animal welfare Archives - Page 3 of 5

U.S. Supreme Court upholds California’s pig confinement law

Dissent suggests 'substantial burden against interstate commerce'

By GFM Network News May 11, 2023

Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday preserved a California law banning the sale of pork in America’s most-populous state from pigs kept in tightly confined spaces, rejecting an industry challenge claiming that the voter-backed animal welfare measure impermissibly regulates out-of-state farmers. The justices voted 5-4 to uphold a lower court’s dismissal of a […] Read more

It reduces stress and the impact on calves if they have two to three weeks to adjust to life after weaning before being trucked.

Cattleman’s Corner, Cow-Calf, Livestock

What makes the difference during calf transportation?

Is it the trucking itself, or are there other factors that affect the health and well-being of calves?

By Bruce Derksen May 2, 2023

Transportation is an important and inevitable component of marketing cattle through different sectors of the beef industry, but how does that trucking experience affect the health and well being of livestock? Dr. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein, principal research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research Station, says whether it’s calves or backgrounders moving to feedlots for […] Read more

Cows on a Grunthal, Man. dairy farm. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Geralyn Wichers)

Dairy Cattle, Livestock

Continuous tie-stall housing to be phased out in new dairy code of practice

Producer, animal welfare groups praise new code; some drawbacks were noted

By Geralyn Wichers, GFM Network News April 1, 2023

New guidelines for dairy cattle care will improve animal welfare while also potentially increasing farm productivity, Dairy Farmers of Canada says. “I think that we’ve come to a very solid revised code,” David Wiens, DFC’s vice-president, said in an interview. The National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) on Thursday released its revised Code of Practice […] Read more

Chris Neufeld, Animal Care and Biosecurity, HyLife, at left, with Karine Talbot, Director of Animal Health, HyLife talk about proper handling procedures with Dr. Temple Grandin.

Cattleman’s Corner, Hogs, Livestock

A better way to handle piglets

This weaning ramp is easy on farm workers as well as on animals as they are processed

By Lee Hart March 6, 2023

A labour-saving innovation developed by a Manitoba hog operation has been recognized with an award presented by a national pork industry conference, and endorsed by an international animal welfare expert. The HyLife weaning ramp developed at the HyLife sow farms in La Broquerie, Man. was honoured earlier this year at the Banff Pork Seminar, and […] Read more

Daniel Wuergler, co-owner of the Gallipool Frasses farm, walks among 18,000 Lohmann Classic laying hens at Les Montets, about 45 km northeast of Lausanne, on Sept. 16, 2022. (Photo: Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

Livestock, Reuters

Swiss reject initiative to ban factory farming

Voters back narrowly back rise in women's retirement age to 65

By GFM Network News September 26, 2022

Geneva | Reuters — Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a proposal to ban factory farming in a referendum on whether the wealthy country’s strict animal welfare laws need to be tightened yet further. The government’s VoteInfo App showed a provisional result of 62.86 per cent of votes against the proposal, put to a referendum under […] Read more

Hogs, Livestock, Reuters

Icahn drops proxy fights with Kroger’s, McDonald’s

By Reuters, GFM Network News June 6, 2022

Reuters — Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is dropping a proxy fight focused on the treatment of pregnant pigs at Kroger Co. after losing a similar fight with McDonald’s Corp last month, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. “I congratulate the McDonald’s team on their victory in this proxy engagement and, after much contemplation, given the […] Read more

File photo of piglets grazing in a U.K. pasture. (Grandbrothers/iStock/Getty Images)

Hogs, Livestock, Reuters

Britain facing mass cull of pigs due to butcher shortage

By GFM Network News September 30, 2021

London | Reuters — Britain’s farming industry has warned that hundreds of thousands of pigs may have to be culled within weeks unless the government issues visas to allow more butchers into the country. An acute shortage of butchers and slaughterers in the meat processing industry has been exacerbated by COVID-19 and Britain’s post-Brexit immigration […] Read more

File photo of a truck and stock trailer on a Canadian roadway. (Ben185/iStock/Getty Images)

Hogs, Livestock, Machinery

Animal welfare activist dies outside Ontario pork plant

Protestor reportedly hit by transport truck

By Dave Bedard, GFM Network News June 20, 2020

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

Beef Cattle, Livestock

Ontario offers cash for abattoir upgrades

Applications now being accepted through April

By Glacier FarmMedia staff, GFM Network News February 20, 2020

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

EU flags in front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels. (Jorisvo/iStock/Getty Images)

General, Reuters

EU-Canada trade deal clears hurdle in Dutch parliament

By Reuters, GFM Network News February 18, 2020

Amsterdam | Reuters — The European Union’s free trade agreement with Canada cleared a political hurdle on Tuesday, when a slim majority of lawmakers in the Dutch lower house voted to ratify the contested deal. Votes by members of the country’s governing coalition were enough to approve the deal, which was rejected by opposition parties […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy, corn futures weaken on harvest pressure, firm dollar

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures higher, though traders uncertain about demand

Feed Grain Weekly: Corn prices steady, barley harvest slows

GFM Network News