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Condition of the plumage

An intact plumage protects the animals from environmental factors and helps regulate their body ^temperature9. A critical period for potential feather-pecking behaviour is around the time of moulting (weeks 8, 12 and 16).

Target state

The plumage is free from dirt and is dense for the bird’s age. There are no missing feathers anywhere on the body. The feathers are smooth and glossy².

Figure 9:

Plumage and frontal crest intact (Score 0) (© StanGe)

Figure 10:

Plumage and frontal crest intact (Score 0) (© StanGe)

Deviating condition

The plumage is soiled and/or shows signs of damage caused by feather-pecking. The feathers are dry and brittle, or there are unusual feather formations or shapes. This may be caused by the composition of the feed, bedding that is too damp, illness, moulting or behavioural disorders (e.g. self-mutilation)².

Figure 11:

Minor plumage damage (Score 1) (© StanGe)

Figure 12:

Minor plumage damage (Score 1) (© StanGe)

Figure 13:

Moderate damage to the plumage (Score 2) (© StanGe)

Figure 14:

Moderate damage to the plumage (Score 2) (© StanGe)

Figure 15:

Severe plumage damage (Score 3) (© StanGe)

Figure 16:

Severe plumage damage (Score 3) (© StanGe)

Figure 17:

Check whether the bird should be placed in a quarantine pen.

Figure 18:

Check whether the bird should be placed in a quarantine pen.

Figure 19: Spreading the primary flight feathers (tilting wings). Checking the temperature settings in the chick rearing area. (© Kartzfehn)

Figure 20: Spreading the primary flight feathers (tilting wings). Checking the temperature settings in the chick rearing area. (© Kartzfehn)

Measures

Different plumage conditions may indicate different causes:
In particular, in the case of ‘tilted wings’/‘propeller wings’ (where the primary flight feathers fold away from the body, Figs. 19/20), check the temperature settings in the chick rearing area
Experience shows that if the typical dark colour of bronze-coloured turkeys becomes lighter or fades, this is often not due to genetics but to the feed. In such cases, the feed should be checked in particular for copper, lysine, vitamin D, iron and folic acid, as these nutrients are crucial for a stable plumage colour
Particularly in the case of soiled plumage: check the water lines and ventilation to prevent damp litter (Fig. 5)
Particularly in the case of soiled and brittle plumage: check the birds for ^intestinal diseases^¹⁵, examine faeces from the caecum and colon; additionally, take faecal samples if necessary and contact the vet. Check the feed for its levels of zinc, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid, methionine and cysteine
Particularly in cases of increased bald patches and skin injuries: provide enrichment materials, treat the injured birds and separate them.
Animals with severe pecking injuries should, where necessary (e.g. in the case of serious injuries), be anaesthetised and ^euthanised in accordance with animal welfare principles23^,24

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