Daily animal checks
Daily animal checks should be carried out at least twice a day during the fattening period, i.e. in the morning and in the evening. They serve two important purposes: firstly, they enable the health status and behaviour of individual animals and the herd as a whole to be assessed. Secondly, it checks that technical equipment is in working order – for example, to ensure proper ventilation, water and feed supply – and assesses the condition of the bedding¹.
During the daily round, the entire herd should be visually inspected. To do this, it is advisable to walk through the barn in sections. Sick and injured animals tend to seek shelter near the barn walls, or by partitions or structural features. It is therefore important to pay particular attention to these areas.
When checking individual animals and the herd as a whole, all the senses – hearing, smell, sight, touch and taste – should be used. (For example, the feed can be sampled from time to time, without swallowing it, to check its freshness and quality.)
The following section explains the relevant criteria for daily checks, based on the desired target condition, along with possible deviations and the measures to be taken in such cases. Should a deviation be found, clicking on the relevant topic will provide additional information, possible causes and suggestions for corrective action.
Environmental criteria
Housing climate: The air is fresh and, as far as possible, free from dust and harmful gases. There are no draughts. The temperature meets the animals’ needs at their current stage of development. The animals are distributed evenly throughout the housing.
Background noise: No cries of distress are audible. The herd is calm and alert, but not listless. The animals do not make any sounds indicating restlessness in the barn. Similarly, no ‘sneezing’ or breathing noises are audible that might indicate a respiratory tract infection.
Lighting: The barn is well lit; all lamps are in working order. There are no ‘sunspots’.
Bedding: The bedding is loose, dry, hygienically safe, spread across the entire floor area of the barn and can be worked through by the animals.
Feed and water lines: The feed and water lines are in good working order. The troughs and drinkers are sufficiently filled. The water in the drinkers is clean and clear. The feed has a smell typical of the product and has a good texture. The arrangement and height of the feed and water lines ensure that all animals can easily reach feed and water at all times.
Enrichment materials: Sufficient suitable enrichment materials are available at all times.
Herd and individual animals
Herd behaviour: The animals are evenly distributed throughout the entire barn and appear lively and age-appropriate. Resting together in groups, particularly amongst young animals, is typical of the species. Upon entering the house, the birds are alert and react curiously to the presence of the keeper.
The turkeys’ plumage is clean, smooth and intact.
The cloacas are clean.
The footpads show no signs of sticking together, cracks or discolouration.
The birds show no signs of lameness and walk without stopping frequently.
The birds’ breathing is normal.
The birds show no (pecking) injuries.
The animals’ faeces are firm, contain few undigested particles and show no colour abnormalities.
The animals’ weight development (measured using a step-on scale) corresponds to the target curve.
If deviations are detected during individual animal and/or flock inspections that indicate technical faults, impaired animal health, reduced welfare or the occurrence of pecking damage, the frequency of inspections should be adjusted according to the severity of the issue. Technical faults must be rectified immediately.