Debeaked hens? Cute update!

[vstoltzfus]

The first hens I ever got were debeaked. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but now I know not to do that. Anyway, they were able to eat grass and bugs, but they had a very hard time eating small seeds. They were happy, loved hens.

 

[Beekissed]

Someone had given me 12 Production Reds that had been debeaked and they had a very difficult time learning to forage, as they had never been outside before, and some had trouble because of the severity of their deformity. They eventually learned how to forage and some are better at it than others, depending on their deformity.

I normally wouldn't have even taken these birds but I was sort of pressured into it by a friend.....these poor birds cannot even groom themselves properly. I've never known any reason that anyone should mutilate an animal in this manner. Too sad and horrible to even contemplate how it must hurt to have this done.

Glad you are giving them a better home....how in the world did you trim their beaks without inflicting more pain?

 

[awheel11]

Quote:
Well, the bottom beak kept growing out so much it was like a shovel. There wasn't any nerve ending on the end of it (it's just like overgrown toenails before you reach the blood vessels) So i carefully took a dog toenail clipper and worked on trimming it back so it wasn't as much of a shovel. I swear they never felt a thing! And it made it so much easier for them to forage.

 

[awheel11]

Just a quick little update: The two are out with my flock free ranging now, they are really enjoying it even though it is a little more difficult for them. Now, these two are VERY small bantam cochin frizzles, the deep red one I call Nikita was rudely interrupted while sunbathing by our female guinea. This guinea is on a clutch of eggs out in the middle of our tiger lilies. She leaves once or twice a day to grab a bite to eat and get some water, did I mention she is VERY aggressive at this time? She came screaming out of her nest and made a beeline for the coop. Well, this tiny little ball of fluff hurled herself at that guinea! Then she chased after her and nipped at her behind on the way out! That poor guinea never saw it coming and barreled out of that coop as fast as she could!! Nikita, very pleased with herself, resumed her dustbath.

 

[bock]

LOL!

 

[joe500]

I've read so much about chickens that peck at each other and ways of tending to the victims; the hand-made vest over the wound was way out there!

It makes more sense to me to deal with the overly aggressive chickens than to be doctoring a coop full of victims.

My peaceful flock enjoys a 4-sq.-ft-per-bird coop plus an outside "sun porch." They're 16 weeks old; I mix a 20% and 15% protein crumbles feed plus they get table scraps and "tons" of grass clippings.

A few weeks ago, I noticed one of the chickens pulling out feathers of other chickens as they went past. HUH?

Then, he flew up and attacked the foot of a chicken that was roosting comfortable--brought the chicken down off its roost. I knew it was just a matter of time before his sharp beak drew blood and I would have to tend to the victims of his crazed aggression. I went to my shop and sharpened the axe. Yeah, I SHARPENED THE AXE.

Before I turned on the water to boil, I thought, why not just cut that sharp point off his top beak so that he can't do any serious damage and see if he can live peacefully with the flock. I used a toe-nail clipper to clip the top beak back just short of the bottom beak. It bled a tiny bit, so I cauterized it. He went on to eat that same day with no problem.

The beak has since grown back to meet the bottom, but in a rounded shape. He's less lethal, and I sleep better. Remarkably, he's living peacefully in the flock.

I know this was a drastic measure, but it beats chopping off his head.

This is the first time I've ever had chickens that let me touch and hold them (yeah, feeding them as chicks from my hand). Because I can handle them, I do clip off the tips of their top beaks even with the bottom. I did that with canaries all the time; it was easier for them to pick up seeds! I do it with my chickens now. I don't think they need that pin-sharp upper beak--they don't have to kill rodents and tear apart carcasses.

 

[Beekissed]

Maybe its just a penned bird problem....I've never had feather picking in all the time I've kept birds but then, they are free ranged at all times. They did have to stay in the coop for up to 3 wks this winter due to high snows and we didn't have any feather picking then either. They had deep litter in which to scratch and I would throw some BOSS in there each day to keep them occupied.

I'm wondering if feather picking has to do with sheer boredom of being confined to small spaces? Maybe the instinct to forage and pick up bugs? The need for protein that they get from foraging?

Either way, I would just remove the bird altogether before clipping a beak...but then, that's just me.

 

[Boo-Boo's Mama]

Quote:
My neighbor was over this last week and asked why we had not debeaked our hens yet. Told her I didn't PLAN to debeak them! I did not so far as to tell her that is was cruel. Sure I have had some pecking going on but Geez!

 

[eKo_birdies]

Quote:
I free-range at all times as well but I still have hens that pick the others' feathers. I have 30 laying hens and I have seen them ALL do it except for 4 of them. They go up to the others (mainly the large freedom rangers) while at the feeders and pull a feather out and eat it. I know it isn't a protein issue because the hens are eating the 20% that I have my freedom rangers on (like I said, I free range, so separate feeding really isn't a viable option)l. They are also given oyster shell free choice.

They are all molting right now... could that have something to do with the feather plucking? I hope the feather plucking is tied in to the molting and it will stop once they are through...

 

[mistyfeather]

trimming the very pointy tip on the top beak is WAY different then debeaking

its not painfull (unless you do it wrong) chickens usualy keep their own beaks filed back (by scraping their beaks against large stones) if they dont have access to something to use you can provide some bricks in the run that they can use. when i raised parakeets i provided them with things to chew on and never had to trim pointy beaks as all birds will do it on their own.