The outbreak occurred in a flock of 16,000 hens; mortality reached 20 percent before vets were called in to de-beak the remaining birds. The ban on beak trimming in the UK was originally due to come ...

If such birds are not treated, many deaths can occur rapidly to the levels of 25-30 per cent leading to huge financial losses to the farmer. When is beak trimming done? Traditionally beak trimming ...

Under these drastically changing conditions, the struggle to survive favored the larger birds with deep, strong beaks for opening the hard seeds. Smaller finches with less-powerful beaks perished.