In laying hens, feather pecking is a major problem and it thought that it might be brought upon when the birds experience frustration. Three studies were conducted, the first study tested to see if short term frustration caused feather pecking in a high feather pecking line of laying hens. Secondly the effects of frustration on feather pecking by high and low feather pecking line was compared. The third study examined the motivation to peck at a key when the reward was withheld in high and low feather pecking lines was compared. The hens used in all the studies were taught to peck at a key to obtain a food reward. During frustration tests the feeder was covered by clear plastic. In the first study, the hens from the high feather pecking line were prone to perform gentle feather pecking and aggressive pecking during the control sessions than the victims, and it was the victims that vocalized at the highest rate. In the second study, hens from the high feather pecking line scratched more, which indicates that there is a difference in the motivation to forage or dustbathe between the two lines and this may relate to feather pecking. In the final study, hens from the low feather pecking line pecked at the key to obtain a food reward more than hens from the high feather pecking line. This illustrates that hens from the low feather pecking line had a stronger motivation to peck at the key to attain a food reward. In general, there was no evidence to verify that the frustration the hens experienced resulted in the hens to begin to feather peck. There were noticeable differences between the two genetic lines in their reaction to frustration and in the motivation to obtain a food reward, thus the possibility of the involvement of frustration in feather pecking in not ruled out.