beak trimming, Good Idea?

[Thunder Bay Chicken]

Do you get the beak trimmed on your laying chicks ? Good Idea? Should it be done?

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
I think the consensus here is not to trim.

Ed

 

[bywaterdog]

There is no legitimate reason to trim beaks in a well run chicken operation.

 

[CountryFried]

We won't be trimming here. Naughty birds will likely be culled, if pecking becomes a problem. We aren't going to overload our coop, though, to try to keep that in check.

 

[crawfordmama]

As in de-beaking? I don't think it's neccessary in a backyard flock, and I hear it's quite painful for the chick. That's more of a practice for commercial poultry farms in which the chickens barely have breathing room.

 

[chickengrandma]

I would guess you are just talking about "maintaining" not the fore-mentioned "snipping"?

We HAVE to trim/maintain a couple of our girls' beaks. They start to look like parrot beaks and we can clearly see that they aren't able to efficiently eat. I'm not sure why some of the girls' aren't able to maintain them on their own, but they can't/don't. Maybe we don't have enough rough surfaces for them to wipe their beak on?

We use the little device they use for taking care of dogs nails. It is basically a dremel with a little sandpaper disc that spins real fast. We found that if we used a nail clipper that the beak would sometimes crack or shred.

We just wrap them in a towel with only their head sticking out and gently but firmly hold them. The second person grabs their head to cover their eyes and hold their head still. The second person then does the grinding.

After the spa treatment - beak fixing and nail trimming and feet cleaning - we always give them some really yummy treats. Then we can also watch how their "new" beak is working for them. They never hold it against us this way!

 

[Thunder Bay Chicken]

To be honest I'm not really sure what it is being offered trimming or debeaking?

I'm filling out my order form for spring chicks and there is a line where it says add fee for beaking trimming $.12 per chick.

That is why I asked. Guess I'll just pass on it!

Thanks for the replies.

 

[cgmccary]

IMHO, Debeaking is a cruel practice. A chicken uses its beak to feel somewhat similar to how we use our fingers. Even more so, in that, chickens discern or feel objects they pick up with their beaks & this is how they determine whether to eat it or not. A chicken depends on its beak. Chicks would not need their beaks trimmed so they would have to be talking about debeaking.

I don't know anyone who debeaks a backyard / homestead flock.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
If you're ordering "day old" chicks then they're talking about de-beaking...day-old chicks haven't lived long enough to "need a trim".

I don't think you will be happy if you chose to have it done.

Ed

 

[Thunder Bay Chicken]

Ed
Now that I think about it, you are most likely right!

How bad can a new born beak be? Why do they try to sugar coat it?

If it said debeaking of course I would decline but it actually says trimming on the form!

I'm so glad I asked... I know I would not of been happy with chickens with little half cut off beaks!

THANKS!