Poultry: Olfaction
Olfaction is not as developed as for equine and bovine animals.
Poultry use olfaction for instance when they are searching for food and to recognise conspecifics.
Research indicates that birds can signal stress and fear via pheromones. Photo: Anne Larsen, SLU.
Olfaction is not as developed as for equine and bovine animals.
Poultry use olfaction for instance when they are searching for food and to recognise conspecifics.
Research indicates that birds can signal stress and fear via pheromones. Photo: Anne Larsen, SLU.
Research indicates that poultry can for instance, owing to stimulus of the mucosa in the olfactory organ (not the smell per se), feel aversion against inhaling air with an elevated level of carbon dioxide. This has an adverse effect on the birds’ well-being when stunning with carbon dioxide.
The discomfort can be reduced by gradually introducing the animals at low CO2 levels. Photo: Lotta Berg, SLU.
Remember!
- Research indicates that poultry can signal fear and stress via pheromones.
- Research indicates that poultry can for instance, owing to stimulus of the mucosa in the olfactory organ, feel aversion against inhaling carbon dioxide when stunned with gas.