Global Animal Partnership's

Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load vl.O

GLOBAL ANIMAL

PARTNERSHIP

About Global Animal Partnership's (G.A.P.} Animal Welfare Certified™ Program

G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Certified™ program assesses the level of welfare of animals on-farm, at collection points, during herd & load, during transport, and at slaughter. The Program consists of a series of species specific multi-tiered standards designed to assess farm animal welfare within different production systems. Each set of tiered standards-from Step 1 to Step 5+-has its ownrequirements that must be met before certification to that Step level is achieved.

These Standards for Turkey Herd and Load are not tiered, but any turkey operation that is G.A.P. Certified must use a Live Haul Company or Department that is

G.A.P. certified under these standards.

As the standard-setter, G.A.P. does not conduct audits nor make Step-level certification decisions but rather accredits third-party certifiers to administer the Program. Authorized, third-party certifiers perform the audits and issue Step certificates, as appropriate. As such, producers, consumers, and retailers alike can be confident that Step-levels are fair, accurate, and free of conflict of interest.

For a company/brand to use the G.A.P. label in the marketplace, 100% of the product must come from farms that hold a current G.A.P. certificate. Use of the

G.A.P. label is governed by G.A.P.'s Labelled Product Authorization (LPA) program and the regulations of the country the label will be used in.

G.A.P. believes that meaningful label claims, validated by third-party audits on every farm, are key to influencing the industry, raising consumer expectations, and creating long-lasting change for animals.

About G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load vl.O

G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load covers the management, handling and loading of turkeys during the herd and load process.

These Standards were issued on October 12, 2022 and go into effect January 16, 2023. Any Live Haul Company or Department that is currently approved for herding and loading at G.A.P. Certified farms, do not need to have an immediate audit but are expected to meet the updated Standards when it goes into effect on January 16, 2023. Any Live Haul Company or Department audited on or after January 16, 2023 will be audited to this Standard.

The development process included consultation with industry representatives, producers, guidance from our Scientific Advisory Committee1 and our third-party certifiers, and review and approval by the G.A.P. Board of Directors.

After three (3) certification cycles, the standards will be reviewed and revised in full based on key learnings from the launch, as well as any new, relevant scientific findings. The post-review and revision process will involve guidance from scientific experts, veterinarians, producers and our third-party certifiers, before the draft revision is presented to the G.A.P. Board of Directors for final review and approval. Thereafter, the standards will be reviewed and revised according to the protocol outlined in the G.A.P. Policy Manual.

1 For more information on G.AP.'s Scientific Advisory Committee, please visit www.globalanimalpartnership.org.

At any time throughout the above-mentioned period, G.A.P. may clarify parts of the standard as issues with implementation arise, new technologies become available, or new scientific findings are made.

About Global Animal Partnership

Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P) is one of the largest, and most respected animal welfare standards and labeling organizations in North America. Established in 2008, G.A.P. impacts the welfare of over 400 million animals each year through third-party certification of more than 4,000 farms. G.A.P. believes that meaningful label claims, validated by third-party audits on every farm, are key to influencing the industry, raising consumer expectations, and creating long­ lasting change for farm animals. For more information, contact us at info@globalanimalpartnership.org or 877.427.5783.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Certified™ Program 1

About G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load vl.0 1

About Global Animal Partnership 2

Turkey Herd and Load Overview 4

How to Read these Standards 4

Program Requirements 5

1. General 5

   1. Pre-loading and Loading into Containers 15

   2. Moving Containers ...... 15

   3. Escaped Birds 15

   4. Herd and Load Service Record 16

   1. EUTHANASIA 17

      1. Euthanasia 17

   2. MONITORING 19

2. Applications

   5 5.1 Monthly Self-Assessments 19

3. Audit and Certification 5

4. Non-Conformances 6

5. Equivalency 8

1. COMPANY RESPONSIBILITIES, POLICIES, & TRAINING 9

   1. BIRD CONDITION AT THE SLAUGHTER FACILITY 20

   Appendix I: Certificate Length for Late Corrective Action Submission 21

   Appendix II: Approved External Remote Video Monitoring Companies 22

   1. Responsibilities

   2. Company Policies

      9

      Appendix Ill: Unfit to Transport 23

      9

      Appendix IV: Acceptable Catching and Carrying Methods for Turkeys 24

   3. Training Program 10

2. EQUIPMENT 12

   1. Herding and Loading Equipment. 12

      Form 1: Herd and Load Service Record 25

      Form 2: Monthly Self-Assessment Form 26

   2. Transport Containers

   3. Toxic Substances

      12

      12

      Annex 1: External Remote Video Monitoring Company (ERVMC)

3. PROCESS 13

   Requirements 27

   1. Handling

   2. Condition of Turkeys

   3. Thermal Comfort

   4. Staging Area

      13

      13 Glossary 29

      13

      13

   5. Herding 14

   6. Catching and Carrying 14

Turkey Herd and Load Overview

A Live Haul Company or Department is defined as an external company or in-house department of a turkey supplier, that provides a herd and load service for turkey operations. In addition, individual farmers that herd and load at their own operation are also included in this definition. The process of herding and loading for delivery of live birds either to another operation or to a slaughter facility.

