Cannibalism in chickens: causes and treatment. Features of keeping chickens

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Probably, many people who are not even versed in agriculture and poultry farming will be surprised by such a phenomenon as cannibalism in chickens. The picture is very creepy and unpleasant. Fortunately, the phenomenon is quite rare, especially in small farms. Still, you should know why this happens and how to avoid such problems.

How it happens

Some people find it difficult to imagine a situation where chickens eat each other. But this really happens, especially on large farms.

One or several birds at once pounce on one (perhaps weakened, sick or just smaller) chicken, begin to pull out feathers from it, and, having reached the flesh, tear out pieces of meat and swallow them. Very often, the target of the attack is the cloaca - the only soft spot on the body of a chicken that is not protected by feathers. Sometimes birds strive to break through to the belly - they knock down a relative, pluck the stomach, peck at the muscles in order to get to the internal organs and feast on them.

However, the picture is not always so bloody. In some cases, chickens are content with feathers. tearing them outeach other, chickens just swallow small feathers. Even more common is another phenomenon - eating eggs. In most cases, other people's eggs become the target, but in the most neglected situations, their own eggs are also eaten. And there is not even a trace left - the chickens eat the shell with even more pleasure than the contents.

If you have witnessed pecking in chickens, you can not hesitate - you need to urgently take action. After all, one precedent will be only the first signal - in a few days everything can happen again, but several or more individuals will already show such aggression.

How to detect cannibalism

Spotting cannibalism in chickens isn't hard at all. It is enough to briefly examine the birds at least once or twice a day, as well as their habitat. In this case, you can see maimed or killed birds, plucked individuals, or others whose beaks and feathers are stained with blood. Alas, identifying cases of eating eggs is much more difficult. A couple of chickens eat an egg in seconds without even leaving a trace. Seeing a pecked skeleton should also not be surprised. Having smelled the blood of a wounded relative, many chickens seem to go crazy, pounce on her and just start to devour.

Things are much more complicated on a chicken farm - it is simply impossible to inspect tens of thousands of chickens and at the same time notice that one or more of them have disappeared. This is another reason why large farms keep chickens in separate cages - even if one of them goes berserk, she will not be able to get to her neighbors.

Whichchickens it happens

In most cases, this happens in adult chickens - this practically does not occur among chickens and young animals.

Also, as experts have long noted, this is practically not affected by chickens of meat breeds. Which is not surprising - they are usually grown to medium weight, after which they are simply slaughtered. And the young, as mentioned above, are almost not subject to attacks of such aggression. Hence, cannibalism is commonly observed in laying hens. What to do in such a situation? Take the most drastic measures - we will talk about them a little later. If this does not help, then it is best to solve the problem radically - decapitate the most aggressive birds, ensuring the safety of the rest.

When it happens most often

Sometimes, cannibalism in chickens starts quite suddenly - as if a fuse turns off, and peaceful birds begin to attack their relatives, tearing feathers out of them, and sometimes pieces of meat.

Moreover, the risk groups include certain social and age categories.

For example, although very rare, cannibalism can be observed in small chickens - 4-6 days old. Eating of individuals of their own species at an earlier or later age is not observed.

Another difficult age is 2-3 months. It mostly affects roosters. Ripening and feeling certain natural calls, the strongest male tries to expel competitors, leaving all the hens with him. In the wild, the weak simply run away in panic, allowing the stronger male to actively continue the race. But in a chicken coop or in a fenced area, do notspeaking of huge farms with a high density of birds, this is impossible. Weak males have nowhere to go, and an angry alpha cock just pecks them to death. And blood-mad relatives finish the job by pecking at the corpse.

Cases increase during molting - both age-related (40-60 days) and seasonal. Accordingly, at this time, especially a lot of attention should be paid to birds.

Main reasons

Alas, it is almost impossible to single out one reason why chickens peck each other. Experienced breeders believe that various conditions and ailments can provoke chicken cannibalism.

One of the main ones is the excessive crowding of birds. This usually happens on large farms and farms. Trying to get the maximum profit with the minimum financial investment, the owners of the enterprises make the chickens literally live on each other's heads. There can be up to 15-20 adults per square meter! They also save on feeders, nipple drinkers for chickens are installed in insufficient quantities. As a result, chickens constantly live in stress. Judge for yourself, because they can’t even take a couple of steps on the floor, but, like any birds, they need at least some space. In addition, with such a content, some of the birds will definitely starve, need clean water. Some chickens can not stand it and attack their relatives - feathers begin to fly, blood is shed.

Quite often this happens when a few new individuals appear in an established flock. Most oftenthis happens only in conditions of increased crowding.

Incorrect feeding, especially if vitamins for chickens are not added to dry food, also quite often leads to excessive aggression and, as a result, cannibalism.

Finally, excessively bright light can become the cause of constant stress. Still, chickens are used to sleeping in the dark and generally need a regular change of day and night. And the same lighting around the clock is contrary to their nature.

