Treatment of vent picking of layer birds during laying?

Dear Mr.Zahid, Vent pecking or cloacae cannibalism is most often found in layers birds and also seen in broilers flocks. There are many causes for this behavioral problem. As we all are aware that it may be caused by dietary insufficiency such as salt, vitamins, or amino acids (protein components). Other factors include stresses such as feed deprivation, over-crowding, over-heating, inadequate ventilation and bright lighting. One major probability for this behavioral problem in deep litter system would be due to litter pest known as Darkling beetles/Lesser Mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) and the Hide Beetle (Dermestes maculates). Some cases have been found contributing to vent pecking due to these pests as they are nocturnal in nature and may bite birds & damage skin of birds which may attract birds towards vent pecking behavior. Often it is only a few hens, which are doing most of the damage. However, it is difficult to break birds of the habit and it is best to cull those that begin pecking & injured one. To distract the culprit one you may spread some red coloured paper ½” to 1” squire pieces in litter. How to find the cull? Observe your hens and try to identify such hens. The presence of blood spot or reddish skin on the vent often helps in identifying them. Treat your deep litter with a little conditioner to reduce litter pests. Do correction of dietary ration & management improvement if necessary so that you could raise your layers flock without this problem. Best wishes ! G.K.Dahal

Agreed with GK. Now you got problem, what you should do is intensive selection of birds which are vent pecked. Take any non irritant oil, spray around vents of pecked birds. This may keep other birds away from such birds. Remove perches from shed or remove nest purches to discourage birds to access vents height. You may trim a small non vascular portion of beaks. Offer balance diet, non deffucient in protien. Your birds are adopted to vent pecking syndrome, improve litter conditions by addition of dry litter after removal of damp litter. Your birds pecking vents when other bird is in oviposition. Keep birds busy playing with shining paper or tools like hanging CD's or have pecking blocks. Regards Ashraf

Dr. Zahid, for sure the other participants in this discussion a close to your region and can estimate better the problems you have with your layers and give you for sure good recommendations. But we are observing everywhere in the world that although balanced feed are used most of them are just a crude fiber balanced - the feed producer us as a reference for a feed fiber content just use crude fiber as a criteria. We can prove that the layers are fed wery often with a lak of indigestible fiber. Or with other words lak of ADF (see the graph). Most of feeds are covered with crude fiber – but the fiber is a soluble one. Check your feed. It is possible that your feed doesn’t have enough fiber and in especial insoluble fiber. If you need more information please do not hesitate to contact me BR

Solution to problems of pecking in my farm

I lost up to four bird in a week as result of pecking