9 - Feather pecking and cannibalism: Can we really stop beak trimming?

Abstract

Feather pecking and tissue pecking in laying hens can take different forms. While gentle feather pecking is rarely injurious, other forms of inter-bird pecking such as severe feather pecking, vent pecking, and cannibalistic tissue pecking are injurious, and have highly detrimental effects on bird welfare and farm productivity. The practice of beak trimming is widely employed on commercial farms and there is evidence that this practice can reduce both mortality and plumage damage associated with injurious forms of pecking. However, beak trimming also has adverse consequences for bird welfare and is widely regarded as an unacceptable method of controlling bird behavior by the public. A number of European countries have now banned beak trimming or plan to do so. Other countries have taken the view that beak trimming cannot be abandoned until other methods of controlling injurious pecking become more firmly established. Potential alternative solutions include genetic selection to reduce bird pecking, or the damage caused by bird pecking; and improved management throughout the entire laying hen production chain. The challenges faced in implementing these alternative solutions are reviewed.