Trimmed beaks???

[DONDChick]

I purchased 6 hens from a "home grown" hobby chicken breeder and then from a big time for profit breeder. The hens from hobby man have "normal" beaks while the for profit birds appear to have "nubs". Do breeders cut their beaks?? My new girls even stick their tongues out, something my "hobby" girls have never done.

 

[cstronks]

Strange. You should ask if the chickens were debeaked. If a breeder is running a large scale operation, then they may debeak to prevent pecking and cannabalism.

 

[DONDChick]

I really don't know the difference. They have beaks, but very small. I was thinking if so it would be for the reason you stated.

 

[Serenity Sav]

Yeah, sounds like they were debeaked. If you google "debeaked chickens" you can see some examples. Trimmed beaks are just trimming the very tip, like fingers nails, and they can grow back. Debeaking is what commercial farms do to prevent the chickens from pecking each other out of stress.

 

[donrae]

I would advise not to buy from the big time seller again. The only reason to debeak a chicken is so you can cram them so close together they want to kill each other. Debeaking prevents them from being able to peck each other. Proper flock management means you don't have to debeak chickens.

 

[Jchicken311]

sorry i have never heard of that before. I agree i would not get any more chickens from there.

 

[Rubbertoe]

Never heard of that. Sounds horrible.

 

[DONDChick]

They were debeaked! I agree with everyone, I will Never buy a debeaked, and will caution others to no buy from mass production breeders. Those hens are very socially awkward....appear sad, and just run and hide. My husbands got them through a connection, and I wasn't there to pick them out. So far two have adjusted fairly well, one has even layed. However, one is sick and I think they brought mites with them. LESSON LEARNED.