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Dubbing is the procedure of removing the
comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...
, wattles and sometimes earlobes of poultry. Removing the wattles is sometimes called "dewattling".


Procedure

To perform dubbing, the tissues are first disinfected and, if available, an
anesthetic An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into two ...
is applied to limit pain. Sterile scissors or dubbing shears are used to cut the tissues off, and a styptic, an
astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian pla ...
chemical that reduces bleeding, is applied. The wounds are left uncovered. Some recommend dubbing should be done on day-old chicks whilst others advise waiting until the bird's comb is more developed.


Benefits

Dubbing is sometimes performed to limit damage caused by injury or
frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in the h ...
. Dubbing for some breeds has become a tradition and is required for some birds to meet breed-specifications. Other reasons include removing combs which have become so large they prevent the bird from taking food into its mouth or making the head so heavy it sinks into the bird's chest. In the US, the National Chicken Council (2003) listed dubbing of cockerels as one of the acceptable procedures that may cause short-term stress but which are necessary for the long-term welfare of the flock. Dubbing is also performed to prevent injuries from other birds or while being kept in pens.


Criticism

In practice, an anesthetic is rarely used during dubbing and as a consequence, the
RSPCA Australia RSPCA Australia (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is an Australian peak organisation established in 1981 to promote animal welfare. Each state and territory of Australia has an RSPCA organisation that predates and is ...
is opposed to dubbing on poultry intended to be exhibited at shows, and describes the practice as a cause of pain and distress. The comb and wattles function in
thermoregulation Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...
;
blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood in th ...
circulating from the comb and the wattles helps the bird lose heat during hot weather. The comb is also used in mate-assessment in some poultry species.Jones, E.K.M. and Prescott, N.B., (2000). Visual cues used in the choice of mate by fowl and their potential importance for the breeder industry. World's Poultry Science Journal, 56: 127-138. Dubbing would interfere with both these functions of the comb and wattles. In commercial laying hens, those dubbed at hatching exhibit few effects on egg production, but the older the birds are when dubbed, the greater the negative effects of dubbing.Fairfull, R.W., Crober, D.C. and Gowe, R.S., (1985). Effects of comb dubbing on the performance of laying stocks. Poultry Science, 64: 434–439. In the UK, the
Farm Animal Welfare Council The Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) is an independent advisory body established by the Government of the United Kingdom in 2011. It replaced the Farm Animal Welfare Council which was an independent advisory body established in 1979. The Cou ...
(FAWC) concludes "that removal of the comb offers no welfare advantages to offset the disturbance caused by the procedure and believe the practice should be phased out." The
Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United K ...
(Defra) writes: "Removal of the comb offers few, if any, welfare advantages in comparison with the disturbance and pain likely to be caused and should be avoided." The Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (Schedule 3 Amendment) Order 1988 (SI 1988 No. 526) permits only a veterinary surgeon to remove the combs of a domestic fowl which has reached the age of 72 hours. In
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...
, the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee stated in 2002 they were "working towards a strategy to prevent this practice." In 2010, the
European Food Safety Authority The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is the agency of the European Union (EU) that provides independent scientific advice and communicates on existing and emerging risks associated with the food chain. EFSA was established in February 2002, ...
(EFSA) reviewed scientific evidence and concluded "that no mutilation with an effect on welfare as severe as those resulting from cutting off toes or dubbing the comb should be carried out unless justified by evidence for a substantial and unavoidable level of poor welfare in the birds themselves and other birds."


See also

*
Debeaking Debeaking, beak trimming (also spelt beak-trimming), or beak conditioning is the partial removal of the beak of poultry, especially layer hens and turkeys although it may also be performed on quail and ducks. Most commonly, the beak is shortened ...
/beak trimming *
Fighting cock A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ente ...
*
Overview of discretionary invasive procedures on animals Numerous procedures performed on domestic animals are usually more invasive than purely cosmetic alterations, but differ from types of veterinary surgery that are performed exclusively for urgent health reasons. Such procedures have been grouped ...


References

{{Poultry Poultry farming Bird health Animal welfare Cruelty to animals Poultry