CANNIBALISM

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1933, Page 13

CANNIBALISM

PREVENTION AND CURE

Small clutches of chicks, or those on complete free range, seldom suffer from any complaints arising from idleness. Toepecking, vent-pecking, and featherjiccking definitely arise from devilment, duo to having nothing elso to do. Outbreaks usually occur any time from a few days after hatching up to flvo weeks later. White Leghorn chicks are more prone to this vice than other breeds, and it is particularly troublesome where chicks are raised intensively in largo clutches. Toe-pecking is unusual. Tho tiny chicks soon after hatching notico tho bright shiny claws of their mates and naturally have to have a peck to see if they are edible. Howcvor, at this age they are not strong enough to cause any trouble, and once they are fed they goon forget those bright too nails. Plently of litter will assist to prcvont toe-pecking, and clean sand is the best litter for chicks until they are about a week old and are wise enough to tell food from chaff joints. By a chaff joint is meant the little hard join found in the stem of either wheatea (which is best) or oaten chaff. This appears something like grain, and if eateu by chicks will cause impaetion of the gizzard and crop. So for the first week, use plenty of clean, perfectly dry sand, and after- ! wards plenty of clean wheaten straw I chaff. ... Vent-pecking is an aftermath of tail or'feather-pecking. This usually starts when the chicks are from 15 to 21 days old, and careful observation will show that it coincides with the growth of the first long tail feathers. These strong feathers have a soft pink quill to start with, and the chicks notice these and have a pock to see what they taste like! A good strong peck, too, at this ago is followed usually by a few drops of blood. Once this happens, the fun starts. Hound and round they go after that tail unHl within a few hours the vice is firmly established, and considerable troublo will be involved to stop it. Preventive steps include keeping tho chicks busy. Bunches of greens tied up so that the chicks have to jump to get at them will help. Eegular and sufficient feeding; plenty of hopper space if dry mash is fed; oddments to play with; and enough water tins so that they never get dry, will all help. Make them scratch for their grain at this age. Above all, get them outside if you possibly can. Once out on range they will find plenty to do scratching in the yards and earth for dosired oddments. If the cockerels are removed as quickly as they can be detected much trouble will be saved in tho event of an outbreak of cannibalism., as it seems that they are usually responsible for this trouble in the first place. Now let us assume that an outbreak has occurred.- You will find that a few have" blood on the base of their tails. Get busy right away catching all that show any sign of having been pecked. As they are caught wipe the' affected part with a little peroxide of hydrogen, placing them in a box for tho time beipg. When all are caught, keep the remainder busy. The affected ones must be isolated for a few days, so now brush their tails with creosote, which is a disinfectant as well as being disliked by the birds. After a few days they may be replaced with the other chicks. A very careful wate'h must bo kept on the remainder of the chicks for further trouble, especially ou very warm sunny days, when the trouble seoms more popular. In tho event of a really serious outbreak, tho whole shed" may be darkened, only admitting light at feeding time, though this is a fairly drastic step to take. In any case, constant watch must be kopt, for once flesh it broken and the habit firmly established, you will find the chicks disembowelled in very little time. There are some who recommend tne feeding of raw mea.t in small lumps, to check tho trouble, and whilst this will keep them busy for a few hours now and again, I believe it is of no permanont assistance, and sometimes will cause tho very complaint it is supposed to cure. See that the food ration is all that is needed. The protein level should bo up to 20 per cont. for the first eight weeks, and a little salt in the mash is helpful. Grit and bonemeal aro needed, too. The stronger tho chicks and the quicker their growth the more liable they aro to this complaint, and nothing is more heartbreaking than to experience a serious outbreak. It is one of the chief drawbacks of battery brooding, so popular today in other parts of the world. I have seen batches of pullets with 40 per cent, minus their tails, due to this vice, the whole "parson's nose" having been pocked off or seriously damaged. Once the flesh is broken, there is no cure, and the chick is best, destroyed. Tii picking out the first few affected chicks a very careful inspection of the base of the tail is needed. Even if blood has not been drawn, there may bo a pink bare spot showing where one or two quill feathers have been plucked out, and these chicks must bo isolated with the others. Usually if the whole batch are given their completo freedom on free range the trouble will be checked within a few days. Once the feathers are fully grown no further trouble should be experienced. Watch also the same quills on the shoulder, as sometimes they will peck at those as well.