Livestock producers are lighting up social media with confusion around Bill 156 Animal Protection Zone (APZ) signage protocols. A Facebook farming page thread with more than 100 entries discussed and questioned where signage was required, what signs looked like and if signage provided before the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act (formerly called […] Read more
Tag Archives animal welfare — page 7
Clarity sought on Animal Protection Zone protocols
Livestock commodity associations and OFA working with government to clear up any confusion
Cameras tell the story of animal behaviour
A hog farm finds much can be learned when employees aren’t in a barn
When looking for answers to problems with barn operations, make sure to ask the pigs. Pillen Family Farms was trying to figure out why its new nursery barns weren’t performing as well as some old ones, so they turned to video cameras as a way to better understand the behaviour of pigs when workers weren’t […] Read more
Education campaigns about agriculture have drawbacks: professor
Engaging the public about animal agriculture’s vision is called a better option than abruptly pulling back the curtain
Glacier FarmMedia – Engaging the public rather than trying to educate the public could be the best path to ensure continued trust in animal agriculture. Marina von Keyserlingk, a professor in animal welfare at the University of British Columbia, said she has given a lot of thought about the future of animal agriculture and the […] Read more
On-farm hatching may benefit bird welfare
A poultry company is studying the logistics and benefits of bringing the eggs to the farm and hatching them there
Glacier FarmMedia – Hatching chicks on the farms where they are raised, rather than in a hatchery for later shipment to the farm, might improve bird welfare and performance. Groupe Westco, a New Brunswick poultry company, has undertaken research on the subject, with full results expected in 2021. Why it matters: Concerns about chick mortality […] Read more
Ontario’s Trespass Act Bill 156 comes into force
Hardeman hits goal of bringing Bill 156 into force earlier than expected
The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act (STPFSA), formerly Bill 156, will come into force at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 5 (read the Act on the Ontario government website). “The protection in the act will help to improve working conditions for farmers, farm families and Agri-food sector employees,” said Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, […] Read more
Sow exercise benefits found lacking
Researchers wanted to know if a middle ground solution between stalls and open housing was a reasonable option
Glacier FarmMedia – Pregnant sows have an intrinsic desire to leave their stalls, say swine health experts at the University of Saskatchewan. But giving sows periodic freedom to leave stalls and move about the barn doesn’t significantly improve the lives or welfare of the animals. Why it matters: Animal welfare is a key concern for […] Read more
Group sow housing deadline could be pushed back
The National Farm Animal Council has recommended a new 2029 deadline
Glacier FarmMedia – Pig producers in Canada may have another nine years to convert their barns to group sow housing. A report from the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) on the codes of practice for raising pigs in Canada has recommended pushing back the deadline from 2024 to 2029. A five-year review of the […] Read more
Animal welfare activist dies outside Ontario pork plant
Protestor reportedly hit by transport truck
An animal welfare activist has died while attending what’s been described as a “vigil” outside a southern Ontario hog packing plant, as new provincial limits on such activity around livestock are set to take effect. Halton Regional Police Service reported receiving a call Friday morning that a person had been “struck by a transport truck” […] Read more
Ontario bill restricting barn trespassing approved
Bill 156 increases fines for trespassing into animal production zones
A bill that increases fines for trespassing onto areas of farms where animals are housed has passed the Ontario legislature. Bill 156 was passed by the legislature June 17. It also prohibits obtaining employment at a farm under false pretences. Why it matters: There has been an increase in high profile farm invasions by protesters […] Read more
Ontario offers cash for abattoir upgrades
Applications now being accepted through April
Ontario’s 123 provincially-licensed abattoirs can now start applying for a piece of $2 million in federal/provincial funding to step up food safety, biosecurity and animal welfare measures. The Ontario and federal governments on Wednesday announced applications for cost-share funding can be submitted between now and April 30, “as long as funding for the initiative is […] Read more
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