Beak trimming

Trimming the beaks of poultry can harm their health

source: Victoria Roberts
Country Smallholding November 2002
starts p18, 2 pages long

Trimming the beaks of poultry can cause pain to the birds and prevent their picking up food, so the birds may not grow properly. It was once used as a way to stop poultry damaging one another so that they could be kept in a more confined space. More space per chicken is now seen as a better solution. Free-range poultry keepers tend not to trim beaks. A poultry keeper buying from a supplier should tell them that they do not want chickens with their beaks trimmed. Trimming beaks is mutilation. The beak may have to be re-trimmed if not properly trimmed at first. Calcium supplements do not help birds with trimmed beaks, and could affect egg production.
CH,HD