The Live Haul Company or Department must pass a G.A.P. audit before offering services to a G.A.P. Certified turkey operation. Live Haul Companies or Departments will not be assigned a Step-level, but rather will be granted a pass/fail designation and will hold a 'G.A.P. Certified' certificate.

Transportation and slaughter, as well as on-farm production, of G.A.P. turkeys is covered under G.A.P.'s 5-Step Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey v2.1 and are not part of this standard.

How to Read these Standards

Each standard is numbered within each Section. There are also several symbols throughout the standard that are indicators of additional information. In the example below, the (D symbol prefaces additional information provided to aid in the understanding of the standard:

Also, the G) indicates the standard is considered a major non-conformance and a8 beside the standard it is considered a critical non-conformance (see Section 4. Non-conformances and the G.A.P. Policy Manual for more details).

Program Requirements

The following is applicable to each Live Haul Company or Department applying for certification to G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load

vl.O.

1. General

   1. The standards in this document are requirements.

   2. The Live Haul Manager2 and Crew Supervisor3 or the producer (for operations that herd & load their own flocks), must have read the standards and prepared for the audit or the Live Haul Company or Department cannot be certified.

   3. The G.A.P. Policy Manual is a companion document to the standards, and details additional program requirements and terms of certification beyond that which is included in the standards (see http://www.globalanimalpartnership.org/l.

   4. No standard in this document supersedes governmental regulations or laws, whether local, regional, state, provincial, territorial, federal, national, or other.

   5. A glossary defining specific terms and terminology used in these standards is located at the end of this document.

      
      

2. Applications

   1. Each Live Haul Company or Department is required to complete a G.A.P. Animal Welfare Turkey Herd and Load application each certification cycle.

      
      

3. Audit and Certification

   1. Each Live Haul Company or Department must be audited and certified prior to offering herd and load services to any G.A.P. Certified Turkey operation transporting turkeys to slaughter (includes thinning), or another operation (from brooder to grow out). This also includes farmers that do their own herd and load (see 3.i.).

   2. While herd and load services include birds moving from brooder operations to grow out operations, audits must be conducted on flocks going to slaughter.

   3. Given that a company's herd and load process and protocols are uniform, the herd and load events do not necessarily need to be observed on G.A.P. certified flocks, although it is preferred.

   4. Each Live Haul Company or Department must be audited once every 12 months. The exceptions to this are if two or more major non-conformance(s) are identified (see Section 4. Non-Conformances), then the next certificate will only be issued for a 6-month duration.

   5. Audits must be conducted in-person4•

      
      

      2 Live Haul Manager- manages herding and loading of live turkeys, working with schedulers, management and crew supervisors to schedule the daily pickup, routing, biosecurity assuring, and coordinating shipping schedules with supervisors and facilities. Responsible for animal welfare program and compliance.

      3 Live Haul Crew Supervisor - supervises the Live Haul Crew in herding and loading birds for transport. Duties may include: directing the pickup of birds, assigning duties to the crew, monitoring animal welfare practices and procedures, and enforcing company safety and production standards and policies.

      4 This supersedes any previous policy that allowed video submissions of herd and load events.

   6. Outside of regularly scheduled audits, the Certifier may also conduct unannounced audits. This may not be a full audit but will be conducted in a manner consistent with a typical audit. The Certifier will arrange for the audit no more than 24 hours prior to arrival.

   7. The Live Haul Company or Department must be audited during real herd and load events. Mock demonstrations of herd and load are not acceptable.

   8. The Certifier will assess how many Live Haul Crews5 to observe based on the total number of Live Haul Crew members at the Live Haul Company or Department, not including the Live Haul Crew Supervisor/Manager or other staff. At least 50% of the Live Haul Crew members must be observed once per certification cycle by the Certifier (see also 3.i. for the number of herd and load events). For example, a Live Haul Company has 3 Live Haul Crews each with 8 crew members, for a total of 24 crew members. Therefore, in order to meet the 50% requirement, at least 12 crew members (or 1.5 Crews) would need to be observed. However, as Crews need to be observed as a team, the Certifier would need to see a total of 2 Crews each certification cycle.

   9. The number of herd and load events that need to be observed for the audit needs to equal the number of Live Haul Crews observed in 3.h. For example, 2 Crews could not be audited during the same herd and load event.

   10. For individual operations (i.e. farms) that herd and load their own flocks and do not use a Live Haul Company or Department, the Certifier needs to observe one herd and load event for each certification cycle.

   11. For each herd and load event audited, at a minimum, the auditor must be present and observe at least 2 hours of herding and loading; this excludes the time for setting up and staging equipment.

       1. At the time of audit, the Live Haul Crew Supervisor responsible for the herd and load service must be present. A designated representative affiliated with the Live Haul Company or Department and/or Turkey Supplier may also be present at the time of the audit.

          1. After submission of G.A.P.'s Turkey Herd and Load application, the Certifier will provide each Live Haul Company or Department with G.A.P.'s pre-audit submission list detailing the records, policies, and protocols that need to be submitted at least 7 business days prior to the date the audit is scheduled to occur. This allows for the auditor to focus on the herd and load process rather than spending time reviewing additional documentation. The audit cannot proceed without receipt of the document submission.

          2. Auditors do not make approval determinations nor provide consultative service to producers on meeting standards requirements. Approval determinations are made by reviewers or other agents of authorized certification companies.

