What Causes Chickens to Peck at the Cloaca? Detailed Explanation of Causes and Prevention Methods

Anyone who raises chickens knows that cloacal pecking is a rather tricky problem. Once it occurs, the mortality rate of the chickens will rise. So what are the causes of cloacal pecking in chickens and the prevention methods?

1. Causes of cloacal pecking in chickens

1. The timing of sexual maturity in chickens is related to cloacal pecking. Sexual maturity that comes too early leads to more double-yolk eggs being laid, and the cloaca remains everted for a longer time, which increases the chances for chickens to peck at it;

2. Both overcrowded and overly dispersed flocks are prone to cloacal pecking. An overcrowded flock easily makes chickens restless and irritable, making cloacal pecking more likely. When the flock is relatively dispersed and has a large range of activity, chickens can easily spot each other's cloaca and peck at it;

3. Light intensity also has an effect. On sunny days from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the probability of cloacal pecking is relatively high;

4. Excessive humidity and poor ventilation can also cause chickens to be startled and fearful, thereby leading to cloacal pecking;

5. After chickens begin laying eggs, if the nutrition needed for their growth, development and production cannot be guaranteed, it can also lead to cloacal pecking.

2. Prevention and control methods for cloacal pecking in chickens:

Restrict feeding to control the body weight of the chickens, so that all the chickens being raised maintain the same body weight, while also controlling the sexual maturity of the chickens;

Using shallow chicken cages 30cm deep can also reduce the incidence of cloacal pecking;

Beak trimming at the appropriate times (the fourth week and the eighteenth week) can also effectively suppress the phenomenon of cloacal pecking in chickens.