A waiver of beak-trimming in turkeys - current situation in Germany

作者：Kulke Katja^*; Spindler Birgit; Kemper Nicole

来源：Zuchtungskunde, 2016, 88(6): 456-474.

• feather pecking
• cannibalism
• environmental enrichment
• stable structuring
• manipulable materials

In September 2014 the German Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture presented an initiative called "A question of animal husbandry - new ways for more animal welfare". The issue of this initiative is to terminate a routinely implementation of non-curative surgeries in livestock. Also beak-trimming, a method used to minimize injuries caused by feather-pecking and cannibalism in turkeys, belongs to these non-curative surgeries. However, a waiver of beak-trimming is a major challenge for the German poultry industry, due to the only incomplete knowledge on the causes of these behavioral disorders. In Germany experiences on keeping untrimmed turkeys just exist in organic farming, but are completely missing for commercial farming. Environmental enrichment is believed to have a key function in the prevention of feather pecking. For this purpose, different kinds of structural elements and manipulable materials can be used. Although management tools, like an early separation of injured turkeys from the flock, should contribute towards reducing losses caused by feather pecking and cannibalism. Other influencing factors, which are currently examined, are stocking density, light intensity and the composition and structure of diets. By now, it is clear, that a waiver of beak-trimming, necessitating optimized husbandry conditions and special kinds of management tools, will be associated with a significant increase in staff resources.

• 出版日期2016-12