The challenge addressed by the Good Practice is ‘Improving chick quality’, a crucial aspect for the success and sustainability of poultry production systems. The quality of chicks is determined by factors such as size uniformity, viability and robustness, which directly influence their ability to adapt to the rearing environment and achieve optimal performance. The Good Practice involved real-time temperature monitoring at four specific points (front right, front left, back right and back left, with no measurements in the centre) inside the trucks transporting the newly hatched chicks from the hatchery to the farm

This tracking is done through the installation of four data loggers, which allows precise temperature data to be collected throughout the journey. The reference thresholds are those indicated in the management guide that is minimum temperature 30°C and maximum temperature 33°C. In case of non-conformity, sanctions are foreseen.

Transport management is crucial for the quality of the chicks, as an optimal environment during transport positively influences performance parameters such as feed conversion efficiency, growth rates and, ultimately, the quality of the final product.