What is meant by beak trimming in poultry? Explain the main welfare concerns, alternatives and precautions in beak trimming.

 Beak trimming

Beak trimming comprises eliminating a part of the beak which is often experienced to lessen feather pecking, destructive pecking and cannibalism in resting hens. Beak trimming is the elimination of almost one-quarter to one-third of the upper beak, or both upper and lower beak of a bird. Beak-trimming is also generally identified as “debeaking”. It is performed generally after 6 weeks of age and most regularly in the grower house. It can be done in the brooder house also at an initial age.

Beak-trimming will permanently cause a deficiency of physical input in the beak; the end goal would be the escaping of beak-trimming overall through genetics, housing environments, and management.

Why Beak-Trimming

Farmers regularly do beak-trimming due to following financial and behavioural motives:

Beak trimming is accomplished timely in the life of commercial hens to lessening damages caused by the behavioural bad conducts (vices) like:

·         Pecking and eating one’s species (cannibalism)

·         Bossing over others (bullying)

·         Feather and vent pecking.

·         To avoid feed wastage

·         To avoid egg-eating vice.

·         It reduces aggressive interaction among birds

When Beak-trimming is Performed?

The general ages for birds for beak-trimmed are:

·         Day-old (very common)

·         5–10 days old (accuracy or block beak-trimming)

·         4–6 weeks

·         10–12 weeks (re-trimmed)

Welfare concerns, substitutions and precautions in beak trimming

Welfare concerns-

In a standard poultry bird, the purposes of the beak are:

·         Feed particle identification

·         Investigation of the atmosphere

·         Grooming – Keep behaviour using beak to situation and interlock feathers, clean plumage and retain ectoparasites in check.

·         Public defence

Welfare concerns of beak-trimming include:

Acute and chronic pain creating from the severed end which leads to a decrease in:

·         Feed consumption

·         Pecking efficacy

·         Pecking preferences

·         Drinking capability

·         Removal of sensory receptors with loss of temperature and touch sensations.

·         The stress of varying nature depending on the age of bird and method of beak trimming.

Beak injury, shorten and uneven beak leading to:

·         The impaired ID of feed particles.

·         Inability to explore the atmosphere.

·         Impaired grooming and social protection.

Alternatives to Beak-trimming

1.      Genetic Interventions

Gene mapping, molecular technology, and biotechnology tools offer alternate approaches for refining welfare such as regulator of pecking behaviour. Assortment for low mortality decreases the propensity of birds to progress feather pecking and cannibalism.

2.      Housing Enrichment and Changing the Light Intensity

Environment supplemented cages with adequate perch space, good water and feed management and litter quality expands welfare of birds by dropping aggressive behaviour and striking. Light plays an important role in operating the social behaviour of the flock. Now, the most valuable way to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism is to house birds under very dim white light.

3.      Nutrition Interferences

Lower density diets with developed fibre levels will make birds occupy more time on feeding. Insertion semi-solid milk blocks in the house, hanging green leafy vegetables and scattering grass trimmings can stop feather pecking. Millrun oat hulls, rice hulls and Lucerne meal are real sources of fibre. Providing satisfactory minerals, amino acids and vitamins minimise biting mortality.

Beak-Trimming Precautions

Precautions before Beak-trimming

·         You will expect blood loss when the beak is cut. Therefore, administering vitamin K through drinking water 2 to 3 days before trimming can decrease blood loss.

·         Birds should not be exposed to stress from housing, vaccination or deworming throughout the week before or after trimming.

·         Sick birds should not be beak-trimmed.

Precautions during Beak-trimming

·         You should grasp the bird in such a way that it neither moves it head nor suffocates.

·         The beaks are unlocked with the help of the index finger and the tongue is held back.

·         The upper beak is cut first to the suggested level. The beak is held alongside the blade and spherical motion is given for at least 2 seconds while holding to effect proper cauterization (blocking of cut blood vessels by temperature).

·         Lower beak is then cut as per the approval.

·         Appropriate cauterization is once again guaranteed before the bird is left into the pen.

Protections after Beak-trimming

·         Feeders must be kept full of feedstuff to help birds eat effortlessly. Possibly, this is the only time when feeders are full of feed.

·         Vitamins B-complex, C and K to be given with water to lessen stress.

·         All the birds must be observed wisely for any bleeding.