Hy-Line UK awarded Freedom Food derogation

In a landmark ruling, following recommendation from the RSPCA Farm Animal Department, Freedom Food, the UK farm assurance scheme dedicated to improving farm animal welfare, has awarded a derogation to Hy-Line UK for its pioneering infra-red beak treatment procedure.

As a consequence, all birds now destined for Freedom Food sites can be beak treated using this unique method for an inital twelve-month period. "To be granted this derogation by Freedom Foods is excellent news for Hy-Line and the industry," commented Andrew Hignett, managing director of Hy-Line UK. "We've long championed infra-red beak treatment as the most accurate, safe and humane form of treatment there is and the Freedom Food stamp of approval is a very important endorsement. We are delighted to have the opportunity over the next twelve months to prove the advantages of this technique."

In contrast to the hot blade beak trimming technique, which requires each bird to be individually picked up at 9-10 days, the infra-red procedure allows chicks to be treated at just a day old. The hard, keratin-producing tissues of the beak are treated with infra-red energy, resulting in the tip falling away naturally after approximately 21 days, without mutilation of any kind.