Baker Paula Elizabeth, Nicol Christine Janet, Weeks Claire Alexandra
Laying Hen Welfare Forum, 22 City Road, London EC1Y 2AJ, UK.
Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Brookmans Park, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
Animals (Basel). 2022 Mar 8;12(6):674. doi: 10.3390/ani12060674.
Injurious pecking, commonly controlled by beak trimming (BT), is a widespread issue in laying hens associated with thwarted foraging. This controlled study compared the effect in intact and beak-trimmed pullets of providing pecking pans to eight treatment flocks from six weeks of age. Flocks (mean size 6843) comprised eight British Blacktail, six Lohmann Brown and two Bovans Brown. All young birds (6−7 weeks) pecked more frequently at the pecking pans (mean 40.4) than older pullets (mean 26.0, 23.3 pecks/bird/min at 10−11 weeks and 14−15 weeks, respectively) (p < 0.005). There was no effect on feather pecking or plumage cover. Mean side-beak length and mean top-beak lengths were shorter in treatment flocks at 6−7 weeks and 10−11 weeks (p < 0.001). Intact-beak treatment flocks had shorter mean side-beak length at 10−11 weeks (p < 0.001) and at 14−15 weeks (p < 0.05) and mean top-beak length at 6−7 weeks (p < 0.05) and at 10−11 weeks (p < 0.05). BT treatment flocks had shorter side-beak and top-beak lengths at 6−7 weeks and at 10−11 weeks (p < 0.001). Beak lengths showed linear growth, with individual bird variation indicating a potential for genetic selection. The study demonstrated that abrasive material can reduce beak length in pullets.
有害啄癖通常通过断喙（BT）来控制，这是蛋鸡养殖中与觅食受阻相关的一个普遍问题。这项对照研究比较了从六周龄开始为八个处理组鸡群提供啄食盘对完整喙和断喙小母鸡的影响。鸡群（平均规模为6843只）包括八个英国黑尾鸡、六个罗曼褐鸡和两个博万斯褐鸡。所有幼鸡（6 - 7周龄）在啄食盘上啄食的频率（平均40.4次）高于大龄小母鸡（10 - 11周龄时平均26.0次，14 - 15周龄时平均23.3次啄/只/分钟）（p < 0.005）。对啄羽或羽毛覆盖情况没有影响。在6 - 7周龄和10 - 11周龄时，处理组鸡群的平均侧喙长度和平均上喙长度较短（p < 0.001）。完整喙处理组鸡群在10 - 11周龄（p < 0.001）和14 - 15周龄（p < 0.05）时平均侧喙长度较短，在6 - 7周龄（p < 0.05）和10 - 11周龄（p < 0.05）时平均上喙长度较短。断喙处理组鸡群在6 - 7周龄和10 - 11周龄时侧喙和上喙长度较短（p < 0.001）。喙长呈线性增长，个体差异表明存在遗传选择的潜力。该研究表明，研磨材料可减少小母鸡的喙长。