          3. Live Haul Companies or Departments are expected to maintain compliance to all standards throughout the whole certification cycle, not just at audit.

          4. If a standard has not been met at the time of initial audit, evidence must be provided confirming that the standard has been met before a certificate decision is issued.

          5. Certificates are issued for the Live Haul Company or Department as a whole, not for each crew. Split certificates will not be issued.

          
          

4. Non-Conformances

   Note: This section provides a brief overview of the provisions of the G.A.P. Policy Manual relating to non-conformances. For further details please refer to that document.

   1. If a Live Haul Company or Department fails to meet a standard, it will be considered a non-conformance. There are three categories of non­ conformance: minor, major and critical.

   2. If a Live Haul Company or Department is issued a non-conformance, it must be addressed before a certificate can be issued (see G.A.P.'s Policy Manual).

      
      

      5 Live Haul Crew - a small team of employees/contractors (whether part-time, full-time or seasonal) that are consistently scheduled to work together to move, handle and load turkeys onto trucks for transport to another operation or slaughter facility. Generally, crews consist of 4-10 people.

   3. If a Live Haul Company or Department receives a repeat non-conformance at the time of the next audit - the designation of minor, major and critical impacts the certification decision (see Repeat Non-conformances in G.A.P.'s Policy Manual).

      In the example below, the(t indicates that failure to meet the standard would be considered a critical non-conformance and results in denial of certification of the Live Haul Company or Department (see G.A.P.' s Policy Manual for further information).

      
      

      STANDARD
      3.1.l(t	If any willful acts of abuse and/or egregious acts occur, the Live Haul Company or Department must immediately implement their zero-tolerance policy.
      	(D (3.1.1 a]: See Standard 1.2.1 for zero-tolerance policy. (D (3.1.1 b]: Examples of willful or egregious acts include but are not limited to kicking, striking, punching, hitting, dropping, throwing, beating, dragging, stomping, sitting on, running over, or otherwise causing harm or injury to turkeys is prohibited. (D (3.1.1 c]: This standard extends to all turkeys - healthy, sick, injured, and/or dead.

      In the example below, the 4D indicates that failure to meet the standard would be considered a major non-conformance. If a Live Haul Company or Department receives a repeat non-conformance at the time of the next audit, then it would be elevated in severity to a critical non-conformance and would result in denial of certification of the Live Haul Company or Department (see Repeat Non-conformances in G.A.P.'s Policy Manual).

      
      

      STANDARD
      3.5.1$	Turkeys must be herded without causing piling, smothering, trampling, jumping on each other, excessive wing flapping, and scratching during the herd and load event.
      	(D (3.5.1 a]: Moving birds calmly, slowly, quietly, and in small groups helps to avoid the occurrence of these behaviors. (D (3.5.1 b]: See Standard 3.5.2 and 3.5.3 for information on herding aids that assist with calm handling.

      
      

      In the example below, as there is no(tor4D beside the standard, failure to meet this standard would result in a minor non-conformance. If upon recertification, the Live Haul Company or Department was still not in compliance with this standard, it would be elevated to a major non-conformance (see G.A.P.'s Policy Manual).

      
      

      STANDARD
      2.1.1	If pre-loaders, loaders and/or conveyor belts are used for loading turkeys into containers, they must:
      	(D (2.1.1 a]: See Section 3.7for details on appropriate management of birds on the pre-loaders, conveyor belts and loaders. (D (2.1.1 b]: For Standard 2.1.lb this is an operational check- there does not need to be a documented record.

      1. be maintained according to manufacturer's specifications; and

      2. be tested prior to use before each herd and load event.

   4. If a Live Haul Company or Department is issued a critical non-conformance, certification will be denied.

   5. If a Live Haul Company or Department is issued 2+ major non-conformances, then if the non-conformances are addressed sufficiently, the certificate will only be issued for a 6-month duration rather than for 12 months.

   6. If a Live Haul Company or Department is issued a major or minor non-conformance, it needs to be addressed by corrective action and the response submitted to the certifier by the Live Haul Company or Department within 3 weeks from the date the certifier issues the audit report. The corrective action must be reviewed and accepted by the Certifier before a certificate is issued. If the Live Haul Company or Department does not respond to the non-conformance within 3 weeks, it will result in a shortened certificate or a re-audit (see Appendix I).

      
      

5. Equivalency

   1. Any Live Haul Company or Department may choose to utilize an approved external remote video monitoring company (ERVMC), according to G.A.P.'s approved External Remote Video Monitoring Requirements (see Annex 1). In this case, the Live Haul Company or Department will automatically be in compliance with G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load vl.O.

   2. Any Live Haul Company or Department utilizing an approved ERVMC needs to address issues that are identified by the ERVMC.

   3. Approved ERVMCs are listed on Appendix II.

   4. Any Live Haul Company or Department utilizing an approved ERVMC is required to complete a G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Turkey Herd and Load application each year.

   5. G.A.P. will verify the Live Haul Company or Department's relationship with the approved ERVMC and the use of the External Remote Video Monitoring Requirements on an annual basis and issue an equivalency letter of approval.

