Beak trimming: came across this report

[RichmondHens]

Can I just say that when our bird was done (we didn't do it ourselves as had no experience of doing this and asked a local breeder to assist) the hen was under no stress and it did not appear painful. The tip of the beak was clipped with a special pair of pliers to take the point off and it had grown back within a year, by which time she had stopped her naughty habit.

Battery hens' beaks may be done in a different way, I don't know, and if hens are kept in an environment where they don't peck each other then there is obviously no need to trim beaks, but if they have to be kept in cages (not a method I approve of) and if trimming the beak reduces harm to other birds then so be it.

[Snadger]

Can I just say that when our bird was done (we didn't do it ourselves as had no experience of doing this and asked a local breeder to assist) the hen was under no stress and it did not appear painful. The tip of the beak was clipped with a special pair of pliers to take the point off and it had grown back within a year, by which time she had stopped her naughty habit.

Battery hens' beaks may be done in a different way, I don't know, and if hens are kept in an environment where they don't peck each other then there is obviously no need to trim beaks, but if they have to be kept in cages (not a method I approve of) and if trimming the beak reduces harm to other birds then so be it.

Thats interesting that they grow back! Some of my ex bats had their beaks trimmed but they appear to be quite normal now!

[RichmondHens]

The beak is constantly growing, just like claws, and is kept down by normal use, ie pecking, just like scratching about keeps claws down.

[Hilary B]

If the beak is over-trimmed, it never grows back properly but remains 'blunt ended'. The practice should be (like tail docking in dogs), only done when necessary in the case of that individual.
The problem with barn egg production (and a lot of commercial free-range production) is not only the lack of space but the vast numbers of hens in one enclosure. If they were restricted to (for instance) 50 in one enclosure (25 in a barn), there wouldn't be the scope for the aggressive birds to stand where they can bar the timid ones from access to food, water and out-door access.