Real Ag – A Saskatchewan horse has tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA), a viral disease that attacks horses’ immune systems and that is transmittable through bodily fluids.
Find out all the details and specifics on the horses location HERE
Jasmine Vickaryous – H5N1, a strain of the avian flu, is on the rise in the province and conservationists are urging Albertans to help limit the spread.
This article covers the growing concern that Avian Influenza is becoming Alberta and people can do to help the limit the spread to both wild birds, and their backyard flocks. Annemarie Pedersen from AFAC and Mark Boyce, Chair of Fisheries and Wildlife for the Alberta Conservation Association, both weigh in on the the issue and what practices should be implemented.
AgForLife – The Urban Hen Program is here in Calgary! As “eggs-citing” as this may be, many city-dwellers have no idea where to begin when starting a coop of their own.
This article interviews Cassandra Kirkpatrick, who is the instructor for all of the AFAC Urban Hen and Backyard Chicken programs. Here you can learn more about what to expect with urban chicken farming, how to care for your chickens, tips for building a coop, and more.
Doug Ferguson – Jody Wacowich, executive director of AgSafe Alberta, says the organization wanted to provide a less intimidating place for farmers to learn about dangers on the farm.
This article tells readers all about the new AgSafe program, FARMERS CARE, which is aimed at teaching producers how to identify hazards and manage the risks associated. The goal of this program is to help reduce the number of farm related injuries and deaths that occur every year.
Alex McCuaig – Planning and education for a catastrophic incident are key, whether it’s disease or a natural disaster.
“Arranging a plan just before a disaster is somewhat better but producers can find themselves up against others in the same boat, all attempting to get supplies such as generators at the same time.
There are some simple steps for planning for the worst-case scenario well in advance, said Husted, who emphasized the importance of contacting local fire chiefs or emergency managers to understand regional responses to disasters.”
On March 24, 2022, AFAC hosted a Technical Large Animal Emergency Response (TLAER) webinar to teach emergency responders more about equipment used during large animal rescues and how it can be adapted to different scenarios. Attendees of the event had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Rebecca Gimenez Husted, who is the owner of TLAER inc., and has over 25 years of experience instructing about large animal emergencies. Dr. Husted was joined by Victor MacPherson who has an extensive background in emergency care for both humans and animals, instructing, and fire and rescue.
(more…)March 16, 2022 (Calgary, AB) – The Livestock Care Conference kicked off this week with three engaging sessions on Tuesday. Starting with a highly interactive student workshop, our featured keynote speaker and rounding the afternoon off with three speakers from the agriculture ministries in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
- Brad Andres, Director – Emergency Management Services, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development,
- Graham Knox, Director – Climate Action and Emergency Management, (Ministry of Agriculture) Government of British Columbia
- Trent Catley, Director of Emergency Response and Inspection, Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture
These three speakers provided great insight into how their provinces are effectively implementing new strategies for emergency preparedness and response protocols. Discussing the importance of shelter in place plans, such as being able to be self-sufficient for up to 72 hours, and what that looks like in the event of an emergency, such as washed-out highways.
This session dove into the many facets that surround livestock emergencies, and how the provincial governments are working with farm/ranch owners to better communicate and handle emergencies. The importance of mass carcass disposal planning guides, relocation of livestock and even what to do during extreme weather events.
B.C. saw two extreme weather events this past year, the heat dome which helped to fuel summer wildfires and the mass rainfall and flooding last fall. Disasters like these show the incredible importance of collaboration between governments, emergency responders and farm/ranch owners.
Those who are interested in how each province addresses emergencies and what they are doing to further mitigate emergencies, predict them and respond quickly, can watch the recorded session through their conference link for up to three months.
(March 15, 2022) The first day of the 2022 Livestock Care Conference was a resounding success! Our keynote speaker Dr. Rebecca Gimenez Husted, owner of Technical Large Animal Rescue Inc., set the tone for the conference with a presentation about how the livestock industry can use the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the B.C. floods to plan for future disasters.