   6. If the Live Haul Company or Department's is using an ERVMC not listed in Appendix II please reach out to G.A.P.

1. COMPANY RESPONSIBILITIES, POLICIES, & TRAINING

   (I) The intent of this Section is to support a Live Haul Company or Department's adoption and implementation of a culture of humane animal treatment through all parts of the herd and load process.

   
   

   1.1 Responsibilities
   1.1.1	The Live Haul Company or Department must maintain continuous certification to the G.A.P. Program.
   	(I) (1.1.1]: See Program Requirements 3.d. for certification length.
   1.1.2	The Live Haul Company or Department must submit records in an organized manner.
   	(I) (1.1.2]: See Program Requirements 3.m.
   1.1.3	The Live Haul Company or Department must keep all records, reports, G.A.P. certificates, and other materials and correspondence relating to G.A.P. certification for the full certification cycle.
   	(I) (1.1.3 a]: Certain historical records and documents may not be available at the time of initial audit as the Live Haul Company or Department applying for G.A.P. certification was unaware they would be required and, therefore, cannot create them for past events. At the time of initial audit, record-keeping and documentation mechanisms must be in place to meet these standards. (I) (1.1.3 b]: At renewal audit, the Live Haul Company or Department must be able to provide the auditor access to the records and documents relating to the previous certification cycle.
   1.1.4	The Live Haul Manager is responsible for ensuring that herd and load shifts are appropriately staffed to avoid undue fatigue on the Live Haul Crew.
   	(I) (1.1.4]: The herd and load process is physically demanding and involves human-bird interactions; fatigue can affect the crew members ability to perform herd and load responsibly, so appropriate staffing is important.
   1.1.5	The Live Haul Company or Department is responsible for ensuring that the requirements of G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd & Load and the Live Haul Company or Department's animal welfare policies are implemented by the Live Haul Crew at each herd and load.
   1.2 Company Policies
   1.2.lG	The Live Haul Company or Department must have a written zero-tolerance policy for willful acts of abuse and/or egregious acts towards all animals on-farm.
   	(I) (1.2.1 a]: A zero-tolerance policy imposes a pre-determined punishment (i.e. termination) and does not allow discretion, extenuating circumstances, or a change in punishment to fit the circumstances. (I) (1.2.1 b]: See Standard 3.1.1 infonote b for examples of willful acts of abuse and/or egregious acts.
   1.2.2	The Live Haul Company or Department must have a written animal welfare policy that protects the welfare and safety of the birds.
   1.2.3	The Live Haul Company or Department must have a written policy on the Live Haul Crew's responsibilities for responding to birds not fit for transport that is agreed upon with the farm manager ahead of the herd and load.
   	(I) (1.2.3 a]: The policy must outline which party is responsible for euthanizing birds if birds are unfit for transport, including birds that have acute trauma and need immediate euthanasia - see Standard 3.2.3. (I) (1.2.3 b]: See Section 3.2, Section 4, and Appendix Ill for birds unfit for transport.
   1.2.4	The Live Haul Company or Department must have a written whistleblower policy that allows a person to come forward with information on violations of adopted policies and specifies that the whistleblower is protected from retaliation or consequences.

   1.2 Company Policies Continued
   1.2.5	The Live Haul Company or Department must have a written policy on weather conditions that prohibit herd and load events from occurring as scheduled.
   	(D (1.2.5]: The policy can be a short, simple statement but should cover all types of severe weather, which have the potential to pose a significant threat to human and animal health and safety, property, and critical infrastructure and include severe winter storms, floods, tornados, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, or any combination thereof.
   1.2.6	The Live Haul Company or Department must have a documented and implemented biosecurity program that covers: C. trucks and equipment brought to the operation; d. clean-out procedures for containers between operations.
   1.2.7	The Live Haul Crew must follow and comply with the turkey operation's and/or the Live Haul Company's biosecurity protocols, whichever are stricter.
   1.2.8	The Live Haul Company or Department must have a written emergency procedures protocol if power sources are essential to the herd and load process.
   1.3 Training Program
   1.3.1	The Live Haul Company or Department must have a written animal welfare training program that is presented in all necessary languages, and includes; C. description of biosecurity protocols;
   	(D (1.3.1]: Please note for 1.3.1-k, if the Live Haul Company or Department's policy (see Standard 1.2.3) for responding to birds discovered with acute trauma during the herd and load process includes euthanasia, then all members of the Live Haul Crew are expected to know what the process is and at least one crew member must be trained on how to actually conduct euthanasia according to Section 4.
   1.3.2	The animal welfare training program must be provided to all Live Haul Crew members upon hire, prior to the individual's handling of any turkeys, and at a minimum every 12 months.

   1. employee dress code (e.g. required use of coveralls, booties or boot sanitation, masks, hair nets, etc.)

   2. restriction of employees from keeping any avian species;

   1. description of all aspects of the individual's responsibilities;

   2. an outline of what constitutes willful acts of abuse;

   1. description of weather conditions that prohibit herd and load;

   2. description of emergency procedures (e.g. equipment malfunction, fire etc.);

   3. description of a process for reporting unacceptable crew member behavior including violations of the Company or Department's animal welfare policy;

   4. a review of the Company or Department's whistleblower policy;

   5. instruction on recognizing signs of normal and abnormal turkey appearance and behavior;

   6. instruction on low-stress herding, acceptable use of herding aids and flight zones, and acceptable catching, carrying and loading methods;

   7. instruction on identifying and responding to birds not fit for transport (see Standard 1.2.3, Section 3.2, and Appendix Ill);

   8. instruction on euthanasia of injured birds (if applicable, see infonote 1.3.1 below); and

      1. covers all requirements of this version of the G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd & Load.

