Downed Animal Transport Now Forbidden

It’s now illegal to ship a “downer” animal to sale or slaughter in Manitoba. The Animal Care Amendment Act proclaimed last week prohibits the loading and transportation of animals not fit to travel. The new law fills a gap created by the federal Health of Animals Act, which also prohibits transporting downers. That law only

Ohio Livestock Growers Caged By Farm Groups – for Sep. 9, 2010

What was to be a clever, voter-sanctioned effort to fence out the animals- are-people-crowd in Ohio last year is, depending on your perspective, either a progressive way for farm and animal rights groups to work together toward humane livestock production or a total sellout of livestock producers by Big Ag to the Humane Society of


Brits Take The Lead On Welfare Assessment – for Aug. 12, 2010

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. His columns will run every second week in the Manitoba Co-operator. British pig producers have long extolled their high animal welfare standards compared to European competitors and welfare has been an important component of quality assurance schemes

Brits Take The Lead On Welfare Assessment – for Aug. 12, 2010

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. His columns will run every second week in the Manitoba Co-operator. British pig producers have long extolled their high animal welfare standards compared to European competitors and welfare has been an important component of quality assurance schemes


Brits Take The Lead On Welfare Assessment – for Jul. 29, 2010

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. His columns will run every second week in the Manitoba Co-operator. British pig producers have long extolled their high animal welfare standards compared to European competitors and welfare has been an important component of quality assurance schemes

Manitoba Goes It Alone On Alternative Hen Housing

“We would have liked to have more consultation.” – LAURENT SOULIGNY, EFC Egg Farmers of Canada will let Manitoba go its own way on requiring larger cages for layer hens while still working toward a national policy on alternative housing. EFC appears resigned to Manitoba’s recent policy requiring new layer operations to use alternative housing


Hogs Neglected, Barn Destroyed Near Notre Dame

An air of mystery hangs over a small southern Manitoba community following the deaths of hundreds of pigs and a fire which later destroyed their barn. Provincial authorities are investigating a case of animal neglect in which approximately 2,200 feeder hogs were found starving in a barn near Notre Dame de Lourdes. About 400 pigs

New Report Alleges Systemic Livestock Transport Abuse

“Do the math. It’s less than half a per cent.” – CRYSTAL MACKAY, OFAC Anew and controversial report by the World Society for the Protection of Animals claims farm animals routinely arrive at Canadian livestock auction markets and slaughterhouses dead, sick or severely injured. It bases its findings, not on anecdotal evidence, but on the


HSUS Targets Laying Hen Abuses

“I don’t think anyone can see this footage and feel good about this production system.” – WAYNE PACELLE An undercover investigation by the Humane Society of the United States of major U. S. egg producers showed “rampant abuse” of hens, which the animal rights group said April 7 could prompt more consumers to embrace “cage-free”

Manitoba Egg Producers Adopt Alternate Housing Standards

“We don’t want governments and retailers telling us what to do.” – KURT SIEMENS, MEF Manitoba egg producers have taken a major step toward alternate housing for hens by introducing new animal welfare standards for layer barns. The new policy will eventually mean the phasing out of battery cages, currently the industry standard for housing