Feather pecking is a major welfare problem in laying hen flocks, causing injury, pain, and death when not addressed through management and environment.
Feather pecking represents one of the most significant welfare problems in commercial egg production. Affected birds suffer chronic pain from exposed skin and wounds, while perpetrators engage in a behavior that is difficult to suppress once established. The conventional response of beak trimming causes acute and potentially chronic pain itself. Addressing root causes through environmental enrichment, lower stocking density, and proper nutrition is far more effective and humane than reactive beak modification.