   1.3 Training Program Continued
   1.3.3	At each training, the Live Haul Company or Department must issue a test to Live Haul Crew members on the Company or Department's animal welfare training program.
   	(D (1.3.3]: The test can be written or verbal.
   1.3.4	The Live Haul Company or Department must keep a record of each Live Haul Crew member's animal welfare training, including dates of training, and topics covered.
   1.3.5	If at any point in time a Live Haul crew member is identified as needing additional training, the Live Haul Company or Department must offer on-the-spot training and/or provide additional classroom training.
   	(D (1.3.5]: This applies to any member of the crew regardless of whether they arefull-time, part-time, seasonal or contractual.

2. EQUIPMENT

   
   

   2.1 Herding and Loading Equipment
   2.1.1	If pre-loaders, loaders and/or conveyor belts are used for loading turkeys into containers, they must:
   	(I) [2.1.1 a]: See Section 3. 7for details on appropriate management of birds on the pre-loaders, conveyor belts and loaders. (I) [2.1.1 b]: For Standard 2.1.lb this is an operational check- there does not need to be a documented record.
   2.1.2$	Any equipment that the Live Haul Crew use to handle and load turkeys must not cause injury to turkeys and the Live Haul Crew.
   	(I) [2.1.2]: See Standard 2.1.1 for details on mechanical loaders and conveyor belt equipment.
   2.1.3	At a minimum, all equipment used to load and handle turkeys must be cleaned and sanitized at the end of each night of herding and loading.
   2.2 Transport Containers
   2.2.1	Prior to loading birds, the Live Haul Crew Supervisor must make sure that containers, whether modules, coops, drawers, or other, are clean, not broken, or damaged, and will not cause injury to the turkeys.
   	(I) [2.2.1]: The Supervisor needs to check at a minimum for broken floors, wires poking into the container, large holes, damaged doors, and that central supports are firmly fixed etc.
   2.2.2	If the Live Haul Crew identify any containers that are damaged, they must not load turkeys into them.
   2.2.3$	Wire floors are prohibited.
   2.2.4	If solid flooring is not used, the Live Haul Crew Supervisor must make sure that turkeys are not loaded into containers that have slat gaps more than 0.65 inches (1.7 cm) wide.
   2.2.5	The Live Haul Crew Supervisor must ensure that containers are of adequate height to allow the turkeys to move their heads freely while sitting.
   2.3 Toxic Substances
   2.3.1	The Live Haul Crew Supervisor must make sure that turkeys are kept from contact with any potentially toxic substances (e.g., exhaust fumes from trucks, sanitation & cleaning products) during the herd and load process.

   1. be maintained according to manufacturer's specifications; and

   2. be tested prior to use before each herd and load event.

3. PROCESS

   
   

   3.1 Handling
   3.1.18	If any willful acts of abuse and/or egregious acts occur, the Live Haul Company or Department must immediately implement their zero- tolerance policy.
   	(D [3.1.1 a]: See Standard 1.2.1 for zero-tolerance policy. (D [3.1.1 b]: Examples of willful or egregious acts include but are not limited to kicking, striking, punching, hitting, dropping, throwing, beating, dragging, stomping, sitting on, running over, or otherwise causing harm or injury to turkeys is prohibited. (D [3.1.1 c]: This standard extends to all turkeys-healthy, sick, injured, and/or dead.
   3.2 Condition of Turkeys
   3.2.18	Turkeys that are unfit for transport are prohibited from being loaded.
   	(D [3.2.1 a]: Turkeys meeting any of the criteria in Appendix Ill are considered unfit for transport. (D [3.2.1 b]: For unfit birds see Standard 3.2.2, Standard 3.2.3, and Section 4 (if applicable).
   3.2.2	Any turkeys identified as unfit for transport must be kept away from herding and loading or moved into a designated cull pen.
   	(D [3.2.2 a]: See Appendix Ill - Unfit for Transport criteria. (D [3.2.2 b]: The intent of this standard is to ensure that the herd and load process does not cause undue stress and/or further injury to birds that are unfit for transport. (D [3.2.2 c]: See Standard 3.6.2 and Standard 3.6.3 for birds that need to be caught and carried. (D [3.2.2 d]: See Standard 3.10.2 for documentation to be left with the operation.
   3.2.3	Birds that are discovered with severe acute trauma during the herd and load process must be euthanized immediately.
   	(D [3.2.3 a]: Severe acute trauma includes imminently fatal injuries. (D [3.2.3 b]: Euthanasia can be conducted either by the farm manager, trained farm personnel or by a trained person on the Live Haul Crew per Standard 1.2.3 and Section 4 - Euthanasia.
   3.3 Thermal Comfort
   3.3.1	The Live Haul Crew must inform the farm manager of any issues with the thermal comfort of turkeys during the herd and load process.
   	(D [3.3.1 a]: Flocks should be watched closely for excessive panting and/or wing drooping. (D [3.3.1 b]: The farm manager can provide supplemental heating and/or cooling, fans/ventilation, windbreaks, and/or shade, as necessary.
   3.4 Staging Area (D A staging area is designed to help facilitate the herd and load process. It is a small section within the barn, close to the exit, where the loading takes place.
   3.4.1	The Live Haul Crew must create a staging area to temporarily corral birds.
   	(D [3.4.1 a]: This can be done by sectioning off part of the barn with gates, boards, or fences. (D [3.4.1 b]: Without a staging area, the extra movement of walking back and forth can create more stress on the turkeys.

