Prior to producers’ most stressful seasons, experts suggest taking inventory of your stress levels and to plan ahead to avoid pitfalls that will impact your mental health
The head of Manitoba Pork Council says his group hasn’t pledged to move away from sow stalls after all
Manitoba hog producers should dig in their heels and say no to phasing out gestation stalls. That was the message Rick Berman brought to the Manitoba Pork Council’s annual general meeting last week, in which he urged producers to go on the offensive against “animal rights lunatics.” “Get your head around the fact you’re inAlberta Beef Producers chair Doug Sawyer says livestock welfare issues become a permanent part of sustainable production
It’s a fact as clear as the rising sun on a crisp New Year’s Day morning over Doug Sawyer’s Pine Lake, Alberta, area ranchland. As 2013 kicks off, there’s no doubt the issue of livestock welfare has ascended to become a big and likely permanent part of the emerging “sustainability file” for global agriculture. “There’sDealing with aggression, finding the best design, and retraining barn workers are some of the issues producers will have to deal with when they shift to open housing
If it’s time to update your hog barn or if you’re thinking about new equipment, then it’s also time to think about converting your sow gestation stalls to open-housing systems. “We’re working with the date of 2025, and we’re continuing to encourage producers to look at that date as well,” said Mark Fynn, animal care
