Beak trimming, welfare, and poultry ectoparasite control: Can we just let the hens do it?

Beak trimming in chickens is almost universally done in commercial egg-layers to prevent injurious pecking and to improve feed utilization. However, the trimmed beak is a poor tool for ectoparasite control via grooming; intact hens can maintain louse and mite populations at least 3-fold below levels on trimmed hens. We present data investigating beak condition and cage density effects on ectoparasites, and examine the economics of production with both beak conditions when challenged by ectoparasites. Reduced economic impact by lower ectoparasite loads on intact hens provides an incentive to select for docile strains that do not require beak-trimming.