Influences of age at final beak trim on the productive performance of commercial layers

Two commercial egg-type strains were beak-trimmed at 10, 10 and 63, or 10 and 84 d. There were no interactions between strain and beak trimming treatment. Pullet feed consumption was significantly reduced within the 14-d period following beak trimming at 63 or 84 d. Total pullet feed consumption (1 to 126 d) was significantly lower among birds trimmed twice than among those trimmed only at 10 d. At 126 d, body weight of pullets trimmed at 10 and 84 d or 10 and 63 d was significantly less than that of those trimmed only at 10 d. Pullet mortality was not significantly influenced by beak trimming treatments. No significant effects of beak trimming treatments on layer mortality, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion, or egg quality were detected. Layer feed consumption was significantly greater among birds beak trimmed at 10 d than among those trimmed at 10 and 84 d. Most of the effects associated with beak trimming treatments can be attributed to the influence that beak trimming had on feed consumption.