2010 Poultry Science 89:2559–2564 doi: 10.3382/ps.2010-00890

ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of infra-red beak treatment (IR-BT) and hot blade beak trim-ming (HB-BT) on beak length and production in laying hen pullets. Seventy-two 1-d-old birds were random-ly assigned to the HB-BT, IR-BT, or control group. Birds were pair housed by treatment, and beak images and production indices were obtained posttreatment at fixed intervals for 10 wk. Immediately after treat-ment, HB-BT beaks were shorter than control or IR-BT beaks (P < 0.01), whereas control and IR-BT beaks remained comparable in length until the onset of tissue degeneration and erosion of the IR-BT beaks at 1 to 2 wk posttreatment. At wk 2 posttreatment, beaks were longest in control birds, intermediate in IR-BT birds, and shortest in HB-BT birds (P < 0.01). Thereafter, a