“We know that the responsibility for the animals ultimately aligns with their owner, whether it’s a business or an individual,” said Dr. Husted. “So, people really need to start educating themselves and plan how they could handle things in the face of disaster.”
Dr. Husted explained that many people fail to plan until an actual disaster occurs. However, following the events of the past two years, the livestock industry has learned about the importance of planning and sharing information about emergency preparedness with each other.
Dr. Husted mentioned that individuals can prepare for future events by developing organized and devoted emergency efforts. These efforts can include attending local planning meetings, discussing emergency plans with fire chiefs, emergency managers and other community members, taking stock of critical infrastructure and creating biosecurity and safety measures.
“It does take effort. It does take realizing it could happen to you,” said Dr. Husted. “But we find that when people plan, it’s almost like a disaster is a non-disaster.”
Another lesson the livestock industry learned from the B.C. flood disaster was the importance of creating a variety of emergency plans. Dr. Husted mentioned that while some people had created a shelter in place plan during COVID-19, many did not have a plan for moving large animals in the event of a flood.
“That requires a lot of coordination with your local fire department, but it can be done and it has been done,” said Dr. Husted.
Throughout the session, Dr. Husted also talked about the importance of asking for help and using the internet to communicate with others during disasters to avoid personal and financial loss.
“The modern livestock person is connected,” said Dr. Husted. This is especially important in emergency situations because it can save the lives of humans and animals. “For example, many of the stranded farmers in B.C. were unreachable to the outside world and were basically on their own for several days or up to a week later.”
While mentioning the benefits of being connected during an emergency, Dr. Husted gave a nod to AFAC and Alberta’s Emergency Livestock Equipment Trailer program. With 19 trailers, Alberta is currently the most equipped province when it comes to livestock emergencies such as cattle liner rollovers and barn collapses.
“I’m really proud of the effort that your province has made to deal with not only livestock wrecks, but rescue situations where animals are in mud holes and things like that,” said Dr. Husted. “It really makes a difference, and it’s a huge part of emergency planning in Alberta.”
The main takeaways from Dr. Husted’s session were: prepare for emergencies by creating a variety of plans, share emergency plans, communicate with emergency managers and build a community of knowledgeable people to lean on in case of a livestock emergency.
If you missed this session and would like to watch it, a recording will be available for three months following the conference. We’re looking forward to hearing from more experts about PREP (prepare, respond, evaluate, progress) for Livestock Emergencies in the coming days!
March 17, 2022 (Calgary, AB) – Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) is announcing Dr. Brenda Ralston, a livestock research scientist at Lakeland College in Vermilion, AB, as the recipient of the 2022 Award of Distinction. The annual Award of Distinction recognizes one individual or group who has made exceptional contributions to the field of livestock welfare, through either leadership, innovation or communication.
“Dr. Ralston’s dedication to Alberta’s livestock industry is inspiring,” said Nick Allan, president of Chinook Contract Research Inc. “Through her extensive and impressive research career, she has shown a personal and professional commitment to welfare and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives in the animal food production industry.”
Dr. Ralston began her 35-year career with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development as a district agriculturist, moving to the role of beef specialist in 1994. During this time, she received her B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Alberta, M.Sc. in Veterinary Parasitology from the University of Calgary and a Ph.D. in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences from Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. She is also a cattle producer and works with her family on their century farm, Twin Lakes Ranch.
Aside from her nomination from Lakeland College, AFAC received a number of other glowing recommendations from industry groups and fellow veterinarians. This is a testament to Dr. Ralston’s commitment to applied research and to her collaboration with private industry, producer groups, universities, government and most importantly the producers themselves. “Dr. Ralston’s research results in products producers can use to improve animal care practices. We can’t think of a more worthy candidate,” said Annemarie Pedersen, AFAC executive director.
Over her career, Dr. Ralston has supported and conducted multi-disciplinary livestock research for the poultry, dairy, lamb, horse and pork industries in the areas of pain control and pathogen mitigation. Most notably, she has helped bring livestock pharmaceuticals that address animal welfare issues related to management procedures to market, including:
- The Care-Ring anesthetic elastrator band to reduce the pain of castration.
