Earlier this month I was able to attend the Annual Expert Forum on Farm Animal Wellbeing in Sydney as a guest of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. The theme for this year's forum was "Animal welfare standards for international trade". As a field veterinarian who deals with livestock producers and their animals every day of my working life, it gave me pause to ask the question: why should farm animal welfare matter to you, the producer?
There are many potential answers to this question.
(1) Research shows that while consumers generally don't want to know the details of how their red meat is produced, they want to purchase and consume animal products, secure in the knowledge high animal welfare standards have been applied to all stages of the supply chain. Animal welfare concerns are one of the main reasons that people consume less red meat or become vegetarian.
(2) The major supermarket chains are responding to consumer expectations around animal welfare. Consequently they are seeking produce sourced from production systems with verifiable and high animal welfare standards including "free range eggs" and "sow stall free pork".
(3) Internationally, there is a move towards higher animal welfare standards in livestock production systems. Speakers at the forum from New Zealand, Canada and Europe all stressed that this applies to both domestic and imported produce. Canadian speaker, Professor John Campbell, stated 30 per cent of Canadian cattlemen now use pain relief in calves at branding, a figure that is increasing every year.
(4) At the most basic level, as every producer knows, good animal welfare promotes better animal performance.
So how can producers better equip themselves to address this emerging issue?
- Familiarise yourself with the animal welfare "Standards and Guidelines" that pertain to your production system as well as the "Fit to Load" guide.
- Make animal welfare a priority in your operation by educating staff and contractors. Commit to the Livestock Production Assurance (LPA) and complete the animal welfare module.
- Be conscious of the image you project as a producer of red meat when handling and treating livestock.
- Speak to your local Australian Cattle Vets member. They are well placed to advise on many aspects of farm animal welfare including practical options for farm animal pain relief for routine procedures such as castration and dehorning.