[evie2]

Evening,

We got our granddaughter her first chickens yesterday they've had all their vaccinations and their beaks trimmed; the bottom being longer than the top.  Our last chickens came to us at 4 weeks with a broody so I've never seen trimmed beaks before; is this normal and do I have to trim them as they get older? 

Grace

[joyfull]

most people don't trim their beaks unless there is a problem with the alignment. Ex batts and other rescue hens usually do though normally come with trimed beaks. Personally I wouldn't bother.

[evie2]

Thank goodness, I really didn't want to stress them out. They've had 24 hours to rest and de-traumatise - didn't like the way they were caught - and are VERY friendly; one even sat on my arm like a parrot   

[Tazzy]

Personal opinion is that it's cruel to de-beak and wouldn't consider doing that to any of mine, I just don't see the necessity. Is there ever a good reason for doing this? 

[evie2]

Will their beaks grow properly now or will stay deformed?   I'm really not happy about this   

[Tazzy]

The last 2 I had that had been trimmed have been with me for 2 years and their beaks are still the same - don't seem to grow like claws and feathers 

[GrannieAnnie]

When commercial hybrids have their beaks trimmed, it usually done by cauterising with a gas de-beaker.  It isn't nice for the chooks and as it is done so far back, it doesn't normally re-grow.

But I trim the beaks of the turkey poults we get otherwise, they would end up killing each other.  they really are cannibals.  But because I do it by hand, and I don't trim it far enough back, they usually re-grow, then I spend a lot of my time keeping them apart!   

But its still done commercially to stop cannibalism.  When you think of how crowded they are in their sheds.  they are supposed to be making it illegal, but there is a lot of doubt about tht at the moment

[Tazzy]

Just seen a horror show on Hugh F-W's about chicken farms. 43,000 chucks in one barn so I can see why they trim them    .

Sorry about hijacking the post - that sort of treatment gets me mad.

[evie2]

The sooner we get away from intensive egg production the better