Humane Treatment of Farmed Animals

Just a few months ago, we saw the most significant change in Canada’s egg industry that has ever happened, and it’s thanks to you, our donors and supporters!

On March 27, the National Animal Farm Care Council (NFACC) released an updated “Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens” after four years of negotiations between CFHS, the egg industry, government and other stakeholders.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) is the only animal welfare organization who sat on the NFACC Egg-Laying Hen Code Development Committee.  Our negotiators have worked in partnership with Canadian egg farmers and industry leaders to produce this new code, which sets the most rigorous standards for egg-laying hens in North America and sets unprecedented minimum standards of care for Canada’s hens – rivaling those of the European Union and far surpassing those of the United States.

We asked the Canadian public to write to their MPs, the CFIA and the Minister of Agriculture regarding their concern about the lack of guidelines for how cage-free systems operate in Canada. With that support, we were able to bring forward stringent cage-free standards and begin the phase out of Canada’s cruel battery cages.

As of April 1, 2017, no new barren battery cages will be built in Canada, which is great news for the 90% of egg-laying hens in Canada who are currently living in cramped, barren battery cages unable to walk around or even spreading their wings for their entire lives.

This shift away from battery cages is a substantial achievement for Canada’s hens. It’s expected that 50% of Canada’s hens will be transitioned to enriched cages or cage-free barns by 2024 and between 85-100% will be transitioned by 2031.

The new code will also see much needed improvements in the lives of hens, like the requirement to provide perches, feed and water space, nest boxes, dust-bathing space, quality litter for foraging and upgrades to space allowances and enrichments for all housing systems, from industry-regulated farms to backyard flocks.

Unfortunately, even with these significant changes, the code allows egg farmers to transition to their choice of either enriched cages or cage-free housing systems. While enriched cages are a slight improvement over battery cages, cages are still cages. 

Enriched cages are not much bigger than battery cages, offering a mere 80% more space than the cramped battery cages that hens are being freed from– the equivalent of about two-thirds of a sheet of printer paper. This is a stark contrast to space in cage-free systems, which offer 125% more space per hen than battery cages.

At most, enriched cages should be regarded as an interim step on the way to implementing cage-free housing systems as they prevent hens from performing two of their most important natural behaviours like dust-bathing and foraging.

We still have a long way to go and we need your help! Your support allows us to continue our vital work in transitioning Canada’s farms to more humane practices!

Thank you!

Barbara Cartwright

CEO, Canadian Federation of Humane Societies

Links:

• Humane News

Each and every year more than 700 million animals are transported in Canada. These animals are subject to the most alien and stressful experience of their lifetime. Closed into confined spaces, shoulder-to-shoulder with each other, these animals can be transported in some cases, like cattle and sheep, for up to 52 -hours continuously with no food, water or rest.  They can endure multiple off-and-on loadings, are deprived of a means to relieve themselves and are denied protection from heat, cold and excessive weather. For every long, hard journey like this, Canada’s animals are at an ever-increasing risk of stress-induced illness, injury and death.  As many as two million of these animals, mostly chickens, are found dead on arrival. 

The Canadian Federal Government has finally released the long awaited draft animal transport regulations in an effort to put an end to the staggering mistreatment of animals in transit. Unfortunately, what is proposed is not enough.  The draft regulations, which include transportation conditions for both farm and companion animals, fail to properly address the need for humane practices in four categories: food, water and rest, animals unfit for transport, equipment and conditions, and humane handling.

The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies asked the public to let their voices be heard.  Now that the public comment period is over, we know that we still have more work to do reviewing the input from Canadians and ensuring that any changes made to the Code of Practice improve animal welfare gains.   We cannot relax our work as we ensure that the changes Canadians felt were important end up reflected in the way animals are transported.

As well in 2017 we expect to see the release of a new code of practice will be released for egg laying hens.  We fought hard to ensure that the draft Code of Practice has the most rigorous and stringent standards for cage-free housing systems put in place in North America, standards on par with the European Union and which far surpass current U.S. standards.  We'll update you as soon as the code is released.

Your donation keeps us at the table working to ensure farm animals are treated humanely.

Links:

• Subscribe to Humane News