I don't know why the chickens I bought have trimmed beaks. They are not aggressive at all. It seems cruel. Any thoughts?
How old are they and where did you buy them from? If there was over crowding they may have had their beaks trimmed to lessen the pecking injuries. No matter what the reason its cruel and not needed as long as they have adequat space.
We once saved some chicken (took them in) that had clipped becks ... they were from a big egg farm. They were getting ready for the axe and then trash because they didn't give a egg (or two) per day. It was odd watching them the first week or so. (they had no clue) But after the first month they were a very different bird. And after some freah air and a run did they ever lay ... we had more eggs then what we knew what to do with ... lol (almost ) I agree it is cruel and should not be done.
Trimming the beaks is a common procedure done on hens on a commercial egg farm. They also live out their year of laying in cages with their food and water right in front of them and they never see the light of day, and don't have room to move around in those cages
Aptly, The rooster doesn't have a trimmed beak. The first three hens were already at least a few mos old, and these three have them trimmed. The last two I got from the same farm did not have them trimmed, but are clearly younger than the other three hens. I have some doubts about the farm itself. I only went the one time when we got the last two, and they had fighting roosters caged separately on the farm in approx 3'x3 pens with a roost only, and several hens all together in one pen with several roosters. I noticed several hens were missing neck feathers due to too many roosters in the same cage! One of my last two just finally got all her feathers back. Those poor girls at the farm never had a break... I am trying to get the address again since it is a rural location and report them for the fighting roosters. I hope they are not selling them to fight. The City Animal Inspector can determine that for themselves...
