No beak trimming
At national level, the long-term aim is to phase out beak trimming in turkeys as well. Whilst there are already many successful approaches in place for rearing pullets and laying hens, as described, there is not yet sufficient scientific evidence regarding the rearing of turkeys with intact beaks. A great deal of research therefore still needs to be carried out before beak trimming can be phased out across the board for turkeys. Parameters of great importance in this context include animal enrichment, housing design, and factors such as lighting, housing climate, feeding, animal health and animal observation. Initial recommendations and practical experiences from previous projects are presented below and will be updated with further new findings as the project progresses.
General information on how farmers can prevent behavioural disorders in turkeys and which emergency measures are effective in the event of a problem has been developed by the Turkey Sub-Working Group as part of the Lower Saxony Animal Welfare Plan.
Recommendations for preventing feather pecking and cannibalism
Posture concepts
As part of a European Innovation Partnership (EIP-Agri), innovative approaches to developing a husbandry concept were explored in collaboration between the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover and the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture, across three turkey fattening farms, one turkey breeding farm and four laying hen farms. At the conclusion of the ‘PoultryActivityFarm’ project, a practical report entitled ‘Automatic enrichment for laying hens and turkeys’ was produced, drawing on real-world experience for practical application.
A printed copy can be ordered from the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture for a postage fee.
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