German turkey farmers fear for their future

In December of the previous year, the green minister presented his "key points on the minimum requirements for fattening turkeys" in order to "close gaps in the livestock husbandry ordinance", as it was said. In Berlin, the intention was to initiate a professional discourse at an early stage and has since received a lot of criticism. Most recently, CSU agricultural spokesman Artur Auernhammer made people sit up and take notice. He described the planned specifications as “a danger and a fatal signal” for the turkey keepers. The stocking density proposed by the Minister of Agriculture became the main point of criticism. Stocking density is sour For cocks, the Berlin officials propose 40 kg per m2, for hens only 35 kg should be allowed. In addition, an upper limit for the number of animals per m2 was formulated with 1.9 cocks and 3.1 hens. "The strictest requirements in the whole EU," commented the chairwoman of the German turkey producers' association, Bettina Gräfin von Spee, on ...