Lavenders_Blue Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I came across a new (to me) website today, called 'Ecolutionist'. Some of you may have already heard of it. One of the writers on there keeps ex battery hens and has posted an article about debeaking. I'm sure everyone on here knows about this horrible practice, but even I was shocked when I saw the photo on this page of a very severely de-beaked hen Pictures like this should go on the front of every box of caged hen eggs, surely only the hardest-hearted people could buy eggs from hens treated in such an unacceptable way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagesguineas Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 This makes me feel sick...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I had to research this for a project in English It's absolutely disgusting how they could do that . Apparently their beaks are filled with nerve endings, just like our fingers Just thinking about that makes me shudder . The birds are given no anesthetics, nor painkillers afterwards, and the pain lasts for months. For many birds it is so painful that the pain is simply to much for them to manage to eat, so they starve to death Bring on 2012! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 does it have to end by law in 2012? Poor, poor creatures - it's terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum-2-olly Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 ahh am new to this chicken malarky and never heard of it but it honestly makes me sick to my stomach!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 When i was reading about animal welfare a couple of months ago, I read that battery-hens show the same symptoms of humans that have been tortured, mainly due to the constant chronic pain due to de-beaking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migsy Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 does it have to end by law in 2012? Poor, poor creatures - it's terrible. I don't know about the law but I have just re-homed some hens from enriched cages and thankfully, they have not been debeaked. They were quite well feathered so perhaps there is no need for it in the enriched cages. Some humans seem evil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyChickenLover- Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 does it have to end by law in 2012? Poor, poor creatures - it's terrible. Kind of. Although it's not exactly ending, per se, farmers will be required by law to provide things like perches and nest boxes to improve the quality of life for the hens. They're still in cages but the cages are bigger and at least the hens will be able to walk around, flap their wings etc. It still won't be perfect, but it's a big step in the right direction. This Website [/url]"] These have a minimum of 750 square centimetres per hen, and must be equipped with better ventilation and other welfare features. All cages must conform to the new standards from 2012. Not sure about that article, because it was written a l o n g time ago (1999!) and it seems to mention that battery farming was going to be banned by 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 To prevent serious injury, the hens will routinely have their beaks trimmed, without anesthetic. That is still in enriched cages. Info found on http://ecolutionist.com/2011/03/11/enriched-chicken-cages-not-so-rich/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Even some free range hens are debeaked sometimes apparently - its horrible but apparently justifiable in big flocks where aggression is a risk because of the sheer amount of hens together I accidently once nicked a hens beak when she twitched as I trimmed it - only a tiny nick but the amount of blood was quite shocking and I was horrified and felt quite sick for a good few days about the fact that I caused her pain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I was going to say, even free-range birds are (or can be) beak trimmed. Farmers see it as "being cruel to be kind" as if they weren't debeaked they would peck each other to death. I know a farmer who has debeaked their free-range flock (of turkeys) because the the day-old poults were pecking at each others red vents and killing each other. Maybe not a nice thing to do but it solved the problem... To me its justifiable(?) to do that, rather than losing 15-25% of the birds, which is the rate they were losing them I've seen hybrids that have been slightly debeaked, they do grow back and file down naturally to look normal though. When done properly as a chick I wouldn't say it causes them pain for months but sure it is stressful and causes pain at the time. Think pain may last for longer if it was done in an adult bird. Percy is right, debeaking isn't being banned in 2012. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Even some free range hens are debeaked sometimes apparently Our girls were de-beaked when we got them from the free range farm, our last girl's beak is still flat-ended Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchanted Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 I was shocked when my first girls came de-beaked, having a protruding, slightly blunted bottom beak with a short, flat top beak. They still have the odd peck at each other but I cannot be sure whether it would or wouldn't be worst if they were left intact. My other girls have intact beaks and don't seem to fight any more or less than the mutilated ones. Here is an interesting exchange between opposing sides to this still legal practice http://www.all-creatures.org/articles/egg-debeaking-rh.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
