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Cruel On-Farm Practices (cont'd)
The government advisory Farm Animal Welfare Council in Great Britain said in its 1991 Report on the
Welfare of Laying Hens in Colony Systems, that beak trimming is "a serious welfare insult to the hens
and can result in chronic pain for long periods after the operation," and that beak trimming "should not
be necessary in a well-managed system where the hens' requirements are fully met" (Farm Animal
Welfare Council, pp. 23-24 cited in United Poultry Concerns' PoultryPress, Fall 2001, p. 2, online at
http://www.upc-online.org).
As such, the UK has enacted a ban on the practice; this is due to come into
force in 2011.
Debeaked turkey
Unidindon
St-Jean Baptiste, Quebec
May, 2007

Debeaked ducks Possible neuroma on duck's beak - BC
Fraser Valley Duck and Goose
Chilliwack, British Columbia
November, 2008
Ducks and Geese
The denial of water to aquatic birds such as ducks and geese will not be discussed here, but is clearly a
welfare concern as it affects how the birds eat and drink, as well as their ability to express natural
behaviours. Both Quebec and British Columbia have large duck and goose meat industries.
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