|| Home || SEARCH || Contact || Free Research Publications  ||  Eshop || Privacy Statement ||

Development by the Ratite Industry of documentation that recommends best practice procedures and training courses to accredit toe-trimmers will raise the toe-trimming standards in Industry and help to improve the profitability of ratite farming. Utilisation of the training manual will give confidence to operators when undertaking toe-trimming and result in improved standards of toetrimming.

A toe-trimming manual was prepared by the researchers with the following information;

• Key issues relating to each part of the toe-trimming process. Critical issues were identified.These were the processes in the toe-trimming protocol that if they go wrong will cause permanent damage to the toe resulting in poor bird health, production and welfare.
• Record keeping checklists.
• List of targets to be achieved.
• Score sheets for auditors to monitor, evaluate and verify toe-trim standards.

Who is the report targeted at?
This report is targeted at Australian and overseas ratite farmers and ratite toe-trimmers.

Background:
Toe-trimming of ratites is a common management tool that can be used to improve skin quality and worker safety and reduce bird stress (Glatz, 2001a; b; 2002). Approximately one-third of ostrich skins and one-half of ostrich skins are downgraded because of the presence of scars on the hide.

Some of these scars are caused by claw abrasions (Glatz and Bradley, 2000). In ostriches toetrimming modifies chick ostrich behaviour and reduces the potential for skin damage in the first two weeks after hatching. However the toe-trimmed ostriches tend to slip on wet ground. The evidence indicates that toe-trimming does not compromise the welfare of yearling ostriches and improves the % of A grade skins by 25% (Glatz et al., 2000). Toe-trimming is practised to minimise the incidence of scars and to reduce the risk for handlers suffering injuries. Toetrimming also reduced aggressive behaviours of emus.

Consultation with toe-trim operators in Australia and South Africa revealed that the main problems being faced with the practice are achieving the appropriate position and angle of the cut to minimise regrowth of the claw. Operators report variations in claw regrowth and bleeding of the claw following toe-trimming and a lack of experienced, well-trained personnel to conduct the operation. Proper toe-trimming can result in greatly improved skin quality but improper toetrimming can result in claw regrowth and welfare issues for the flock. It was necessary to prepare appropriate training documentation to standardise toe-trim training in Australia and satisfactorily resolve the most urgent welfare issues of achieving consistency and high standards of toetrimming.

Aims/Objectives:

• To develop quality assurance documentation to improve emu and ostrich toe-trimming
• To prepare a best practice toe-trimming manual for ratites

Methods:
The methodology used included collecting information/suggestions from beak trimmers, farmers, researchers and RIRDC representatives and toe-trimmers to develop a relevant training manual to meet their needs and farm visits by key researcher to view first hand jobs being conducted by toetrimmers and to discuss with toe-trimmers their requirements in a training manual. The visits reinforced the need to prepare a manual in plain English and to keep documentation to a minimum.

Results/Key findings:
A toe-trimming training manual was developed for ratite industry. This manual was developed based on the suggestion from beak trimmers, farmers, researchers and RIRDC representatives and toe-trimmers and information from farm visits. Proper procedures are recommended for toetrimming as follows:

• Accredited toe-trimmers training should be competency-based and delivered in the workplace.
• Toe-trim assessors should be associated with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and use the proposed national competency standards to assess toe-trimmers in the workplace.
• A central database should be maintained by industry with a profile of the training that has occurred.
• Develop a communications strategy to inform the whole of industry of the need to have only accredited toe-trimmers being allowed to toe-trim birds.

Implications for relevant stakeholders:
Use of the training manual for accrediting toe-trimmers is likely to lead to improved standards of toe-trimming and bird welfare in the Australian ratite industries. The accreditation process will ensure that minimum standards are achieved and best practice is promoted.

Recommendations:
This project meets its objective of providing documentation for workplace training and accrediting of toe-trimmers. However, for the outcomes to be realised, it requires industry to develop the necessary protocols to ensure that only accredited toe-trimmers are allowed to practise in Industry.