Cannibalism Control Treatments and Egg Shell Thickness

In recent years debeaking and the use of plastic devices for altering the chicken’s vision have been resorted to as means of controlling cannibalism. Whether or not these treatments affect egg shell thickness when birds must consume supplementary oyster shell warrants investigation. Debeaking White Leghorns did not affect the total egg production (Bray et al., 1960). This suggests that the birds could eat and drink sufficiently well to maintain egg production. However, there is a possibility that the hens did not eat enough oyster shell to lay eggs with the best shell texture, but could maintain a good rate of lay. No report was given on thickness of the egg shells. Noles et al. (1962) reported that egg size was not affected by debeaking. Slinger et al. (1962) found that debeaking greatly reduced the consumption of grit in pullets 8–20 weeks of age. As a result of their work, …