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Beak Trimming
Beak trimming is what poultry farmers do to newly hatched chicks to prevent pecking and cannabilism when in their cages.
Now its true chickens will peck each other, but only when cramped togther with no space to move. I'm sure humans would get a bit narky if 6 humans were put in a wardrobe togther for 1.5 years!
Trimming their beaks will prevent this but at a painful cost.
A chickens beak is VERY sensitive, they have no hands so their beak becomes their main mode of picking things up and sussing out their environment around them.
Taking the tip of the beak off is very painful and remains painful until healed, which can take weeks, if at all. Many chicks die because they cant eat properly. Imagin someone taking the tips of your fingers off!
However it is very simple to stop this happening.
Give them enough space and let them express their natural behaviours! SIMPLE!
Battery Hen adoption
There is a growing trend for people to adopt ex-battery hens from local egg farms. These farms sell the "old" hens for a small price ($5 or so) to people who ask for some.
These hens are quite often bald with no feathers, due to forced moulting, rubbing on the bars and pecking.
When taken to their new homes it really doesnt take very long for the chicken to adjust and act like chickens should, even though these animals have never seen the sun, dust, grass or lovely big juicy insects!
This photo shows an ex-battery hen trying to take a dust bath for the very first time in her new home.
It's a base instinct for chickens to act this way. The fact that they quickly adapt when given the right conditions shows how fustrating it must have been for them to WANT to do these behaviours but COULDN'T because they were in a cage.
Chickens are very complex creatures with a pecking order, vocabulary and stong instincts. It is cruel to stop an animal displaying its natural behaviours.
I myself am not 100% ok with adopting battery hens. I dont like the idea of giving money to these farms and making them think there is money to be had with their "old" stock. It is a wonderful thing to do for those individual hens but it wont solve the overall problem.
However there is light at the end of the tunnel. The EU has recently banned Battery Cages, which will hopefully set a precident for the rest of the world and Australia.
But there is something much simpler us small folk can do to help.
Please dont buy "Caged Eggs" opt for "Free-Range" instead.
However this lable can be very mis-leading.
View the Free-Range Chickens page to learn more.
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