type of exposure. These attachements could be shaped by contribution of several stimuli including the fragments of auditory and visual componenets. In addition to the type of exposure, the time when animals are exposed to stimuli is also important since the sensitivity of imptinying frame. In domesticated, that conections mostly form in the sensitive period of imprinting frame which is between 14 hour and 24 hour post-hatch.
In my study, I mainly aimed if impinting can be a practical way to improve chicken welfare. To find out the answer, I followed the steps;
- Assessing how long imprinting last.
- Seeing chicks’ interplay with novel objects and imprinting stimuli.
- Examine the effect of the imprinting process on the frequency of distress calls.
Hypotheses
- Approaching to the stimuli will take less by imprinted chicks.
- Imprinted chicks will be able to discriminate between novel object and imprinting stimuli.
- A reduction in distress calling by imprinted chicks.