Cannibalism in Poultry: How to Easily Prevent Your Birds from Eating Themselves and Egg Pecking

Cannibalism in poultry is simply one bird eating part or the whole of another bird as food.

This is not pleasant and every farm must try to prevent this situation.

Read also: Standard Poultry House Dimensions and Key Considerations

Causes of Cannibalism in Poultry

Cannibalism in poultry is usually caused by one or more of these conditions:

1. Overcrowding

   Large breeds of chickens should be allowed:
   1/4 sq. ft./bird for first 2 weeks
   3/4 sq. ft./bird for 3-8 weeks
   1.5 sq. ft./bird from 8 to 16 weeks of age
   2 sq. ft./bird from 16 weeks on
   Bantam chickens require half the space as large chickens.
   With game birds, double the above recommendations. With pheasants, allow 25 to 30 sq. ft./bird after 12 weeks of age or use picks prevention devices like plastic peepers or blinders.

2. Too much heat

   When the birds become uncomfortably hot they can become extremely cannibalistic. Be sure to adjust the brooding temperature as the young fowl get older. Brood young fowl at 95°F. for the first week and then decrease the temperature to 5°F. per week, until you reach 70°F. or the outside temperature.

The temperature should be measured at the height of the birds back directly under the heat source. Do not heat the entire brooding facility to the recommended temperature. Not decreasing the brooding temperature is a common mistake that leads to problems like cannibalism.

• Too much light

  Extremely bright light or excessively long periods of light will cause birds to become hostile toward one another. Never use white light bulbs larger than 40 watts to brood fowl. If larger bulbs are required for heat, use red or infrared bulbs. When raising birds 12 weeks of age or older, use 15 or 25-watt bulbs above feeding and watering areas. Never light fowl more than 16 hours per day. Constant light can be stressful for the birds.

• No feed or water OR Inadequate space for feeder and waterer

  If the birds have to fight for food and water, or if the birds are always hungry they will increase pecking. Be sure that birds have free access to water and feed at all times. The pecking order determines which birds get to eat and when. When you have inadequate feeder space birds at the lower end of the pecking order may never be allowed to eat.

• Unbalanced diets

  Extremely high energy and low fibre diets cause the birds to be extra active and aggressive. Feed lacking protein and other nutrients, particularly Methionine, will also cause birds to pick feathers. Make sure you feed a diet balanced appropriately for the age and types of fowl you are raising

Mixing of different fowl types, sizes, and colours

Mixing different ages and sizes of fowl or fowl with different traits promotes pecking by disrupting the flock’s normal pecking order. Never brood different species of fowl together in the same pen. Don’t brood feathered leg fowl, crested fowl, or bearded fowl with fowl without these traits. Curiosity can also start pecking. Toe pecking in the first few weeks is often started due to curiosity about the different colours or traits.

• Sudden changes in the environment or in management practices

  If you plan to move young birds to a new location, it is best to move some of their feeders and waterers with them in order to help them adapt. When you change over to larger feeders and waterers it is helpful to leave the smaller equipment in the pen for a few days to help during the change.

• Bright lights near nests or inadequate nesting boxes

  Don’t place bright lights near the nesting areas. Also, allow 1 nest for every 5 hens. Vent pecking by layers is also a common problem.

• Leaving crippled, dead, or injured birds in the flock

  Fowl will pick on crippled or dead birds in their pens because of the social order and curiosity. Once pecking starts it can quickly develop into a vicious habit.

• Slow feathering birds

  Take extra precautions with slow-feathering birds. Most cannibalism occurs during father growth in young fowl. Birds with slow feathering have immature tender feathers exposed for longer periods of time leaving them open to damage from pecking. Don’t raise slow-feathering birds with other fowl.

• Introduction of new birds to the flock

  Anytime you add or remove birds from a flock you disrupt the pecking order of the flock. It is best to introduce any new birds into your pen by splitting the pen with a wire wall for at least a week to help the birds to get to know each other. Also, adding the birds to the perch at night can help. Always supervise new introductions to the flock and intervene if the pecking gets out of control and birds are getting hurt. It may take a week or more for the flock to re-establish the new pecking order.

• Prolapse pecking

  Prolapse can occur in very young or fat-laying flocks. Prolapse is when the uterus stretches and tears and takes longer to properly return to the body cavity after the egg is laid. This is most common in young flocks that start laying too soon (prior to 20 weeks of age or in fat layers)

When the uterus is exposed for a period of time other birds will see it and pick at it out of curiosity. Once they pick at the uterus it bleeds and the picking quickly progresses to cannibalism. If you start seeing blood streaks on the shell surface your flock may be prone to prolapse. Properly managing how you bring your birds into production and proper feeding practices can prevent this problem. Fat birds will need to be put on a low-energy diet.

How to Prevent Cannibalism in Poultry

1. Allow the birds to use up their energy in an enclosed outside run. This will keep the birds busy and allow them to peck greens, ground, and insects instead of other birds.
2. Give the birds a large handful of fresh greens like clover grass or weeds, each day. This increases the fibre in the birds’ diet. A high-fibre diet will keep the birds’ gizzard full and keeps the birds more content. Small parts of baled green leafy hay will also give the birds something to pick at.
3. The use of mechanical devices like plastic peepers or blinders in aggressive birds like gamebirds is advisable.
4. Placing coloured or shiny items for the birds to pick at and occupy their time can draw attention away from other birds. Hanging shine cans just above eye level can serve as a toy.
5. Finally, beak trimming is used in problem flocks. Trim the beak by removing about 1/3 of the tip of the beak providing a square tip. This makes it difficult for birds to harm each other. However, beak trimming should be done by someone experienced in proper trimming.

Treatment for Cannibalism in Poultry Outbreak

Since cannibalism in poultry can be caused by several conditions, you may not be able to determine the exact cause of the problem. However, stress no matter how slight, is usually the main factor.

1. Try to correct any practices which may have led to cannibalism in poultry.
2. Darkening the facilities by using red bulbs.
3. Remove any badly injured birds.
4. Applying an “anti-peck” ointment on any damaged birds usually stops pecking.
5. Lower the pen temperature a bit if possible