   3.5 Herding (D Each flock of turkeys has a defined '1light zone" - how close a person can get before the flock moves away. By observing aflock's reactions, crew members should adapt their distance and herding methods accordingly to ensure birds remain calm during the herd and load.
   3.5.1$	Turkeys must be herded without causing piling, smothering, trampling, jumping on each other, excessive wing flapping, and scratching during the herd and load event.
   	(D [3.5.1 a]: Moving birds calmly, slowly, quietly, and in small groups helps to avoid the occurrence of these behaviors. (D [3.5.1 b]: See Standard 3.5.2 and 3.5.3 for information on herding aids that assist with calm handling.
   3.5.2	The following low stress herding aids are allowed: C. Boards;
   	(D [3.5.2]: If the Live Haul Company or Department would like to use other herding aids, written approval from G.A.P. must be received prior to using them for herding and loading.
   3.5.3	Low stress herding aids must be used correctly. Turkeys must be given time to move.
   	(D [3.5.3]: Examples of aids being used incorrectly include poking animals in sensitive areas such as the eyes, head & neck, cloaca, as well as hitting animals with the herding aids.
   3.6 Catching and Carrying (D This sub-section refers to manual catching and carrying of birds.
   3.6.1	For turkeys that are caught and carried individually to transport containers, lights must be dimmed throughout the loading process to keep birds calm.
   	(D [3.6.1 a]: See Standard 3.6.2 and Standard 3.6.3 for details on appropriate catching and carrying method. (D [3.6.1 b]: Turkeys that are herded and loaded mechanically (using loaders and conveyor belts) do not have to have lights dimmed to encourage birds to move.
   3.6.2$	Catching birds by only the tail, head, neck, or wing{s) is prohibited.
   	(D [3.6.2]: See Standard 3.6.3 for carrying birds and Appendix IV for illustration of acceptable catching and carrying methods.
   3.6.3$	If turkeys are carried, the following conditions must be met:
   	(D [3.6.3]: See Standard 3. 6.2for catching birds and Appendix IV for illustration of acceptable catching and carrying methods.

   1. Nylon flags;

   2. Plastic bags;

   1. Tarps; and

   2. Fences.

   1. birds are either carried by i) both legs and the shoulder of one wing, or ii) both legs and the body cradled by a hand or forearm;

   2. turkeys are never carried only by the neck, leg(s), and/or wing(s);

   3. turkeys are never carried upside-down.

   3.7 Pre-loading and Loading into Containers
   3.7.1	Turkeys must not pile up on the pre-loader and loader equipment.
   	(I) [3.7.l]: Synchronizing the speed of the belts for both the pre-loader and the main loader is important to avoid piling.
   3.7.26)	The pre-loader and/or loader must be stopped immediately if a bird is caught in the equipment. The bird must be freed and assessed for injury before the loader is re-started.
   	(I) [3.7.2]: If birds are injured see Section 3.2 and Section 4.
   3.7.36)	Any birds that fall off the pre-loader and/or loader must be assessed and attended by a crew member.
   	(I) [3.7.3]: If birds are injured see Section 3.2 and Section 4.
   3.7.46)	Crew members that catch turkeys at the top of the loader must use two points of contact when moving birds into the container and must not handle birds roughly, such as grabbing, dragging, and shoving.
   	(I) [3. 7.4]: Best practice is to support birds by the bottom of the neck and base of the tail.
   3.7.SG)	Turkeys must be loaded into transport containers without causing injury.
   3.7.6	Turkeys must be upright after they are loaded into the container.
   3.7.7	All turkeys must be able to sit on the floor of the container at the same time.
   3.7.8	The thermal comfort of birds in containers must be maintained at all times.
   	(I) [3.7.8 a]: The number of birds per container still needs to meet Standard 3.7.7. (I) [3.7.8 b]: This can be met by either reducing stocking density or the use of fans,fan coolers, windbreaks, and/or shade, as necessary.
   3.7.9	Container doors must be closed after the last bird in each container has been loaded.
   3.7.l()G)	The Live Haul Crew must ensure that no heads, legs and/or wings are caught or protruding while the container door is closing.
   3.8 Moving Containers (I) This sub-section refers to moving containers within and outside the barn but doesn't apply to transport on the trucks. For truck transport see G.A.P.'s 5- Step Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey v2.1.
   3.8.1	If forklift equipment is used to move containers, it must be able to handle the expected load.
   3.8.2	Forklift equipment must be operated by a certified/trained person.
   3.8.3	Loaded containers must be moved in a horizontal position and avoid tilting.
   3.8.46)	Loaded containers must be moved without dropping or sudden jarring.
   3.8.SG)	The forklift equipment must not cause injury to birds.
   	(I) [3.8.5]: If birds are injured see Section 3.2 and Section 4.
   3.9 Escaped Birds
   3.9.1	Before each truck is moved, any birds that have escaped must be moved back into the barn or loaded onto the truck.
   	(I) [3.9.1]: If birds are injured see Section 3.2 and Section 4.