Now that you know about the most common cases of cannibalism in chickens, here are the main ways to avoid this unpleasant phenomenon.

Proper nutrition

The basis of he alth (physical and psychological) in any animal is proper nutrition.

First of all, meat and bone meal should be added to ordinary grain or compound feed - at least 10% of the total diet. Fishmeal, preferably of high quality, from a large, trusted manufacturer will not be superfluous. This will provide the right amount of calcium - hens, especially laying hens, need it in quite a large amount.

It would be useful to add a small amount of table s alt to the diet - about 0.5% of the diet.

Some experts advise using methionine. But here it is very important to observe the dosage and in no case overdo it. 10-15 g of methionine is enough for 10 kilograms of feed.

If it is not the attacks of cannibalism that most often appear, but the pulling out and eating of feathers, then, most likely, it is necessary to provide the chickens with a sufficient amount of fodder sulfur. But she tooneeded in a very limited amount - about 0.1 g for one bird. In case of an overdose, the risk of poisoning and even death of chickens is high.

And, of course, we must not forget about vitamins for chickens. When freely grazing, they freely eat the grass they need, insects, and much more. But when kept in cages or just indoors, the owner must take care of a balanced diet. Fortunately, the choice of vitamin complexes on the market is quite large. The products of Rex Vital, Ryabushka, Ryaba Chicken are especially popular.

Solve the problem of crowding

The next most common cause of cannibalism is too many chickens in a cramped space. The maximum allowable rate is ten adult chickens per square meter. Please note that this is the absolute maximum. It is better if no more than 2-3 birds live in such an area.

Do not forget about the correct feeding. Some novice farmers simply calculate the optimal amount of feed and give it to the chickens, hoping that they will share it equally - those who are full will move away from the feeders, making room for others. In fact, with this approach, some chickens will overeat all the time, while others will starve. Therefore, strong and weak individuals should eat at the same time. Make sure there is enough space for everyone. For example, if a round feeder with a diameter of 50-70 centimeters is used, then it should have no more than 40-50 goals. If you prefer rectangularfeeders, then each chicken should get at least 7-10 centimeters in length.

So is the case with drinkers. If you have purchased a flute drinker, then calculate - you need to allocate at least 2 centimeters per chicken. And when using nipple drinkers for chickens, make sure that there are a maximum of ten birds per nipple.

Get rid of excess lighting

As already mentioned, intense 24/7 lighting is also undesirable. The simplest solution is to turn off the light in the evening and turn it on in the morning. If for some reason this is not possible, you can use special timers - they will do the work for you. Moreover, at night, they can either turn off the lighting completely, or simply reduce it to extremely weak. In this case, you can work or inspect indoors, but the chickens will feel quite comfortable.

Social Issues

Have you noticed that chickens constantly attack newcomers, whether they are yesterday's chickens, relocated to adults, or purchased birds? This is due to overcrowding and the inability to divide the available area into sections for several flocks.

The easiest way to solve the problem is to replant new individuals at night. Chickens don't have a good memory, so they probably won't notice that their number has increased thanks to the new settlers.

What to do with injured chickens

Now let's move on to an important topic - caring for victims of cannibalism in chickens. Treatment is quitedifficult. First of all, you need to isolate the injured birds. They are provided with adequate nutrition and sufficient fresh clean water.

You also need to use suitable medicines - any ointment that has an antiseptic effect will do: ichthyol, penicillin, synthomycene.

What is debacking

If you have a whole chicken farm at your disposal and it is not possible to identify every case of cannibalism, you can resort to debaking. This is a rather complicated procedure that requires special equipment.

During the procedure, the pointed part of the beak is trimmed to the chickens, and the wound is cauterized. A specialist should carry out the work - otherwise there is a risk of incorrectly cutting the beak or introducing an infection. Both can lead to long-term illness and death of birds.

The cost of the equipment is quite high, so only a fairly large chicken farm can afford such a purchase, and not a private individual who grows a dozen chickens in a backyard.

When is the best time for debacking

In general, most experts recommend trimming the beak almost immediately after hatching the chicks - on the 6-12th day. At this age, they most easily tolerate an unpleasant procedure, and at the same time, the possibility of cases of cannibalism in the future is excluded.

If you couldn't do it right away, then the second optimal age is from 35 to 70 days. To thattime there is a clear division into laying hens and roosters, the birds have grown stronger and are able to withstand various diseases. Of course, it will be more difficult to debeck almost adults than chickens, but this age is considered very suitable.

Having carried out the procedure once, the owner of a chicken farm can be sure that cases of cannibalism in his farm will not happen again.

Conclusion

You have learned about the main reasons why chickens turn on each other, pluck feathers and even tear out pieces of meat. At the same time, read about what actions need to be taken to stop or prevent this. Surely now nothing will threaten your household.