EDUCATION AND PRODUCTION

Effects of Comb Dubbing on the Performance of Laying Stocks1

R. W. FAIRFULL, D. C. CROBER 2 , and R. S. GOWE

Animal Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6

(Received for publication December 28, 1983)

ABSTRACT Three studies were conducted with birds dubbed at hatch vs. dubbed and dewattled
at 118 days or 255 to 260 days of age or with normal hens. In the first, involving 5928 pullets of
four strains housed 1 per cage, dubbing and dewattling at 255 to 260 days caused small adverse
effects on egg numbers as compared with nondubbed controls. Body size was reduced, and both
egg weight (EW) and shell strength were increased slightly. In the second study, involving 8180
pullets of nine strains housed 1 per cage, dubbing and dewattling at 118 days slightly increased
survivor egg production (SEP) and laying house mortality, and reduced age at first egg, 240-day
EW, and 450-day Haugh units (HU), as compared with dubbing only at hatch. There were sig-
nificant strain by dubbing treatment interactions for hen-day rate of lay (HDR) and SEP. In the
third study, involving 1824 pullets of three strain crosses housed 2 and 3 birds per cage (three
different cage sizes), there"were"no significant differences between birds dubbed at hatch and those
not~~3up"bed. Variation in age at 50% production, a c r , and H U K waTTeduced for the dubbed
gfoupsr These studies" show thai the older the birds are when dubbed, the greater the negative
effects of dubbing. Hens dubbed at hatch exhibit no effects with the early dubbing or adverse
effecjsinjthe laying house. ~ ~ ~~ '
(Key words: dubbing, egg stocks)
1985 Poultry Science 64:434-439

INTRODUCTION to examine dubbing effects on hens that were

Removal of the comb (dubbing) or comb
and wattles has been reported to have benefi-
cial effects on production, efficiency, and l i a -
bility in some studies (Laurent and Carmon,
1959; Williams et al, 1961) and no effect in
others (Logan, 1965; Marks and Siegel, I960;
Tower et al, 1963). The positive effects of dub-
bing are greater in cool weather (Laurent and
Carmon, 1959; Marks and Siegel, 1960), pos-
sibly due to reduced energy loss, as the comb
has functions associated with convective heat
loss (Khan and Johnson, 1970; Marks and
Siegel, 1960). The comb and wattles also influ-
ence social behavior in males and females
(Dawson and Siegel, 1962; Siegel and Hurst,
1962), and dubbed females seem to be lower in
the peck order of mixed flocks than nondubbed
females. Dubbing makes it easier for birds to
eat and removes potential avenues of infection
through small wounds in the comb. Most stud-
ies of dubbing have been done with birds test-
ed in laying houses using floor pens or in warm
climates. The present studies were undertaken
'Animal Research Centre Contribution No. 1033.
2
Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, Nova
Scotia, Canada B2N 5E3.
housed in cages in a temperate climate.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The first study was done with the popula-
tions of a long-term selection project hatched
in 1967 (FairfuU and Gowe, 1979; Gowe et
al, 1973, Gowe and FairfuU, 1980). A total of
5928 hens from two selected strains and two
unselected control strains were used. All birds
were brooded and reared in groups of about 25
birds in a three-tiered cage system. At 148 days
of age, birds were housed individually in 20
X 41 cm cages in two-tiered, stairstep batter-
ies in a windowless house. Further management
details are available elsewhere (Gowe et al,
1973). Half of the birds within each family of
each strain were dubbed and dewattled in the
laying house between 255 and 260 days of age.
The second study was done with the popula-
tions of the same continuing selection project
hatched in 1979 (Gowe and FairfuU, 1980). A
total of 8180 hens from six selected strains and
three unselected control strains were used. Half
of the birds within each family were dubbed at
hatch and the remaining birds were dubbed and
dewattled at 118 days. Brooding, rearing, and
adult housing were as described above except
birds were now housed in adult laying cages at
about 134 days of age. Further management de-