   3.10 Herd and Load Service Record (D Form 1 can be downloaded at www.globalanimalpartnership.org
   3.10.1	A herd and load service record must be completed on Form 1 by the Live Haul Crew Supervisor at each herd and load event.
   	(D [3.10.1 a]: The service record includes: operation name & address; Live Haul Crew Supervisor name and crew id/names; date of herd and load; start and end times for herding and loading turkeys into transport containers; number of turkeys loaded; number of unfit birds; number of turkeys euthanized (if applicable); number of trucks loaded; and sign off by the Live Haul Crew Supervisor that the requirements in Standard 2.2.1, 3.1.1, and 3.7.7 have been met. (D [3.10.1 b]: These records need to be kept on file by the Live Haul Company for the full certification cycle-see also Standard 1.1.3.
   3.10.2	The Live Haul Supervisor must provide the farm manager with a written record of the number of birds unfit for transport and/or the number of birds euthanized by the Live Haul Crew.

   
   

   Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd & Load vl.0I issued 12 October 2022I vl.0 I 16

4. EUTHANASIA

   (I) Before reviewing this Section, please see Standard 1.2.3 to determine if this Section applies.

   
   

   If the Live Hauf Company or Department's policy for responding to birds discovered with acute trauma during the herd and load process includes euthanasia by a trained Live Hauf Crew member, then the following Section applies.

   If the policy does not allow the Live Hauf Crew to euthanize birds, then the foffowing Section does not apply and euthanasia of these birds is covered under the G.A.P.'s 5-Step Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey v2.1.

   
   

   4.1 Euthanasia
   4.1.1	Euthanasia must be performed by a trained person.
   	(I) [4.1.1 b]: At feast one crew member present at the herd and load must be trained on how to conduct euthanasia. (I) [4.1.1 b]: The Live Hauf Crew will not be required to demonstrate the ability to euthanize an animal in order to show compliance with this standard, but they must be able to describe the training they have received and articulate to the auditor how they would perform the procedure and the visual indicators of unconsciousness, and the physical parameters that confirm death.
   4.1.2$	Euthanasia must cause rapid and irreversible insensibility immediately followed by death.
   	(I) [4.1.2]: See Standard 4.1.6 for acceptable and unacceptable methods of euthanasia.
   4.1.3	The person performing euthanasia must remain with the turkey(s) until death is evident.
   4.1.4	Euthanasia equipment must be maintained according to manufacturer's specifications.
   4.1.5$	Turkeys can be restrained during euthanasia only if the following conditions are met: C. restraint does not cause injury.
   	(I) [4.1.5 a]: Restraint devices, such as cones, are allowed as long the bird is euthanized immediately and meets all the requirementsfor restraint. (I) [4.1.5 b]: Crossing and/or interlocking the wings as a means of restraint is not acceptable.

   1. wings are restrained against the body;

   2. turkeys are never restrained solely by neck, legs, or by stretching the wings; and

   
   

   Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd & Load vl.0 I issued 12 October 2022 I vl.0 I 17

   
   

   4.1 Euthanasia Continued
   4.1.6$	Methods of euthanasia are listed below, where YES indicates an acceptable method and NO indicates an unacceptable method:
   		METHOD Acceptable?
   		Penetrating captive bolt pistol6	YES
   		Non-penetrating captive bolt pistoI6	YES
   		Gunshot to the head	YES
   		Veterinarian administered overdose of injectable anesthetics, including barbiturates and barbituric acid derivatives	YES
   		Gas stunning and killing systems6 using (1) multi-phase carbon dioxide7, (2) argon, (3) nitrogen, or (4) a mixture of these gases	YES
   		Electrical stun knife6 (only permitted if bird is stunned prior to cutting the neck)	YES
   		Manual cervical dislocation (i.e. use of hands only to dislocate the neck as near to the head or skull as possible)	NO
   		Manually applied blunt force trauma to the head	NO
   		Mechanical cervical dislocation (i.e. equipment that pulls/crushes the neck such as wringers or poultry pliers or handheld cervical dislocators)	NO
   	(D (4.1.6 a]: If the Live Haul Company or Department would like to use a method of euthanasia not listed above, written approval from G.A.P. must be received prior to use in order to meet this Standard. (D (4.1.6 b]: With gunshot and captive bolts, fatigue can be an issue, so G.A.P. encourages appropriate staffing and training. (D (4.1.6 c]: Whichever acceptable method is used, the safety of handlers and other people in the immediate area must be prioritized. Safety considerations include but not limited to: proximity to the animal, size of animal, restraint method required, and the likelihood of error in delivery (e.g. missed gunshot hitting people or other animals). (D (4.1.6 d]: If turkeys are restrained during euthanasia, handling methods should meet the requirements described in Standard 4.1.5. (D (4.1.6 e]: The Live Haul Company or Department can use their own equipment or the turkey operation's.

