Research into new beak treatment

Egg industry organisations have joined forces to fund vital research into the latest beak treatment technique.

With the UK’s home-grown ban on conventional beak trimming still in place for the end of 2010 and no sign that breeders will be able to guarantee the ‘non-peck’ layer in time, the industry is pinning hopes on getting Government approval for infra-red beak treatment.

As previously reported in the Ranger the process involves exposing the tip of day-old chicks’ beaks to the effects of infra-red which causes the targeted area to crumble away over a period of two to three weeks, avoiding the open wound associated with the hot blade method currently employed.

Hy-Line UK’s modern hatchery in Warwickshire already has one of the American designed machines installed and trials with Country Fresh Pullets have established that the technique can successfully remove the sharp tip of the beak. But the latest research—spearheaded by the BEIC and backed by a large sum of cash from BFREPA and the British Egg Association—now aims to establish whether there are any adverse welfare implications. The new study will be led by Dr Mike Gentle—renowned for work carried out in the early nineties on the effects of beak trimming on bird welfare—and will compare the growth and behaviour of chicks which have undergone the infra-red treatment against an untreated control group and a further group that have undergone conventional trimming.

The birds will be observed at regular intervals to identify whether there is any adverse behavioural changes following treatment. This will include recording the time birds in each group spend feeding, drinking, sleeping, standing, walking and running, pecking and preening.

The trial will run until the chicks, which will be placed on two commercial rearing farms, are 16 weeks old. Growth rate during this period will be monitored for each group and beak length measurements will be taken.

A similar trial carried out on broiler breeder chicks last year has already led to Dr Gentle concluding that the infra-red treatment leads to no adverse welfare effects. And FAWC, the influential body that advises the Government on welfare and has been shown the infra-red technique in operation, has reacted favourably to the findings.

“It would appear that the trial results of the infra-red beak treatment process accord with FAWC’s initial, positive reactions to what it was shown,” it says, “and so we are minded to look on it favourably compared to the alternatives.

“Through its non-invasive nature (which should reduce infection), its accuracy and its consistency the infra-red beak treatment has the potential to improve welfare not only for broiler breeders but also for turkey and laying hen chicks. FAWC was convinced that the initial reactions of the chicks to the infra-red system were far better than to the hot blade trim and the results of the trials seem to bear out the lack of long term effects.”

Although FAWC says it is pleased to be involved in further discussion of the infra-red method of beak treatment it is still urging Defra to “work closely with the Beak Trimming Action Group to ensure that stakeholders continue to focus on other areas of activity including breeding traits, refining codes of practice and ensuring any beak trimming or treatments are done by suitably qualified people.“