Production and heart rate responses of chickens beak-trimmed at hatch or at 10 or 42 days of age

Abstract

Heart rate was monitored before and after beak trimming in restrained chickens to measure responses to beak trimming at hatch and at 10 and 42 days of age. Immediately after trimming chickens sham-trimmed (control) and trimmed at 10 and 42 days of age had an increase in heart rate, with the 42-day-old chickens showing the greater change. Chickens sham-trimmed and trimmed at hatch showed no change in heart rate. No difference between trimmed and sham-trimmed chickens occurred at any age for heart rate response. These data indicate that heart rate at trimming may be inadequate as a measure of the stress response associated with beak trimming, especially with the concurrent stressors of handling and restraint. Beak trimming and handling of chickens at hatch is either less stressful than trimming at 10 and 42 days of age, as indicated by the lack of a heart rate response, or heart rate is already at a maximum in chickens at hatch, due to stress associated with hatching. Food intake and body weight were measured for 3-4 weeks after trimming to assess the longer term effects of age and level of trimming on performance of the chicken. Removal of 3 mm of beak at hatch or 4.5 mm at 10 days of age depressed feeding levels and a reduced body weight, indicative of a chronic stress associated with beak trimming.