   
   

   6 Only permitted if purpose built for turkeys and used to the manufacturer's specifications.

   7 Multi-phase carbon dioxide systems must have at least two phases where the first phase has a lower concentration of carbon dioxide to render the birds unconscious before higher levels of carbon dioxide are introduced.

5. MONITORING

   CD Given the nature of the work, self-assessments are important in recognizing opportunities for continuous improvement and identifying preventative measures to ensure animal welfare is protected. In addition to third-party auditing, the intent of this Section is to provide the Live Haul Company or Department with a way to provide regular feedback to their Live Haul Crews.

   
   

   5.1 Monthly Self-Assessments (D Form 2 can be downloaded at www.globalanimalpartnership.org
   5.1.1$	The Live Haul Company or Department must conduct herd and load self-assessments at least once a month on each Live Haul Crew.
   	(D (5.1.1 a]: Self- assessments can be conducted on any turkey flock- it does not have to be on G.AP. Certified birds. (D (5.1.1 b]: No self-assessment(s) is required the month of the G.A.P. audit as that will be audited by the G.A.P. approved third-party certifier and no self-assessment(s) is required when there are no herd and load events in a given month.
   5.1.2	The herd and load self-assessment must be conducted by a quality assurance or compliance manager, or another trained manager who is not a direct member of the Live Haul Crew.
   	(D (5.1.2 a]: Live Haul Crew Supervisors or Live Haul Crew members are not allowed to conduct the assessment. (D (5.1.2 b]: The self-assessment must be done in-person.
   5.1.3	The herd and load self-assessments must be completed on Form 2 and these records must be kept for a full certification cycle.
   	(D (5.1.3 a]: Form 2 can be downloaded at www.globalanimalpartnership.org (D (5.1.3 b]: See also Standard 1.1.3
   5.1.4	The quality assurance or compliance manager, or another trained manager must provide a list of any incident(s) observed to the Live Haul Manager and Crew Supervisor immediately following the assessment.
   	(D (5.1.4]: An incident is defined as any non-conformanceflagged on Form 2.
   5.1.5	The Live Haul Manager and/or Live Haul Crew Supervisor needs to implement a corrective action plan to address any incident(s) that are observed.
   	(D (5.1.5]: See Standard 1.3.5. if the corrective action plan includes additional training.

6. BIRD CONDITION AT THE SLAUGHTER FACILITY

CD This Section is RECOMMENDED only. If these recommended standards are not met, it does not result in non-conformances and does not affect the final result of certification.

CD It's G.A.P.'s goal to set up aframework in the future to provide continuous feedback from the slaughter facility to both thefarm and the Live Haul Company or Department to monitor bird condition, health and handling performance so that any potential issues can be mitigated quickly. These are the two areas that

G.A.P. is recommending:

1. The Slaughter Facility should provide flock data, based on the live haul process, to the Live Haul Company or Department for the following:

   • DOAs (dead-on arrival);

   • Broken legs;

   • Broken/dislocated wings; and

   • Thigh bruising.

     
     

2. The Live Haul Company or Department should monitor the slaughter facility data. If feedback from the slaughter facility indicates there's an issue with any of the components with Recommended Standard A., the Live Haul Company or Department must implement corrective action.

Appendix I: Certificate Length for Late Corrective Action Submission

For corrective action submitted after the 3-week deadline, the foffowing wiff apply:

Appendix II: Approved External Remote Video Monitoring Companies

Only Live Haul Companies or Departments utilizing the services of an approved external remote video monitoring company listed below will be recognized as equivalent to G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load vl.0 (see Program Requirements Section 5).

Appendix Ill: Unfit to Transport

Making sure birds are fit to load into transport containers is extremely important. The Live Haul Crew must keep any birds listed below away from the herd and load process or move them to a designated cull pen and not load them into transport containers per Section 3.2.

Adapted from: http://www.poultryserviceassociation.com/uploads/2/7/9/6/27967763/2019 poultry  handling  and  transportation manual.pd{

Annex 1: External Remote Video Monitoring Company (ERVMC) Requirements8

Per Section 5 of the Program Requirements (p.9), the Live Hauf Company or Department has the option to work with an approved ERVMC. In order for the Live Haul Company or Department to qualify for a fetter of equivafency to G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load Standard vl.O, the ERVMC must/of/ow the requirements fisted below. G.A.P. must approve the ERVMC before equivafency is recognized.

1. The ERVMC must fill out an initial application to G.A.P. and provide a demo of the video recording technology and camera views to G.A.P.

2. The ERVMC must agree to the terms and conditions in the signed agreement between G.A.P. and the ERVMC.

3. On an annual basis, the ERVMC will confirm to G.A.P. that the Live Haul Company or Department has a current contract with the ERVMC.

4. G.A.P. will then issue an equivalency letter of approval to the Live Haul Company or Department.

5. The ERVMC must follow the terms and conditions in the agreement above and the requirements listed below so that the Live Haul Company or Department can receive a letter of equivalency to G.A.P.'s Animal Welfare Standards for Turkey Herd and Load Standard vl.0:

8 These requirements only apply to ERVMC's approved by G.A.P. as equivalent to the Turkey Herd and Load Standard vl.0 - this is not a protocol for remote auditing by certifiers.

Glossary