Van Liere, D. W., Bokma, S. 1987. Short-term feather maintenance as a function of dust-bathing in laying hens. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 18, 197-204.

Dust-bathing regulates the amount of feather lipids and maintains down structure in good conditions in laying hens. Poor feather condition negatively influences animal welfare. Hens need an opportunity to bathe in a dusty substrate.