Government postpones beak trimming ban

THE Government has postponed plans to ban beak trimming in laying hens because of concerns the move could do more harm than good.

The ban was due to be introduced in January 2011 but, on the advice of the Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) has now been deferred.

The Government issued a consultation on Wednesday (January 20) proposing changes to the Regulation that would remove the total ban on beak trimming. The proposals would allow routine beak trimming of day old chicks intended for laying to be done using the infra-red technique only.

The ban on beak trimming will not be introduced ‘until it can be demonstrated reliably under commercial conditions that laying hens can be managed without beak trimming, without a greater risk to their welfare than that caused by beak trimming itself’, farming Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said.

“The Government want to reduce the number of procedures that are defined in legislation as ‘mutilations’ and protect the welfare of laying hens, but a balance has to be struck between reducing the number of procedures carried out and ensuring that the birds do not suffer worse welfare insults, such as feather pecking and cannibalism,” he said.

A Defra spokesperson said: “The government’s long-term goal is to ban routine beak trimming. Farm Animal Welfare Council advice to postpone the total ban on routine beak trimming is a sensible, pragmatic approach and is in the interests of laying hens’ welfare.”

22 January 2010