De- Beaking?

[sheps4her]

What exactly is De beaking? (I have an idea of what it is, but want to make sure i am correct in my assumptions) What is the purpose of De-beaking and is it really necessary?

 

[speckledhen]

They cut off part of the top beak. No, it is not necessary to mutilate a chicken that way. Commercial operations do it because they cram birds together in tiny spaces and if they didn't, the birds would peck each other to death, probably. It's convenience for the owners. If they are truly debeaked, it will not grow back, as opposed to clipping a tiny tip of the beak off.

 

[sheps4her]

Thanks.

That is what I thought it was. It was the why part that I was trying to understand. Thats a shame.

 

[ebonykawai]

Does anyone know if Meyers clips or actually de-beaks? Their started pullets are on the website as "beaks trimmed."

 

[silkiechicken]

All hatchery "trims" are debeaks with a machine that just burns off the tips and cauterizes at the same time.

 

[kayri]

A friend of mine ordered some pullets from McMurrays and when they cane, one was clipped back almost to the nostrils! She complained and the woman said that they shouldn't have been "trimmed" so drastically, but she said when they ship pullets they had to cut them back "a little". It is a disturbing practice. She has had them for about 3 months and it is growing back but you can still see that it is not quite right.

 

[johnnyjack]

*edited to remove activist link*

 

[sheps4her]

oh my...how sad! Those hens can barely move! And that poor hen with her beak burned off.....breaks my heart!

If I had known I would have changed my buying habits a long time ago!

 

[ebonykawai]

No Meyers started pullets for me, then.

 

[hooligan]

I think de-beaking is an inhumane and unneccessary practice. The only reason it is used is to keep chickens from pecking eachother when confined in spaces too small for them.


*edited to remove activist link*