Natural Beak smoothing
Automatic pan feeding system with Natural Beak Smoothing
In recent years, we have seen awareness of animal welfare increase across the world, among all players in the sector. Roxell is extremely pleased about this – we have always focused on animal welfare. Because healthy, stress-free animals grow better, and farmers enjoy a better return on their work.
An alternative to beak treatment, developed in partnership with major breeding companies
Natural Beak Smoothing is one example of an animal-friendly initiative. The solution offers an affordable alternative to beak treatment in poultry farming. Launched in 2018, the product was a major innovation that became an overnight sensation.
Many breeding farms began testing the product in one or more houses. The tests were unanimously positive, and more projects soon followed. Now, two years after its launch, the poultry market is agreed: it is the perfect alternative to traditional, painful beak treatment.
Many poultry integrations and hatcheries have stopped or are about to discontinue infrared beak treatments and hot blade debeaking. Often because of legislation, but also increasingly because companies are starting to think differently about animal welfare. Still, there is concern about discontinuing beak treatment without an alternative. This whitepaper highlights all aspects of this topic and helps you make an informed choice for a new beak treatment strategy.
What is Natural Beak Smoothing?
Natural Beak Smoothing is a solution that we incorporate into our existing oval feeder pans for broiler breeders – Vitoo™, KiXoo®, and Boozzter™.
- The bottom of the feeder pan has been fitted with a rough texture made from metal.
- When the chickens eat, their beaks rub against the rough texture of the pan bottom.
- This controls the growth of their beaks in a natural way. As a result, the chickens develop well formed beaks.
Sustainable solution for poultry farmers
- Of course, traditional treatments such as mechanical hot-blade debeaking and infrared beak treatment are no longer needed if you opt for Natural Beak Smoothing. These outdated methods are quite labor-intensive and time-consuming, and also involve recurrent costs. So, doing away with these methods brings immediate benefits to farmers and hatcheries.
- Chickens will no longer pick their feathers and will be less prone to stress and infection. This easily reduces chicken mortality by 2 percent.
- We also see better consistency in the houses with Natural Beak Smoothing. There is no decline in young chicks after beak treatment. The general health of the animals is better and more consistent.
- Ultimately, fertility is higher, which means more eggs and more one-day chicks per hen.
- It also saves on feed. Since the beaks are nicely rounded, there is less food wastage. Our results show that you can save up to 3 g of feed per animal per day. That’s a saving of 16 tons of feed for 12000 animals.
Invest in the animal world
When taken together, the cost savings and additional yield mean that you can easily recoup the investment in two years. It could even be sooner, depending on your situation.
- More hatching eggs
- Higher total number of chicks
- Lower mortality rate
- Better general health of animals
- No beak treatment costs
- Lower feed costs
Available worldwide
Roxell was wholly responsible for developing Natural Beak Smoothing. We also involved breeding companies Aviagen, Hubbard, and Cobb during testing. The product is available worldwide and can also be ordered from any Roxell distributor. For more information about the solution, please contact Roxell.
