About a month after Jake got back from Afghanistan, we ordered a small flock of 12 laying hens. The hens came to us as pullets — teenage chickens. We opted for pullets over chicks, which is how we normally order them, because we were both eager to have farm fresh eggs as soon as possible.
Well, the pullets came, we went and picked them up from the store where we ordered them. But when we brought them home we noticed something was amiss: the tips of their beaks was missing. Our chickens had been de-beaked.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
You are in a bad spot with this batch. If you refuse them what will the supplier do with them? You can but raise them and do your best by them. Any future order with the guy, I would prefice with “NO DEBEAKED BIRDS”. If you state your requirement up front he must either supply them that way or pass on the order. No matter who you order from next time, state your requirement clearly up front. It is a shame that such cruelty has to go on, and all for the almighty dollar.
How horrible. If they don’t start laying soon I’d say they are destined for the soup pot. If you can catch them. And I guess you have to go back to starting with chicks.
We’ve been getting our eggs from Pete & Gerry’s organic “certified humane” because a friend of the family works there. Then my mom mentions casually that said friend got a promotion and one of his jobs is now debeaking them. My world crashed around me, when she said that. How can they be “certified humane” and debeak? And how can we trust any labeling?
We went with chicks! I’d rather know exactly what happened to them has babies.
I bought three RIR pullets that were raised in cramped conditions. They were timid, skittish animals for many months, but they finally came around. After plying them with mealworm treats, now they follow me around the yard as I weed so they can dig for bugs. Your birds will likely forget their chickhood as well. Don’t all young?
Jessie,
Dad de-beaked his flock — after they started pecking and he lost a few, during some harsh winter weather that made the outdoors unavailable.
As far as I could tell, debeaking didn’t change the behavior of the birds. I imagine the skittish, reclusive behavior has much to do with with lack of interaction with you during their “chick” period.
My chickens stopped laying when the temps went up, and started again just a couple days ago. And young birds *always* take longer to start laying than I think is proper. But, time passes, eggs will get laid.
Do you keep a light on for the birds? 12 hours, from morning to night, may be needed to induce and maintain a laying cycle. Othewise they may barely start laying this fall, before resting for the winter (which is what I encourage my hens to do).
Dad’s de-beaked birds did fine with the industrial feed, and with the oyster shells and regular grit. You might stop at the store where you got the birds, and ask about proper feeding for de-beaked birds. Explain that you don’t have experience with de-beaked chickens, and hadn’t actually planned on getting de-beaked birds this time. And ask if there is a way to order birds that haven’t been de-beaked for next year.
I wouldn’t be worried about explaining that you worry about what the de-beaking does to the birds (don’t offer any details about what you worry about). That should be accepted as a “silly notion” that is acknowledged as a bit weird, but not important, in those we know.
Luck!
Will de-beaking effect what and how they eat? Will they be able to forage for insects, worms and the like as freely and easily as beaked birds? I hope so.
Good luck with them. Know they are in a happy home with a family who loves them.
My chickens all have their beaks, and they do tend to peck at each other from time to time. To remedy them of this problem I make “chicken saddles” that fit over their backs to block the pulling out of feathers. My first one was pretty plain, but the last several that I made included an apron with a lace pocket (We named that hen “Martha Stewart”), a dress with lace and a bow, and a Super Man cape. Yes, the neighbors think I’m crazy, but my chickens are happy and quite stylish. I wish there was a way to share pics with you. They’re adorable, and they have their beaks.
I want to see this chicken saddle! Can you send a photo, Melissa?