The influence of beak trimming on feeding activity and pecking of a bunch of feathers in 14 months old laying hens

The effect of beak trimming on feed intake, feeding activity and pecking at a bunch of feathers was studied in 24 laying hens (Rhode Island Reds) at about 14 months of age. In one half of the birds about 3 mm of the upper and the lower part of the beak were removed by a hot blade. The other half of the birds were kept with intact beaks as a control. Egg mass, feed consumption and feed efficiency were recorded daily for three 3-days periods, day I to 3 before and day 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 after beak trimming. In addition feed intake, time spent feeding, feeding efficiency (as a ratio of feed intake by time spent feeding) and pecking at a bunch of feathers (gentle pecking and vigorous pulling) were recorded continuously for 12 days, from day 6 before until day 6 after beak trimming. There was no significant difference between the beak trimmed and control birds for body weight, egg mass, time spent feeding, and feeding efficiency for the experimental period. Only feed consumption was significantly lower in the beak-trimmed birds for the three-days-period after beak trimming. Comparisons of the three-days-periods within the beak-trimmed hens showed a significant decline in gentle pecking, vigorous pulling and feed consumption from the first experimental period to the three-days- period after beak trimming. At the 4 to 6 days period only the mean for vigorous pulling remained on a significantly lower level as compared to the pre-treatment period. Data from continuous recording of time spent feeding and feed consumption revealed that there was no sudden drop but a slow decline after beak trimming with its lowest point at day three after the treatment. Similar results were obtained for pecking and pulling at the feather bunches, but, in contrast to feed intake, the level of these activities remained low from day three to the end of the experiment. It has been concluded that moderate beak trimming in laying hens has only a short term effect on feed intake and performance traits. The capability of eating mash is not influenced.