Q: What is debeaking or "beak trimming" and do your chickens come that way?
A: No. Our chickens and chicks are not debeaked or "beak trimmed." Our birds have their full, natural beaks.
Debeaking or "beak trimming" is what it's called when a baby chick's beak is burnt or seared off. It is painful and cruel. Most rare breed hatcheries do not "beak trim" baby chicks, but started pullets will often be "trimmed." We do not. Others do this so the birds can be raised to the right age without enough space, since keeping chickens in very close confinement can cause them to peck and one another and pluck feathers, or worse--cause injury.
Similarly, battery hens in commercial egg producing operations are beak "trimmed," because the poor birds are only allotted about the same space as a piece of notebook paper, poor things.
However, when My Pet Chicken offers started (juvenile) birds, we give them plenty of room so they don't pick on each other. We do not debeak/beak trim juveniles OR chicks. Giving the birds sufficient space seems to be a much better solution that searing off their beaks in such an unfeeling, inhumane way. Aside from being painful, this so-called trimming makes it difficult for the birds to graze pasture and preen. They can sometimes even have difficulty eating regular feed, too.Birds purchased from My Pet Chicken will have their full, natural beaks.