Breaking the beak is an important work in the management of chicks, and correct beak breaking can improve feed remuneration and reduce production costs. The quality of beak breaking affects the amount of food intake during the breeding period, which in turn affects the quality of breeding and the full play of production performance during the egg-laying period.
1.Preparation of chicks for beak breaking:
Before breaking the beak should first check the health of the flock, found sick chickens, weak chickens should be picked out and raised separately, to be restored to health before breaking. Stop feeding 2~3 hours before breaking. Chickens can be weaned at the age of 1 day or 6~9 days old, and the open chicken coop is required to be completed within 2 weeks of age. And the closed type chicken coop can be carried out at 6~8 days of age.
2.The method of breaking the beak of chicks:
Before breaking the beak, firstly, put the beak breaker in the right place and turn on the power, then adjust the seat height according to the personal habits, when the blade of the beak breaker is bright orange, then you can start to operate the beak breaking. When breaking the beak, the operation method should be stable, accurate and fast. Use the thumb to lightly press on the back of the chicken’s neck, the index finger is placed under the neck to hold it in place, and pressure is applied downward and backward to make the chick’s beak close and the tongue retract. Tilt the chick’s head slightly downward with the tip of the beak against the blade. As the beak is cauterised, the beak breaker will feel the need for greater force to push the chick’s head forward. Carefully feel the force required to cauterise the peck to the required length, and then accurately beak break the entire block. The operator holds the chick’s feet in one hand, secures the chick’s head in the other, places the thumb behind the chick’s head and the index finger under the neck and gently presses on the throat immediately below the base of the beak to produce a tongue response in the chick, causing it to tilt slightly downward to insert the beak into the appropriate beak-breaking holes, with the excision being made at approximately 1/2 of the upper beak and 1/3 of the lower beak. Break the beak when the blade of the beak breaker is dark cherry red and about 700~800°C. Cut and brand at the same time, to contact 2~3 seconds is appropriate, can prevent bleeding. Do not break the lower beak shorter than the upper beak. Break the beak as far as possible once successful, easily do not repair the beak after the chicken grows up, so as not to cause infection.
Attention to sick chicks do not break the beak, the chickens in the immunisation period and the environmental temperature is not adapted to the beak can not be broken, beak breaking should not be in a hurry. The bleeding of young chicks caused by beak breaking should be stopped by repeatedly scalding and roasting the broken beak. Add electrolytes and vitamins to the water for 2 days before and after beak breaking, and feed the chicks adequately for a few days after beak breaking. If coccidiostats are being used, top up with water-soluble coccidiostats before consumption reaches normal water levels. Use experienced personnel for beak breaking.
3.Management of chicks after beak breaking:
Beak breaking will cause a series of stress reactions in chickens, e.g., causing bleeding, decreased resistance, etc., which can cause death in serious cases. Therefore, the chickens should not be immunised immediately after beak breaking, otherwise it will lead to more deaths. Three days before and after the beak should be added to the feed of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K3 and electrolytic multivitamin, etc., in order to reduce the chickens in the beak bleeding and after the beak after the emergence of stress and other phenomena. In the hot summer, beak breaking should be carried out in the morning, so as to reduce bleeding and stress. Avoid using nipple-type automatic drinkers for 3 days before and after beak breaking to reduce stress.
Post time: Aug-18-2023