- Oral Meloxicam for the beef, dairy and equine industries.
- An anti-bloat agent used to reduce animal discomfort when grazing alfalfa and enhance gains.
- Practical solutions to address antimicrobial resistance at the farm level for targeted selection of antibiotic groups for better animal outcomes and enhanced antibiotic stewardship.
One of her colleagues and nominators said it best. “As a result of her contributions, the way we think of pain in cattle has changed and now pain mitigation is common practice on farms and ranches across the province and the country,” said Dr. Denis Nagel.
For more information about the Award of Distinction, visit our website
On August 18, 2021, Alberta Farm Animal Care, in partnership with Alberta Pork Producers and Prairie Swine Health Services, hosted a Small-Scale Swine Webinar for individuals interested in small-scale pig farming. During the webinar, Dr. Kelsey Gray from Prairie Swine discussed various aspects of starting and operating a small-scale pig farm.
First, she discussed three Acts related to raising pigs which include the Animal Protection Act, the Alberta Water Act, and the Agricultural Practices Operations Act. These legislations are important to know for every small-scale pig farmer as they cover animal protection from abuse and neglect, water licensing, manure management, and finally deadstock management. Next on the list were the importance of traceability and having a PID (Premises Identification Number) for an operation. Dr. Gray outlined the various traceability programs in Canada and Alberta, including Alberta Traceability and PigTRACE, which is mandatory for all pork producers in Canada.
Dr. Gray then discussed the steps one should take when considering starting a small-scale pig operation. These steps include:
(more…)The Lakeland College experience is one for doers.
Many post-secondary institutions promise a hands-on education, but Lakeland College goes far beyond expectations, providing truly immersive experiences that shape futures and prepare students for the real world.
New agriculture programs debut this fall
This September, Lakeland will become the first post-secondary institution in Canada to offer an agriculture technology degree. Created for people with skills in ag production and management, this degree program will help them to understand and work with cutting-edge technology and its data, ensuring higher productivity and better industry innovation.
Craig Lester – As the mercury in the thermometer soars into the mid-to-high 30s (Celsius) this week it’s important to keep a sharp eye on your livestock for heat stress.
Dr. Melissa Moggy is the Extension Coordinator with Alberta Farm Animal Care.
She says there are a few symptoms you should watch for including the animals breathing faster.
“We call this an increased respiratory rate and so that might just be that their sides are moving faster or you might actually see that their mouth is open and they’re open mouth breathing,” Moggy said.
She says they often see that in birds, as they will open their mouths and their whole body will be moving as they try to expel the hot air and cool down. Moggy adds you may see that the animals don’t want to eat or drink.
Dianne Finstad – Sure, a lot of ranch work really is pandemic friendly, like feeding cows, baling hay, fixing machinery.
But let’s face it. Raising cattle, and in fact all of agriculture, is really a people business. Time and again you will hear it’s the people, plus the animals, that make this a special way of life.
So what happens to the social aspect when the whole world goes into a lockdown? Well, there’s been a whole lot of ‘try’ for new ways of meeting, sharing information, and doing issues work.
One of the first agriculture organizations to face the challenge was Alberta Farm Animal Care, with its annual Livestock Care Conference scheduled for Olds on March 19, 2020 – just a week after the first COVID-19 related lockdown. Speakers were coming from California, Georgia and B.C.
AFAC renews small flock webinar series
May 13, 2021
As urban and rural communities alike trade restaurants for coops and crowds for flocks, AFAC is excited to announce new sessions for its 2021 backyard chicken webinar series featuring hen expert Cassandra Kirkpatrick. Running from spring to fall, workshops cover a wide range of material that includes: coop design, breeds and flock behaviour, home care versus vet care and more. Registrants can expect to learn about bylaws and costs as well as obtain the certification needed to own backyard chickens in some municipalities.
The renewed interest in small flocks inspired programs that provide individuals with the tools and knowledge to care for their hens and provide the highest standards of animal welfare.