434
 DUBBING EFFECTS ON LAYING HENS 435

tails are available elsewhere (Fairfull and Gowe,
1979; Gowe and Fairfull, 1980).
The third study employed three strain cross-
es, utilizing five of the selected strains used in
Study 2, hatched in 1977. A total of 1824 pul-
lets were housed for the laying test. Unpedi-
greed chicks of each cross were hatched and im-
mediately half of the individuals in each group
were dubbed at random. Birds were brooded
and reared in group cages in a 3-tiered cage sys-
tem. Strain crosses and dubbing treatments
were intermingled. Birds were housed at 141
days of age in three cage-population sizes, viz.,
3 birds per 30-cm cage, 2 birds per 25-cm cage,
and 2 birds per 20-cm cage. Within each cage
size, half of the birds were assigned cages at
housing such that hens in the same cage had
weights within .1 kg of each other, and the re-
mainder were housed without any considera-
tion of weight. All birds were debeaked at
housing. For the first and second studies, all
birds were hatched, reared, and tested in the
laying house at the Animal Research Centre
(ARC), Ottawa. For the third study, all birds
were hatched at ARC and flown at day-old to
the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC),
Truro for rearing and testing in the laying
house.
In the first and second studies, records were
kept for individual birds. In the third study,
records were kept on groups of hens within
each cage. For all three studies, records were
kept on laying house mortality (LHM), hen-
housed egg production (HHP), survivor egg pro-
duction (SEP), hen-day rate of egg production
(HDR), and sexual maturity; for individually
caged birds, age at first egg (AFE); and for mul-
tiple bird cages, age at 50% production
(A50%P). In the first and second studies, rec-
ords were kept also on body weight (BW) at
housing and maturity, and egg weight (EW),
specific gravity (SG), Haugh units (HU), and
blood spots (BS) early and late in the produc-
tion cycle. The data were analyzed using fac-
torial designs. All factors were assumed to be
fixed. The data from the third study were r
transformed, and the resulting data were ana-
lyzed for homgeneity of variances (O'Brien,
1979). This transformation changes the data
such that means of the transformed data for
each subclass are equal to the variance of un-
transformed data for each subclass, and the re-

TABLE 1. Performance means and mean difference for birds dubbed and deviattled at 255 to 260 days of age
or not dubbed or dewattled (Study 1)

Dubbed and Not dubbed

dewattled or dewattled
Trait 1 (D) (N) D- N

LHM:148 to 273 days, % 3.9 3.9 0

LHM: 148 to 273 days, % 4.4 4.7 -.3
LHM: 386 to 497 days, % 5.7 5.3 .4
HHP: 148 to 273 days, no. 87.4 89.2 -1.8**
HHP:148 to 385 days, no. 160.4 162.7 -2.3
HHP: 148 to 497 days, no. 218.7 219.8 -1.1
HDR: AFE to 273 days, % 83.5 85.2 -1.7**
HDR: 274 to 385 days, % 74.1 75.3 -1.2**
HDR:386to497days, % 63.3 62.5 .8
BW:365 days 2 , g 2092 2132 -40**
EW:450days, g 62.1 61.8 .3*
SG-.450 days, ( - 1 ) X 10 3 78.8 78.1 .7**
HU:450days 69.4 69.1 .3

1
LHM = Laying house mortality, HHP = hen-housed egg production, HDR = hen-day rate of egg production,
AFE = age at first egg, BW = body weight, EW = egg weight, SG = specific gravity, HU = Haugh units. Means for
traits other than LHM and HHP are survivor values. Survivors are defined as hens that lived to the end of test and
laid at a HDR of at least 20% in all three egg production periods and had a 225-day EW.
2
Significant strain by treatment interaction.
*P<.05.
**P<.01.
436 FAIRFULL ET AL.

suiting test statistics from transformed data
compare the significance of differences among
variances.
RESULTS
Study 1. Dubbing and dewattling during the
laying house period (255 to 260 days) had a
small, but significant adverse effect on HHP to
273 days (—1.8 eggs) (Table 1). Because there
was no effect on LHM, this resulted from a
small but significant advantage in HDR from
AFE to 273 days (1.7%) for birds that were not
dubbed or dewattled. Such an advantage so
soon after dubbing and dewattling indicates a
significant disruption due to this treatment.
This advantage was retained from 274 to 385
days (1.2%) (Table 1). Birds that were dubbed
and dewattled in the laying house had 40 g
lighter BW at 365 days, .3 g heavier EW at 450
days, and greater shell strength as measured by
SG at 450 days (.7) than those not dubbed or
dewattled (Table 1). There were significant
strain by dubbing treatment interactions for
365 day BW and 450 day HU that resulted
largely from a difference in the magnitude of
dubbing treatment effects on selected and con-
trol strains with the control strains exhibiting
smaller differences between dubbing treatments
(P<.05).
Study 2. When compared with dubbing and
dewattling during the rearing period (118 days),
dubbing only at hatch had small positive ef-
fects: .6% less LHM 274 to 385 days, .2 g heav-
ier EW at 240 days, and .4 greater HU at 450
days (Table 2). The SEP to 273 days and to

