Debeaking at One Day of Age and the Feeding of Pellets to Broiler Chickens

THE debeaking of day old broiler chicks has become a popular management practice for controlling cannibalism and feather picking in chickens in the major broiler areas of the country. This management practice has renewed interest also in the feeding of pellets to broiler chicks, which previously had a tendency for cannibalism and feather picking when fed pelleted feed. Investigations by Darrow and Stotts (1954) showed that debeaking day old chicks, by removal of one-third to one-half of the maxilla, had no effect on body weight or mortality to eight weeks of age. Lanson (1956) debeaked day-old chicks in the same manner as Darrow and Stotts and also found no difference between debeaked and non-debeaked chicks in growth, feed conversion, feathering, and livability. Combs et al. (1955) found that debeaking at day old did not create an unfavorable effect upon growth rate, feed efficiency, mortality, or feather score. Differences that did . . .