How often do people debeak their chickens?

[QChickieMama]

I'd never heard of it until today when I went to pick up some red sex link pullets, and I think they look so sad. The seller never mentioned the debeaking. In fact, he said he'd never seen a chicken any other way. Yikes!

Please tell me this isn't a very common practice.

 

[zazouse]

I dought many folks here do that but people that have big production egg farms do it to keep the hens from pecking each other when they are in them crowded in tiny cages or small pens.
When i order from the hatcheries there is an option to have it done as well as dubbing.

I saw some photos of peafowl on here and they looked like they had been debeaked , very sad

couldn't understand that cause peas need a large area for breeding and are not used for egg production.

Not something i would need to do but some folks might so it is a good to have an option.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

It's for chickens raised in crowded confinement operations, so they don't peck each other to death. If you order older pullets instead of day old chicks from hatcheries, they come like that.

 

[bairo]

Almost never see it with backyard folks. As stated above you must have gotten older birds from an egg operation or a hatchery that crowds.

 

[happyhensny]

Quote:
x 2

 

[chicken grandma]

I had one like that, tip of beak cut off. Sure made it hard for her to tear something up with her beak. She was always at a disadvantage in eating. I don't recommend debeaking if you want hens who gain weight and lay well.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

If they look like they're having any trouble eating, you can try a deeper bowl for their food. That makes it easier to scoop up the feed, if they're having trouble picking it up with their beaks. It just depends on how short the beak was cut.

 

[QChickieMama]

It's hard to look at them and not feel bad for them. Ugh. Made me not want to buy them, but then I'd driven an hour to get them for my daughter. So, they're ours now. If they don't lay well, I'll consider replacing them.

 

[QChickieMama]

Quote:
I'll keep an eye on that. The seller had their food in a big deep bowl. We use 1gal plastic feeders.

 

[real_redhead]

I knew a guy who bought all of his red sex links as pullets and they were all debeaked...felt so bad for the girls they looked deformed. I knew then that I would never purchase debeaked birds. And may they rest in peace...he didn't take care of them and lost them all to predators in the first 5 months. Glad you gave them a home.