TABLE 2. Performance means and mean difference for birds dubbed at hatch
or dubbed and dewattled at 118 days (Study 2)

Dubbed at Dubbed and

hatch dewattled
Trait 1 (H) (D) H - D

LHM: 134 to 273 days, % 2.2 2.2 0

LHM:274 to 385 days, % 1.4 2.0 -.6*
LHM:386 to 497 days, % 2.1 2.2 -.1
HHP:134to273days, no. 102.2 102.7 -.5
HHP:134to 385 days, no. 185.1 185.5 -.4
HHP:134to497days, no. 251.5 251.6 -.1
SEP:134to273 days, no. 106.2 106.9 -.7*
SEP:134 to 385 days, no. 195.7 196.7 -1.0
SEP:134to497days, no. 270.6 271.4 -.8
HDR:AFE to 273 days, % 89.3 89.5 -.2
HDR:274to 385 days, % 79.9 80.2 -.3
HDR:386 to 497 days 2 , % 66.9 66.8 .1
AFE: Birds laying, days 157.3 156.6 .7*
AFE: Survivors, days 156.6 156.1 .5
BW:365 days, g 1766 1760 6
EW:240 days, g 56.4 56.2 .2*
SG:240days, ( - 1 ) X 10 3 85.6 85.5 .1
HU:240 days 86.0 85.8 .2
BS:240 days, % 2.9 3.2 -.3
EW:450days, g 64.0 63.9 .1
SG:450 days, (-1) X 10 3 80.3 80.1 .2
HU:450days 76.6 76.2 .4*

1
LHM = Laying house mortality, HHP = hen-housed egg production, SEP = survivor egg production, HDR =
hen-day rate of egg production, AFE = age at first egg, BW = body weight, EW = egg weight, SG = specific
gravity, HU = Haugh units, BS = blood spots. Means for traits other than LHM, HHP, and AFE of all birds laying
at least one egg are survivor values. Survivors are defined as hens that lived to the end of test and laid at a HDR
of at least 20% in all three egg production periods and had a 240-day EW.
2
Significant strain by treatment interaction.
*P<.05.
 DUBBING EFFECTS ON LAYING HENS 437

TABLE 3. Performance means, mean difference, and variances (as mean r value)
for birds dubbed at hatch or not dubbed

Mean Mean r value

Dubbed Not
at hatch dubbed
Trait 1 (D) (N) D-N2 D N D - N

LHM-.141-273days, % 2.7 2.7 0 165.2 165.3 -.1

LHM:274-385 days, % 3.5 3.8 -.3 165.3 165.3 0
LHM:386-497 days, % 3.5 2.8 .7 165.3 165.3 0
HHP: 141-273 days, no. 102.4 102.1 .3 126.1 128.1 -2.7
HHP:141-385days, 3 no. 185.6 184.6 1.0 125.4 139.5 -14.1
HHP:141-497 days, 3 no. 251.5 249.7 1.8 128.2 141.6 -13.4
SEP: 141-273 days, no. 103.3 103.6 -.3 131.9 121.4 10.5
SEP:141-385days, no. 189.4 190.4 -1.0 122.4 126.2 -3.8
SEP: 141-497 days, no. 261.5 261.9 -.4 124.2 143.6 -19.4*
HDR: 141-273 days, % 73.7 73.8 -.1 124.6 121.0 3.6
HDR:274-385 days, % 76.6 77.2 -.5 122.5 134.7 -12.2
HDR:386-497 days, % 65.1 63.8 1.3 131.1 131.0 0
HDR: 141-497 days, % 71.9 71.8 .1 118.2 140.7 -22.5**
A50%P, days 163.1 162.8 .3 112.8 141.3 -28.5**

1
LHM = Laying house mortality, HHP = hen-housed egg production, SEP = survivor egg production, HDR =
hen-day rate of egg production, A50%P = age at 50% egg production. Means for traits other than LHM and HHP
are survivor values. Survivors are defined as hens that lived to the end of test and laid at a HDR of at least 20% in
all three egg production periods and had a 225-day EW.
2
All differences are nonsignificant (P>.05).
3
Significant three-way interactions involving the dubbing treatment.
*P<.05.
**P<.01.

