An outbreak of aggressive feather pecking and cannibalism in a flock of laying hens involved in a government-backed trial could derail plans to ban beak trimming in the UK as of 2016. Twenty flocks ...

The government will not ban the controversial trimming of hens’ beaks despite criticism from animal welfare campaigners. Farming minister George Eustice said this week he fully accepted the ...

Farm minister George Eustice has decided not to implement a ban on beak trimming next year, but has called for improved management techniques to reduce feather pecking. In answer to a written question ...

Beak treatment is the physical removal of the top and bottom part of the beak of a bird. It is commonly practised in commercial layer flocks to reduce damage caused by birds to each other later in ...

Q–My 8-year-old budgie`s beak grows extremely long and curls under. Eventually the beak becomes so big it breaks off and the cycle starts again. Is this a problem? A–For some reason, there can be a ...

Time to join the Bristol University beak-trimming trial is running out, with more larger flocks needed to bolster the findings ahead of an impending ban on 1 January 2016. The “absolute latest” a ...