Effect of day-old debeaking and fowl pox vaccination on the performance of broiler chickens in Papua New Guinea.

Abstract

In a 2 x 2 completely randomised factorial design, 3000 day-old broiler chickens were assigned to four treatment combinations of debeaked, non-debeaked, fowl pox vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. By the end of the first three weeks, the control and vaccinated-only groups were slightly heavier than the two debeaked groups. At nine weeks of age, only the control group was slightly heavier. No significant differences were noted for the four groups as to feed efficiency or mortality. In tropical developing countries it may be beneficial to not debeak broilers rather than to rely on unskilled labour to perform the operation. Vaccination had no real effect in this experiment. Non-vaccinated chickens, however, may be subjected to the risk of fowl pox.