(more…)On this episode of Emergency Preparedness in Canada (EPIC) Podcast, Dr. Melissa Moggy joins Grayson Cockett and Dr. Joshua Bezanson to chat about the complexities of managing livestock during disaster, and the risks and resilience associated with rural emergencies.
By Linda Greening, Hartpury University
Sleep reportedly regulates a range of internal processes, plays a part in memory consolidation, and is governed by homeostatic and circadian processes. Thus, sleep is considered a critically important part of both mental and physical wellbeing for all mammals, with ‘sleep debts’ occurring when an individual fails to achieve an ‘optimal’ amount of sleep. The horse is no exception. Described as a polyphasic sleeper, the horse on average engages in several short sessions of sleep interspersed with longer periods of wakefulness resulting in a total of 3-5 hours sleep per 24 hours. Most commonly, equine sleep is observed between midnight and dawn, which is considered an evolutionary adaption by reducing the risk of attack at a time when the horse is most vulnerable. In a recent questionnaire-based study of nearly 600 horse owners, 29% reported never considering the amount of sleep their horse achieved, suggesting consideration of equine sleep may be under-prioritised when evaluating equine welfare within normal husbandry practices.
(more…)By Dr. Roy Lewis, DVM
We, veterinarians, are using more and more non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). One of the big areas to focus on is the pain associated with calving. You, together with your veterinarian, should develop a plan for when it comes to calving this spring. There are several choices out there in the injectable, oral and pour-on formulations to consider.
(more…)A new survey is being performed at the University of Guelph to investigate stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, suicide ideation, substance use, resilience, and coping in farmers across Canada. The survey take about 20 minutes to complete and will be open until May 7th. Participants will also have the opportunity to enter their name to win one of 5 draws for $200. The chances of winning one of the draw prizes are approximately 1 in 1000.
(more…)Doug Ferguson – The provincial government plans to allow consumers to buy animals directly from livestock producers for on-farm slaughter.
New provincial rules that allow Albertans to buy live animals directly from local producers for slaughter on farms will help ease a processing bottleneck made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, said a beef producer.
“I think this new regulation creates a great opportunity for farmers,” said Blake Hall of Prairie Gold Pastured Meats near Red Deer. “As consumers become more interested in local food and farmers become more interested in direct marketing their animals, I think that this regulation helps marry those two nicely.”
He spoke at a recent webinar on the new rules hosted by Mountain View County north of Calgary. It was held in partnership with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, along with the Young Agrarians, Grey Wooded Forage Association and Alberta Farm Animal Care.
By Dr. Melissa Moggy
Rocky View School students have a unique opportunity to close the gap between the public and agriculture through attending class at The Farm. Grade nine, 10, and 11 Rocky View School students can apply to the program, and 40 students are selected. Students are taught their curriculum from an agricultural perspective in a portable classroom on The Farm. Relationships with the community and partners anchor the program. AFAC is a member of The Farm’s advisory committee and has had the opportunity to see this program grow.
(more…)By Dr. Karin Orsel, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD), accounts for most of the disease and deaths in Alberta feedlots and feedlots in North America. Although BRD is a multifactorial disease, it is mainly associated with bacterial pathogens. Therefore, BRD is treated using antimicrobials, potentially playing a role in the development of antimicrobial resistance.
(more…)By Dr. Melissa Moggy, Alberta Farm Animal Care
As many of us have heard, recent amendments to the Humane Transportation of Animals regulations took effect on February 20th, 2020. Regulations can be difficult to interpret and understand. We can’t all read legalise!
(more…)Alberta Farm Animal Care has been very pleased to work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Alberta livestock associations to bring the transport webinars to life.
The amendments to the Transportation of Animals requirements under the Health of Animals Regulations improve the well-being of animals during the entire transportation process, keeping in mind Canada’s geographic size and the time required to travel between locations.
The changes are science-based and are the result of consultations with the entire supply chain, from primary producers and veterinarians to scientists and associations. There are prescriptive and outcome-based requirements, which take into account international standards while allowing for ongoing innovation.
The webinar series has also been a team effort, with every session designed specifically for particular species, highlighting issues identified in meetings with each group. The first two sessions this fall had strong attendance from both the pork and beef industries- including primary producers, industry partners, government and livestock carriers from Alberta and beyond.