385 days was marginally but significantly
higher (.7 and 1.0 eggs, respectively) for birds
dubbed and dewattled at 118 days. When all
birds that laid at least one egg were considered,
birds dubbed at hatch had AFE .7 days later
(Table 2). There also was a significant strain by
dubbing treatment interaction for HDR 386 to
497 days resulting largely from a greater dif-
ference between dubbing treatments for the
control strains but also because the outcome
for one control strain was the reverse of all
other strains.
Study 3. There were no mean differences for
any trait between birds dubbed at hatch and
those not dubbed (Table 3). There were signif-
icant 3-way interactions involving the dubbing
treatment for HHP to 385 and to 497 days.
When dubbing treatments were compared with-
in housing arrangement and cage size-stocking
rate, there were no significant differences be-
tween normal and dubbed hens for HHP to 385
and to 497 days (Tables 4 and 5); however, the
differences varied in sign and magnitude. The
birds dubbed at hatch had significantly less
variation for A50%P (-28.5), SEP to 497
days (-19.4), and HDR 141 to 497 days
(-22.5) than those not dubbed (Table
3).
DISCUSSION
Because these studies were done in differ-
ent years, caution should be exercised in the
interpretation of particular results. However,
the large number of birds and the diverse geno-
types involved give confidence in the generality
of the results under individually caged housing
and other conditions used in these studies.
Differences between dubbing treatments
were small as found in several other studies
(Laurent and Carmon, 1959; Logan, 1965;
Marks and Siegel, I960; Williams et al, 1961).
Differences in means between birds dubbed at
hatch and those not dubbed were negligible
as has been found elsewhere (Tower et al,
1963). Any negative effects of dubbing or dub-
bing and dewattling were reduced when dub-
bing was done at an early age and dewattling
438 FAIRFULL ET AL.

TABLE 4. Performance means by housing arrangement, cage size-stocking rate, and dubbing treatment
for hen-housed egg production to 385 days (Study 3)

Cage size- Random 1 Assertive1

stocking rate D2 N2 D -N3 D N D-N3

Three hens/30 cm 184 186 -2 186 189 -3

Two hens/25 cm 186 190 -4 196 187 9
Two hens/20 cm 185 176 9 175 180 -5

1
Random = Hens housed randomly, assortive = hens in each cage had weights within .1 kg of each other.
2
D = Dubbed at hatch, N = normal.
3
All differences are nonsignificant (P>.05).

was not practiced, and chicks dubbed at hatch
were not visibly affected in any way. In all
three studies, there were significant interactions
resulting mainly from differences in the magni-
tude of treatment effects for strains or crosses.
In the first two studies, control strains had
smaller (Study 1) or larger (Study 2) differ-
ences between dubbing treatments than the se-
lected strains. In the third study, no pattern
was apparent. These interactions do not affect
the general conclusions.
It should be noted that the individual cag-
ing of hens may not allow the full expression of
potential effects on mean performance due to
dubbing. Behavior and social interactions in-
fluence the performance of dubbed versus
normal hens (Dawson and Siegel, 1962; Siegel
and Hurst, 1962). Behavioral interactions are
likely to be strongly influenced by group size
with little or no expression with 2 or 3 hens per
cage and none with individually caged hens.
Logan (1965) and Tower et al. (1963) found no
difference in mean performance due to dubbing
with individually caged laying hens. However,
in many trials with laying hens tested in floor
pens, an advantage due to dubbing was ob-
served (Laurent and Carmon, 1959; Williams
etal, 1961).
Pullets dubbed at hatch were more uniform
(less variable) than undubbed birds. It has been
speculated that this might be true (Williams et
al., 1961), but not generally confirmed with
data, although treatment standard errors re-
ported suggest more uniformity in dubbed
flocks (Marks and Siegel, 1960). Increased
uniformity makes dubbing at hatch worth con-

TABLE 5. Performance means by housing arrangement, cage size-stocking rate, and dubbing treatment
for hen-housed egg production to 497 days (Study 3)

Random 1 Assortive1
Cage size-
3
stocking rate D 2
N 2
D-N D N D-N3

Three hens/30 cm 250 250 0 252 256 -4

Two hens/25 cm 247 255 -8 266 253 13
Two hens/20 cm 254 239 15 241 246 -5

1
Random = Hens housed randomly, assortive = hens in each cage had weights within .1 kg of each other.
2
D = Dubbed at hatch, N = normal.
3
All differences are nonsignificant (P>.05).
 DUBBING EFFECTS ON LAYING HENS
sidering, especially in experimental flocks
where the reduction of variation in treatment
groups may be critical.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are indebted to L. B. Assel-
stine for his technical assistance and sugges-
tions. The assistance of A. R. Morrison, his
ARC poultry plant staff, and the staff of
NSAC poultry unit in carrying out exacting
daily operations is gratefully acknowledged.
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