Beak Trimming Handbook for Egg Producers: Best Practice for Minimising Cannibalism in Poultry

Contents......Page 4
Foreword......Page 8
1.2 The peck order......Page 10
1.5 More serious pecking (monitoring and management action required)......Page 11
1.6 Aggressive pecking (urgent management action required)......Page 13
Management checks......Page 15
Best practice......Page 16
2.2 Beak trimming......Page 18
2.4 Development of other methods......Page 20
Summary......Page 23
Management checks......Page 24
3.2 Setting up equipment......Page 26
3.3 Handling......Page 31
3.4 Beak trimming......Page 34
3.5 Biosecurity......Page 41
Summary......Page 43
Best practice......Page 44
4.2 Precautions during beak trimming......Page 46
4.3 Monitoring after beak trimming......Page 47
4.5 Assessing beaks......Page 50
4.6 Production responses of beak-trimmed birds......Page 51
Management checks......Page 52
Best practice......Page 53
5.1 Introduction......Page 54
5.3 Welfare views......Page 55
5.6 Neuromas......Page 56
5.9 The workplace trainer’s role......Page 57
5.13 Assessment......Page 58
Summary......Page 59
Management checks......Page 60
Best practice......Page 61
6.1 Introduction......Page 62
6.3 Beak trimming changes over the years......Page 63
6.4 Current methods used for trimming and re-trimming......Page 64
6.6 Factors that can lead to cannibalism......Page 65
6.8 Suggested ways of minimising the need for trimming......Page 67
6.10 Future of trimming......Page 69
Summary......Page 70
Management checks......Page 71
7.2 Spectacles......Page 72
7.4 Environmental enrichment devices......Page 73
7.8 Use of coloured lights......Page 74
7.11 Genetic strategies......Page 75
Management checks......Page 76
8.2 Strain selection......Page 78
8.7 Staff......Page 79
Management checks......Page 80
Appendix: Farm managers’ targets for beak trimming......Page 82
Glossary......Page 86
Further reading......Page 88