Probably, many people who are not even versed in agriculture and poultry farming will be surprised by the phenomenon of cannibalism in chickens. The picture is very creepy and unpleasant. Fortunately, the phenomenon is quite rare, especially in small farms. Nevertheless, one should know why this happens and how to avoid such problems.
How does this happen
It’s hard for some 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 (possibly weakened, sick, or simply smaller) chicken, begin to tear feathers out of it, and, having reached the flesh, tear out pieces of meat and swallow them. Very often, the target of an attack is a cesspool - the only soft spot on the chicken’s body that is not protected by feathers. Sometimes birds strive to break through to their belly - knock a relative, pluck their stomach, peck their muscles to get to their internal organs and feast on them.
However, the picture is not always so bloody. In some cases, hens are content with feathers. Tearing them from each other, the hens simply 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 eaten. Moreover, there is not even a trace left - the chickens eat the shell with even greater pleasure than the contents.
If you have witnessed a bite in chickens, you can’t hesitate - you need to immediately take action. After all, one precedent will be only the first signal - in a few days everything can be repeated, but several individuals or more will already show similar aggression.
How to reveal cannibalism
It’s not at all difficult to spot cannibalism in chickens. It is enough to at least once or twice a day to briefly inspect the birds, as well as their habitat. In this case, you can notice crippled or killed birds, plucked individuals or others whose beaks and feathers are stained with blood. Alas, it is much more difficult to identify cases of eating eggs. A couple of chickens eat an egg in a matter of seconds, leaving no trace. Seeing the pecked skeleton, one should not be surprised either. Having felt the smell of blood of a wounded relative, many hens seem to go crazy, pounce on her and begin to simply devour.
Things are much more complicated on a chicken farm - to inspect tens of thousands of chickens and at the same time notice that one or more of them have disappeared is simply impossible. This is another reason why in large farms chickens are kept in separate cages - even if one of them gets furious, she will not be able to get to her neighbors.
Which chickens does this happen
In most cases, this happens in adult chickens - this practically does not occur among chickens and young animals.
Also, as specialists have long noted, chicken of meat breeds is practically not affected. Which is not surprising - they are usually grown to average weight, after which they are simply killed. And young growth, as mentioned above, is almost not prone to attacks of such aggression. Therefore, cannibalism is usually observed in laying hens. What to do in such a situation? Take the most decisive measures - we will talk about them a little later. If this does not help, then it is best to solve the problem radically - to decapitate the most aggressive birds, ensuring safety for the rest.
When does this most often happen
Sometimes cannibalism in chickens begins quite suddenly - as if the fuse is turned off, and peaceful birds begin to attack their relatives, pull feathers, and sometimes pieces of meat from them.
Moreover, at-risk groups include certain social and age categories.
For example, although very rarely, cannibalism can be observed in small chickens - 4-6 day old. Eating individuals of their species at an earlier or later age is not observed.
Another difficult age is 2-3 months. Mostly it affects roosters. Ripening and feeling certain natural appeals, the most powerful male tries to expel competitors, leaving all the hens with him. In the wild, the weak just run away in a panic, allowing the stronger male to actively continue the genus. But in a chicken coop or in a fenced area, not to mention the huge farms with a high bird density, this is impossible. Weak males have nowhere to go, and an angry alpha cock just pecks them to death. And the relatives distraught with blood complete the work, pecking the corpse.
Cases become more frequent during molting - both age (40-60 days) and seasonal. Accordingly, birds should pay particular attention at this time.
Main reasons
Alas, it is practically impossible to single out one reason why chickens peck each other. Experienced breeders believe that various conditions of detention and ailments can provoke chicken cannibalism.
One of the main ones is excessive crowding of birds. This usually happens on large farms and farms. Trying to get the maximum profit with minimal financial investment, the owners of the enterprises force the chickens to literally live on their heads. One square meter can account for up to 15-20 adults! They also save on feeders, nipple drinkers for chickens are not installed in sufficient 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, and yet, like any birds, they need at least some room. In addition, with such a content, part of the birds will certainly starve, need clean water. Some chickens do not stand up and attack relatives - feathers begin to fly, blood flows.
Quite often this happens when several new individuals appear in an established flock. Most often this happens only in conditions of increased crowding.
Improper feeding, especially if chicken vitamins are not added to dry food, also often leads to excessive aggression and, as a result, cannibalism.
