Pig Welfare Set to Get Even Better in Canada
The hog industry and especially the producers are in for an intense time, first of all getting to know what changes they must make to their business, secondly to comment on the draft Pig Code to make sure it works for them down the road, and thirdly, not to get down on themselves for feeling they're doing a lousy job, because they're not.
Hence the title 'pig welfare set to get even better in Canada, - not 'set to improve', because hog farmers for the most part, are doing a great job looking after their animals and therefore this isn't just about the pigs, but also about the people who handle them.
After three years of intense negotiation, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) welcomes the release of the draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs.
Confidential until the release, the CFHS says it worked tirelessly to negotiate directly with farmers for the past three years to improve the welfare for pigs in Canada. The draft Code of Practice sets standards for the care of the 27 million pigs raised on Canadian farms.
A significant step forward, this draft code reduces the reliance on the controversial practice of gestation stall use. The draft Pig Code allows for limited stall use (up to 35 days each cycle) thereby aligning itself with science and moving toward the public expectation of 100 per cent stall free pork. This new requirement, not in full effect until 2024, reflects a growing trend with companies and producers committed to phasing out the use of sow stalls such as Tim Hortons, McDonald's, Burger King and producers including Olymel and Maple Leaf.
"The animal welfare science has shown that when confined in sow stalls, pigs experience extreme stress and frustration because they are unable to turn around or express natural behaviours." says Barbara Cartwright, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. "It's like being stuck in an airline seat for your life."
Advocating for only those farming practices that provide good welfare for the animals raised, the CFHS encouraged farmers to strive to employ management practices and housing systems that meet both the physiological and psychological needs of the animals.
"The new Pig Code requires environmental enrichment, as well, outlines pain control measures for castration and tail docking which are some of the most progressive in the world beating out Australia, Germany and the UK." said Dr. Carol Morgan, pig welfare specialist and the CFHS code representative. "However, Europe is phasing out castration completely by 2018. That's the ideal solution, but meat processors in Canada refuse to accept uncastrated males. It's a problem with processors not producers."
Canada's Codes of Practice for the care and handling of farm animals lay out national expectations for animal welfare as arrived at by consensus between the farmers, veterinarians, scientists, government agencies, and SPCAs and humane societies who are members of the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC). The CFHS hopes to receive broad input from the general public, industry and other stakeholders during the 60 day comment period to ensure it improves animal welfare and reflects the values of Canadians.
Pig Code Development Committee chair Florian Possberg says Canada has a sophisticated process for updating the codes that brings together all interested stakeholders.
"It's meant to be more than just an industry thing," says Possberg. "It's meant to come up with acceptable practices that the general public can have confidence in. The code covers all aspects of the care and keeping of our animals, our hogs. It's not just about feed and water and shelter."
He says it is about things to do with handling and what to do with compromised animals and how to house the animals. But the key part is how producers house their sows, with so much discussion around gestation stalls and loose housing, and the Pig Code tries to deal with that.
"Also what the space allocation needs to be for our growing animals and we deal with that, too," says Possberg. "Probably the next in line would be painful procedures, things like castration and we deal with that as well." •
— By Harry Siemens