State College of Washington AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE PULLMAN, WASHINGTON Poultry Pointers No. 12 (Revised) Extension Bulletin 334 February, 1945 CANNIBALISM IN CHICKENS Poultry CounciP State College of Washington Cannibalism in chickens is a vicious habit of pick:11g toes, combs, vents, feathers, and other parts of the body. The attraction for the red color of freshly picked sections of the body and the instinctive desire to imitate, largely account for the rapidity with which canibalism spreads in a flock. The habit may be quickly reacquired by birds which had apparently forgotten the vice. This helps to explain the difficulty experienced in breaking a flock of such bad habits, and why control measures may fail when not used promptly at the outset of an outbreak of cannibalism. CONT RIBUTING FACTORS· 1. Crowding. Cannibalism is increased by brooding more than 350 chicks in one lot or housing more than 250 hens in one unit of a laying house. The amount of floor space per bird is also important. T he desire to dominate in a flock becomes more assertive and ferocious the larger the flock and the smaller the floor space per b ird. 2. Inadequate Eating and Drinking Space. Chicks that have less than 8 feet of eating space and less than 2 feet of drinking space per 100 are likely to start some form of cannibalism even when brooded in small lots. This space must b e increased constantly to double the amount by the end of the eighth week and to three times the amount by the time the pullets are 3 months old. Each unit of 250 hens should have five 6-foot mash hoppers and one 6-foot water trough. 3. Idleness. Trough feeding of grain, unlimited grain feeding, pellet feeding, semi-confinement of birds, and the use of wire floors, tend to reduce activity and increase idleness thus causing a corresponding increase in cannibalistic tendencies. It is a generally recognized fact that flocks that have freedom of a good, roomy range seldom develop cannibalism. 4. Close Confinement. When batteries are used, or when contamination of the soil compels the adoption of close confinement methods for chicks or hens, the tendency to cannibalism is greatly increa.sed. When conditions and weather permit, the birds should be given the freedom of clean, restricted range, sun porch, or sun yard so that chicks or hens will concern themselves with som ething else t han each other's toes and feathers. 1The Poultry Council of the State College of Washington is composed of staff members of the State College of Washington at Pullman and P uyallup engaged in teaching, research, and extension work in poultry husbandry and pathology. 5. Too Much Heat, Not Enough Air. A warm, stuffy brooder house is almost sure to start cannibalism among the chicks. A warm, well ventilated hover and a cool brooder house have been known to prevent cannibalism entirely. 6. Floor Laying. Many an outbreak of "pick-outs" has its inception when some bird lays an egg on the floor. In the process of laying an egg the delicate membranes of the vent protrude. Their appearance invites some other bird to pick at them; blood flows, and the chase is on until the individual is either disemboweled, rescued by the caretaker, or in rare instances escapes. But the attackers do not stop with that. Having become bloodthirsty, they continue their depredations, seeking out birds that may or may not be in the act of laying and in a short time, the cannibalistic habit has become established. 7. "Blow-outs". Few pick-outs result from actual prolapsus of the oviduct as indicated by observations on the prevalence of "blow-outs" in trapnest flocks. However, practically every "blow-out" results in a "pick­ out" unless the caretaker is present when it happens. 8. Injured Birds Tempt Others. Birds showing traces of blood on their feathers, either from injury to the flesh or from broken feather quills, should be promptly removed. 9. Insufficient and Improperly Constructed Nests. Nests are in most demand for just a few hours in the middle of the day. In high producing flocks there will be quite a rush for laying space during this time. If the birds have to wait their turn for long they will molest those on the nests considerably or lay o n the floor. It is, therefore, essential to supply plenty of nests. They should be built so that the birds may be comfortable and unmolested while laying. It will add to the attractiveness of wire bottom nests if straw is used in them when pullets are coming into lay. Nesting closets provide ideal conditions for unmolested laying. 