Finally, unnecessarily bright light can cause constant stress. Still, chickens are used to sleeping in the dark and generally need a regular change of day and night. A round-the-clock same lighting is contrary to their nature.
Now that you know about the most common cases of cannibalism in chickens, let's talk about the main ways to avoid this unpleasant phenomenon.
Proper nutrition
The basis of health (physical and psychological) in any animals is proper nutrition.
First of all, meat and bone meal should be added to ordinary grain or mixed feed - at least 10% of the total diet. Fishmeal, preferably of high quality, from a large, trusted manufacturer will not be out of place. This will provide the right amount of calcium - chickens, especially laying hens, need it in a fairly large amount.
It will be useful to add a small amount of table salt 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 to overdo it. For 10 kilograms of feed, 10-15 g of methionine is enough.
If more often than not attacks of cannibalism are manifested, namely, tearing and eating feathers, then most likely, chickens need to be provided with a sufficient amount of fodder sulfur. But it is also needed in a very limited amount - about 0.1 g for one bird. With an overdose, the risk of poisoning and even death of chickens is high.
And, of course, you can’t forget about vitamins for chickens. With free grazing, they freely eat the grass, insects and much more that they need. But when kept in cages or simply enclosed spaces, the owner must take care of a balanced diet. Fortunately, the choice of vitamin complexes on the market is quite large. Especially popular are the products of Rex vital, Ryabushka, and Ryaba hen.
Solving the crowding problem
The next most common cause of cannibalism is too many chickens in a cramped room. The maximum allowable rate is ten adult chickens per square meter. Please note this is an 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 the chickens, hoping that they will share it equally - those who have eaten will leave 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 that 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 heads. If you prefer rectangular feeding troughs, then at least 7-10 centimeters of length should be got to each chicken.
This is the case with drinking bowls. If you purchased a groove drinker, then count - a minimum of 2 centimeters should be allocated for chicken. And using nipple drinkers for chickens, make sure that there are a maximum of ten birds per nipple.
Get rid of excess light
As already mentioned, intensive round-the-clock lighting is also undesirable. The simplest solution is to turn off the light in the evening and turn it on in the morning. If this is not possible for some reason, you can use special timers - they will do the work for you. Moreover, in the dark, they can both turn off the lighting completely, and simply reduce it to extremely weak. In this case, you can work or conduct an examination in the room, but the chickens will feel quite comfortable.
Social problems
Have you noticed that chickens are constantly attacking newcomers, be it yesterday’s chickens relocated to adults or bought birds? This is due to crowding and the inability to divide the available area into sections for several flocks.
The easiest way to solve the problem is by replanting new individuals at night. Chickens cannot boast of a good memory, so they probably will not notice that their number has increased due to new residents.
What to do with wounded hens
Now let's move on to the important topic of caring for the victims of cannibalism in hens. The treatment can be quite complicated. First of all, it is necessary to isolate wounded birds. They are provided with good nutrition and a sufficient amount of fresh clean water.
You also need to use appropriate medications - any ointments that have an antiseptic effect are suitable: ichthyol, penicillin, synthomycotic.
What is decking
If you have a whole chicken farm at your disposal and there is no way to identify every case of cannibalism, you can resort to de-picking. This is a rather complicated procedure, which will require special equipment.
During the procedure, the hen is cut off the pointed part of the beak, and the wound is cauterized. The specialist should carry out the work - otherwise there is a risk of incorrectly cutting the beak or causing an infection. Both that and another can lead to a long illness and death of birds.
The cost of equipment is quite high, so only a fairly large chicken farm can afford such a purchase, and not a private person raising ten chickens in the backyard.
When is it better to carry out a decking
In general, most experts recommend trimming the beak almost immediately after hatching - on the 6-12th day. At this age, they most easily endure an unpleasant procedure, and at the same time the possibility of cases of cannibalism in the future is excluded.
If it did not work out right away, then the second optimal age is from 35 to 70 days. By this time, there is a clear division into hens and roosters, birds have grown stronger and are able to withstand various diseases. Of course, it will be more difficult to deback practically adult individuals than chickens, but this age is considered very suitable.
After completing the procedure once, the owner of the chicken farm can be sure that the cases of cannibalism in his household will no longer be repeated.
Conclusion
You have learned about the main reasons that encourage chickens to snapping at each other, plucking feathers, and even tearing pieces of meat. At the same time, they read about what actions should be taken to stop or prevent this. Surely now nothing will threaten your household.