Beak trimming of turkeys. 2. Effects of arc beak trimming on weight gain, feed intake, feed wastage, and feed conversion

Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University, Wooster 44691, USA.

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of arc beak trimming on feed consumption, weight gain, and feed wastage in males and females from two large-bodied strains and one medium-bodied strain of turkeys. Birds were placed in wire-floored battery cages from 3 to 8 wk of age and feed intake, weight gains, and feed spilled into dropping pans were recorded for each of the 5 wk of each trial. Feed conversion was calculated as feed consumed divided by weight gained. Sex by beak trimming interactions were not found. Beak trimming reduced feed wastage of the two large-bodied strains, but did not affected feed wastage of the medium-bodied strain, which did not consume as much feed as the large-bodied strains. The results of this study support the hypothesis that beak trimming reduces feed wastage of large-bodied turkeys.