10. Malnutrition. Experimental work indicates that cannibalism is more prevalent on rations containing a high percentage of yellow corn and signif­ icantly less on high oat rations. The continuous feeding of more than one per cent salt in the ration will not eliminate or control cannibalism. PREVENTING CANNIBALISM IN THE BROODER HOUSE 1. Start chicks under a well-ventilated hover registering from 90 to 100 degrees. Lower the brooder temperature about 5 degrees a week. Keep the brooder house less than 65 degrees by means of adequate ventilation. 2. When chicks are confined to a house or to a house and sun porch, take extra precautio-ns to keep them busy. Feeding grain in deep litter will help. 3. Keep finely cut succulent green feed in self-feeding green feed hoppers after the chicks ·are a few days old. 4. Provide sufficient hopper space. (see Poultry Pointers No. 22, "Breed­ ing and Brooding Equipment for Chicks".) 5. Separate the sexes early. Keep chicks that differ in age, breed, or stage of development in sep_arate lots. 6. Let pullets run out on range as early as possible. 7. Darkening the house or eliminating areas of bright sunlight on the floor will sometimes control an outbreak of cannibalism. 8. Keep heavy whole oats in hoppers before the pullets after they are four weeks old. 2 PREVENTING CANN LBALISM ON THE PULLET RANGE 1. Pullets that have not acquired cannibalistic habits before let o ut o n range should be easily controlled in range houses or shelters. Steps should be taken to see that they are not confined to the houses o r shelters too long in the morning. The installation of an automatic bird door opener will let pullets out early and will help to prevent crowding and picking early in the morning. For details of construction of an automatic trap-door see Poultry Pointers o. 17, "The Washington Range Shelter." 2. Inadequate eating and drinking space may start cannibalism even on range. Have at least twenty-four feet of grain and mash hopper space and six feet of drinking space per 100 pullets. 3. Crowding causes cannibalism with pullets as well as with chicks. Best results are obtained when not over 100 pullets are kept in one unit. 4. Follow the feeding directions given in Poultry Pointers No. 14, "Washington Chick and Developing Rations." PREVENTING CANNIBALISM IN PULLET RAISING H OUSE 1. If it is necessary to confine pullets to a house, house and sun porch, or house and small yard, keep them busy. This may be partly accomplished by feeding a mash containing large amounts of ground oats and millrun or bran, and by feeding the grain mixture or wheat in deep dry litter. For ration formulas and feeding directions see Poultry Pointers No. 14, "Wash­ ing ton Chick and Developing Rations." All mash rations which naturally require considerable time to eat have b een observed to aid in controlling feather picking in confined pullets. 2. Succulent green feed kept constantly before the pullets reduces idleness. 3. Provide at least twenty-four feet of g rain and mash hopper space and six feet of drinking space per 100 pullets. 4. A void crowding and large units. If pullets are to be reared through out the g rowing period indoors, allow the maximum amount of floor space needed at maturity or approximately 3 square feet per bird. Somewhat less is generally allowed when sun porches or small yards are available. Each unit should be less than 250 birds. 5. Make house as comfortable as possible by adequately ventilating and insulating. PREVENTING CANNIBALISM IN THE LAYING HOUSE 1. Place pullets in the laying house before they start to lay. This will g ive them an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the location of the nests and other equipment before production starts. 2. When pullets are first placed in the laying h ouse, do n ot abruptly change the feeding system to which they have been accustomed. Utilize the next four weeks as a gradual transition period. The feeding of green feed is particularly advisable during this time. 3. If the birds have been reared on range, it is difficult to shut them up in close confinement in the laying house without having tro uble from feather eating, vent picking, and other forms of cannibalism. After the birds have been housed for one day and are accustomed to t heir quarters, turn them into a clean yard or sun porch. This will enable them to secure some of the freedom to which they have been accustomed on the range and will assist in preventing the development of vicious habits of picking. Hoppers should be provided in the yard or sun porch. I t may be desirable to pu t the hoppers on the floor of the house or on the roosting racks for a few days. 4. Discourage the laying of eggs on the floor b y making the nests attractive and abundant.