The next session is with the dairy industry on December 10 and more are being planned for the new year including ones for livestock marketers, small ruminants, egg farmers and livestock carriers. The sessions start with a presentation from the CFIA which will address questions submitted in advance, followed by ample time for a live Q&A session.
Common areas of interest have included changes to rest periods and travel times as well tracking the transfer of care and feed, water and rest intervals.
The opportunity to learn about the changes to the regulations- from experts within the CFIA – and to ask questions specific to individual operations is timely. The changes went into effect in 2020 but there is a two-year adoption window to allow everyone to make any adjustments necessary.
For more information on the transport webinar series, see the Event page on AFAC’s website. To request a webinar for your sector or association, email [email protected].
With the transition to more of an agency model for AFAC HR needs, we have opened up the opportunity for more collaboration and building of expertise among existing contractors and some new faces.
In early 2020, Kristen Lepp moved on to new opportunities with her own communications consulting business – one of her clients continues to be AFAC and we are thrilled to be able to bring her expertise back to the table for various projects.
In early 2020, Kristen Lepp moved on to new opportunities with her own communications consulting business – one of her clients continues to be AFAC and we are thrilled to be able to bring her expertise back to the table for various projects.
Sharron Johannasen has been with AFAC for over a decade in a variety of roles including, and most importantly, as Financial Officer. Her deep knowledge of the business and people in the livestock sector have been invaluable and we hope to keep her engaged well into her retirement as an ad hoc advisor!
Thank you to Sharron and the “Kristens” for all of your passion, hard work and dedication over the years. You will always be honourary AFAC family members!
Kaylee Sheets has been the voice behind every virtual call, workshop and meeting in 2020. What began as an internship through the Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) has become a permanent (we hope!) contract with AFAC. Besides being our Zoom pro she is also very skilled at all things admin and project management related- we are very lucky to have her.
Dr. Melissa Moggy is a veterinarian and the AFAC extension lead – and the constant amid all the changes this year. If there is a project or resource you need, talk to Melissa. Thank you Melissa for all your efforts in 2020.
Maria Swan has joined us in the role of bookkeeper. With over 20 years’ experience ranging from controller to bookkeeper with both not-for-profits and in the energy sector, she brings a wealth of knowledge and insights that will serve AFAC very well. You can reach Maria at [email protected] with any financial questions.
In early 2020, Makenna Moore participated in a student project for AFAC with her Mount Royal University communications class. She joined us in the role of social media coordinator in the summer and has been doing such a great job ramping up our presence and engagement on our social media channels, we decided to keep her on!
Please join us in welcoming Maria and Makenna to the AFAC family.
It’s been a long day and anxious to get home, you’re driving along your normal route when suddenly you spot some black shapes alongside the highway. As they seem to be moving in your direction, you hit the brakes (safely, of course) and slow to a stop to take a closer look. When the shapes start to wander onto the pavement, you realize that a herd of cattle has gotten loose and there is no farmer or vehicle in sight. With the light fading and your growing concern about other motorists or the cattle potentially getting injured, the long day seems as though it’s about to get longer. What’s a motorist to do?
(more…)Winter in Alberta is a different experience every year. Alberta farmers are used to the unpredictable winter weather conditions and begin to prepare well in advance. When it comes to animal care, preparations must also be made.
This winter will be the first for many that entered the industry this year (lots of new small chicken flocks this year!) and for new backyard livestock producers. We welcome these newcomers and offer the following advice on caring for livestock throughout the Alberta winter.
(more…)If you have attended one of AFAC’s backyard chicken webinars then you will most likely recognize the name Cassandra Kirkpatrick. While most regard Cassandra as the expert in all backyard chicken-related matters, she wasn’t always as involved as she is today. In fact, Cassandra didn’t even like chickens initially; however, it is safe to say that she loves them now! Currently, Cassandra juggles her time between managing her company Jungle Out There pet services, caring for her chickens and teaching workshops with AFAC.
