Methods of Reducing Social Stress, Fighting and Subsequent Mortality of Confinement Reared Cockerels

Abstract

MORTALITY among breeder males held in confinement is often quite significant, especially so as they approach maturity. Many extra birds have to be kept to insure that an adequate number of breeders will be available. Housing males in individual cages would seem to be the most efficient means of reducing mortality, however, this is not always possible.The present study was conducted to determine if debeaking and specs, singly or in combination, would significantly reduce mortality among males reared in confinement from 8–38 weeks of age. MATERIALS AND METHODSFour treatments (control, debeaking, specs, debeaking and specs) were replicated twice over a total of eight pens. Six male lines were represented in proportionate numbers in each pen with 68 males per pen being housed at eight weeks of age. Each pen was 10′ × 20′, allowing three square feet of floor space per bird at eight weeks of age.…