A question about trimmed beaks

[greggooo]

I didn't know which subject to post this under, I hope it's okay here.

We are looking to add a couple chickens to our flock, and keep seeing hatcheries that clip the beaks of their chickens. While I understand that this helps avoid pecking at large hatcheries, is it okay for the chicken? And if they have a clipped beak are they at a disadvantage when figuring out the pecking order? I have seen pictures of clipped beaks and I really question it.

Has anybody here ordered pullets with clipped beaks and experienced it? Or have pictures? The pictures I see when I google it just scare me.

Thanks!

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I just looked up clipped beaks too, and if it is like that, I would highly recommend not getting them from those hatcheries. They need their whole beak to forage and be a regular, healthy chicken. Obviously trimming is ok when they are like a foot long *exaggeration*.

 

[Folly's place]

Beaks are trimmed for commercial birds, who live in less than 12" spaces with other birds, to keep them from killing each other.
It's totally not a good thing; bad living conditions, promoting horrible behaviors.
Our flocks should be kept in much better conditions, so the birds will be saner, and have other things to do besides killing cagemates.
Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

IMO, debeaking is a barbaric practice which should never be done in a back yard flock. Housing conditions should be appropriate to the needs of the bird so that aggressive behaviors do not become an issue. Imagine having to eat a meal with lips cut off.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If a hatchery is only offering debeaked chickens I would look elsewhere.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Beaks are trimmed for commercial birds... to keep them from killing.... cagemates. ...

Every week there are numerous posts on this forum of backyard chickens taking their frustrations out on their flock mates, even among those LUCKY chickens whose owners think that their birds frolic in a land called Honalee.

In other words it seems to me that many of the chickens in our own back yards could benefit from a judicious upper beak trim. The only exception is a hen who must gather all of her own groceries where ever she can find them. But I dare say that not one BYC in a 1,000 qualifies as a real free-range chicken. Just remember to supply chickens with clipped bills a good chicken mash because a mash will prove easier for a clipped bill hen to eat while making it more difficult for the clipped beak hen to savage her flock mates. Clipped bills also reduce waste feed because hens will find it harder to drag feed out of the feed cups while hunting for favorite morsels of food. Nothing is ever as black & white as we sometimes make it out to be.

 

[Stepnout]

I know this might be a little off from the actual intended topic but this video shows and explains how to TRIM a chicken’s beak. As I am new to chickens I am inexperienced. I did however have quail for quite a few years and several times I had to TRIM beaks because they grew too long. I think they grew too long through the winter because the quail couldn’t forage outside their pen due to snow cover.
Enjoy the video

 

[centrarchid]

I didn't know which subject to post this under, I hope it's okay here.

We are looking to add a couple chickens to our flock, and keep seeing hatcheries that clip the beaks of their chickens. While I understand that this helps avoid pecking at large hatcheries, is it okay for the chicken? And if they have a clipped beak are they at a disadvantage when figuring out the pecking order? I have seen pictures of clipped beaks and I really question it.

Has anybody here ordered pullets with clipped beaks and experienced it? Or have pictures? The pictures I see when I google it just scare me.

Thanks!

I have experience with a good number of birds having damaged beaks. They should not be discarded just because of the damage as they can thrive under conditions where you provide feed in concentrated locations like a feeder so birds can simply plunge beak in to pick up morsels. I also compensate by using larger particulates like whole grains and layer pellets. Another trick is to simply wet feed. The same birds can have issues consuming greens and preening if damage is severe.