Court ruling: standard turkey farming in violation of German animal welfare law

By Mahi Klosterhalfen @ 2024-04-10T20:23 (+1)

In the second instance, a German court came to the conclusion that standard turkey farming practices violate the German animal welfare law. 

The ruling says: "The [...] husbandry system practiced, in which turkeys are kept in flocks of several thousand animals and in sheds that have almost no structuring elements and retreat options and do not allow the animals to use perches - especially at night [...], is not compatible with the requirements of [the Animal Welfare Law]. In such a housing system, species-appropriate and needs-based resting and social behavior of the animals is not guaranteed [...], which is accompanied by an unreasonable impairment of their basic needs [...]."

We did not get everything we wanted, but this is a huge blow to the turkey industry nonetheless. Chances are that the case will go to the third instance where we hope to get a stronger ruling on beak searing and overbreeding. 

Resources (all in German):