PICK OF THE CROP
THE DISGRACE OF BEAK TRIMMING
“A few customers have recently asked me about beak trimming: is it really so bad and does Organigrow practise it? No, I do not and never have. Why don’t I need to? I have no pecking problem due to the diversity of my farm. The best deterrent is giving chooks space and keeping them occupied. Chooks love to forage, scratch and eat pasture; my birds have things to do and places to go. At 600/ha, we’re well below stocking guidelines. I also have a gentle breed: Lohmann. Their egg production is not as high as more aggressive birds like ISA Browns and Hyline but my passion is their welfare and the quality of my product. Cage farms definitely debeak and, sadly, it’s almost universal at free-range farms. Shockingly, there has even been a few organic farms that engage in this painful practice, even though it’s against the rules. The beak, especially the tip, is the most sensitive organ on the chook. Cutting off the end inflicts pain and also limits foraging ability and therefore the variety of food the chook can forage for itself, in turn impacting on egg quality. At Organigrow our chooks are fed organic grain and spend their days scratching for grasses, worms, fruit and veg. This amazing diet enhances the already superior taste and quality of our eggs. I believe beak trimming is torture but, until chook densities are reduced by law and monitored, I’m afraid this mutilation will continue. When you buy Organigrow eggs you can enjoy them knowing our birds lead a happy, pain-free life.” — Simon,
