Research/Beak Trimming Handbook

From Poultry Hub

Beak Trimming Handbook for Egg Producers (CSIRO Publishing)

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

Project Leader: Phil Glatz at SARDI funded by Poultry CRC (Project 03-22)

Duration of Project: (Now completed) 26 October 2003 to 31 March 2005

Project overview

Many enquiries on beak trimming are received at the Pig and Poultry Production Institute (PPPI) in South Australia from around Australia and worldwide. There was a need to consolidate all the information available in the literature into an easy-to-read handbook for producers as an educational resource in Australia and worldwide to service these enquiries.

Project objectives

• Produce a handbook that improves knowledge on why, when and how birds are trimmed, responses of birds to trimming, management of beak trimmed birds and alternative strategies to trimming. The target audience is farm managers.

Project progress

This project has been completed and the Beak Trimming Handbook for Egg Producers: Best Practice for Minimising Cannibalism in Poultry has been published through CSIRO Publishing (Spiral Bound - ISBN: 0643092560 - AU $35.00).

The Beak Trimming Handbook comprises eight chapters which highlight pecking problems and cannibalism, beak trimming methods, training and Codes of Practice, welfare issues and industry views on beak trimming. There are 2-3 bulleted points at the start of each chapter to advise the reader what it is about, with a list of management checks provided at the end of each chapter. Brief supporting information to back up the management checks is given in the body of each chapter.

See also

• AECL Project: The welfare of laying hens in cages
• Poultry CRC Project 07-17: Alternatives to beak trimming
• Poultry CRC Project 04-20: Laser beak-trimming and cannibalism
• Beak trimming
• Cannibalism (or aggressive pecking)
• Layer farm sequence
• Minimising cannibalism using innovative beak trimming methods

External links

• CSIRO Publishing - Beak Trimming handbook for Egg Producers

The Beak Trimming Handbook for Egg Producers is a straightforward, practical guide to beak trimming of egg-laying hens to minimise cannibalism.

• Pig and Poultry Production Institute (PPPI) aims to enhance the competitiveness of Australia's pig and poultry industries through research, extension and education.
• Wikipedia article on Debeaking presents a detailed article with information on beak trimming and animal-welfare.