I have 4 rir hens which are now 17 days old. do i need to trim the upper peak and if so what are your suggestions.this is my first time with chickens.Iam really enjoying them
thanks for any help
new chicks and peak trim
I had my first flock of chicks beak trimmed...I would never do it again! The only reason it is done is so they can't pick you, not other chickens. They will still pick each other, and will still pick you, but supposedly it doesn't do that much damage. My rocky is now almost four years old and his beak is splitting up the center. I am hoping it never gets so bad he can't eat and starves to death. He is the only chicken I kept from the first flock and I plan on keeping him till he dies. But I wouldn't want him to starve to death.
I wouldn't do it. Just take good care of them, make sure they are fed a balanced chickie diet and give them enough room to run around and they won't peck each other much. Pecking is a learned bad habit or from a vitamin issue or stress. Let your babies be!
Also, now is a great time to give them thawed frozen corn as a treat. They LOVE it. Put it in your hand and call them CHICK! CHICK! CHICK! and after only 2 or 3 times they will associate the call with corn and they will RUN to meet you. That is really good for when they get older and you want them all to go somewhere.
Good idea. I know it works. When they hear my next door neighbor's six-wheeler coming up the drive or through the back, they ALL flock out waiting for him to give them their goodies.
And, it's even great for the deer. They wait just until we throw the corn on the ground and then boogedy, boogedy, here they come for their rations.
to granny-goody and backyardhens
thank you both for your advise,i will not touch their peaks.always learn good things here at DG
I have to agree with granny and backyard. I wouldn't want to
do this to my chickens - everything I have learned about it
is because of improper nutrition or space. If you give them
something to peck at, mine love alfalfa, or I've even heard
colored buttons they can't swallow, that this works well. :o)
may princess tammy's chicks never need a beak trim!