Poultry
WANT TO REDUCE SPILLAGE OF UNTRIMMED LAYING HENS?
S
ince the introduction of the ban on beak trimming, untrimmed laying hens have had more difficulty drinking from the drinking nipples. They tend to spill more, and their water intake can decrease. This can ultimately have a negative effect on the health and performance of the hen. But
38 Gulf Agriculture | www.gulfagriculture.com
how can you prevent this? Untrimmed laying hens drink differently than trimmed laying hens. In contrast to trimmed hens, untrimmed hens peck the nipple with a bent head. For this reason, they have to make more effort to drink water and ultimately spill more. As a result, some hens may not drink enough
water and perform poorly. Monitoring water consumption can be a useful tool for determining whether the animals are drinking enough but, due to the spillage, these results may not be accurate and can ultimately mislead you. Walking through the house and observing the hens’ drinking behaviour with your
May-June 2020