(more…)
The Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada (HWAC) has launched an online training program in an effort to increase awareness around nationally developed guidelines for the care and handling of equines.
(more…)Recent amendments to the Humane Transportation of Animals regulations took effect on February 20th, 2020, with two years to fully phase-in enforcement. These regulations impact everyone that is involved in transporting livestock, including producers, transporters, auction markets, abattoirs, etc.
Click image to view full screen. Image credit to CFIA.
In an effort to inform and clarify these regulations for stakeholders, Alberta Farm Animal Care will be hosting webinars with Anne Allen, a CFIA Veterinary Program Officer/Analyst. Each session will focus on a specific species or will apply to specific stakeholder, such as transporters.
The first two sessions have been scheduled for:
- Wednesday, September 9th in partnership with Alberta Pork
- Tuesday, September 22nd in partnership with Alberta Beef Producers
Other sessions are in the planning stages and will be announced as they are confirmed. Webinars are free, and will be open to producers and other stakeholders. We hope to see producers from across Canada join. These regulations apply to everyone and we must all be aware of them.
More information and registration is available at https://www.afac.ab.ca/programs-and-events/events/
Virtual Workshops on Backyard Chicken/Small Flock Care a Huge Success!
2020 has forced all of us to adapt our lives and shift the way in which we communicate information. In recent years we have seen increasing interest from individuals and communities on keeping their own chickens. Since the pandemic the level of interest has soared with families having more time at home and a heightened awareness of food security, with a desire to have their own source of eggs. Many hatcheries in North America reported record breaking numbers of orders this year, and chicken keepers have reported difficulties sourcing adult birds due to this increased demand.
AFAC has been delivering Urban Chicken/Small Flock care resources since 2016. Our focus has always been to ensure that individuals keeping backyard chickens or small flocks are well equipped to care for these birds and have access to accurate resources and expertise when needed. Workshops have been delivered in-person with a hands-on training component. Due to health regulations, we discussed how we could transition from in-person workshops to a virtual format that would still accommodate various learning styles. By March, we had already received numerous inquiries about a virtual workshop as more and more people were looking to keep chickens.
In April we hosted our very first 3-part virtual series on keeping backyard chickens! Cassandra Kirkpatrick was the facilitator with Kaylee Sheets as our technology guru. This series presented the same information as the in-person workshops including time and financial commitment, building a coop, biosecurity and diseases, chicken behaviour, etc. Links were provided to useful resources including the PDF manual developed in 2016 for the project. Training videos and demonstrations were given throughout the presentations, and each evening concluded with a 30 minute Q&A session where participants were encouraged to interact with the facilitator and other participants. It was a huge success with over 50 attendees from all over Canada! Feedback was very positive with participants commenting on the informative sessions and how much they enjoyed the videos and Cassandra’s live from-the-coop demonstrations.
With the positive reaction to the first series, we hosted a second introductory level series in June and started a monthly ongoing “Questions from the Coop” session. The end of June/beginning of July saw us host a virtual workshop specific to the counties of Leduc and Wetaskiwin which was tailored to their region to cover bylaws, climate, predator risk, etc. We also heard from participants who attended our introductory level workshops that they would like more advanced chicken keeping information, so we hosted an Advanced Chicken Care webinar series in July that covered topics such as monitoring bird health, advanced coop design, biosecurity, etc. Dr. Margaret Fisher with River City Chickens, who has previously helped us with this project, joined as a guest speaker to talk about different diseases and vet care.
We are so excited about how well the workshops were received this summer, and will be continuing with the momentum this fall as we host another introductory level series, another Advanced Chicken Care webinar series on four different topics, and continuing our “Questions from the Coop” monthly sessions. Let’s get cracking!
AFAC was pleased to be able to host the first Western Canada Livestock Welfare Summit on Friday, August 28. The Summit was originally planned as a networking session during the Livestock Care Conference in March, but when the world went virtual that month, the Summit was postponed.
Despite- or maybe because of- the virtual nature of the session, there was a broad range and variety of participants. Representatives from all livestock sectors and industry stakeholders included: primary producers; livestock carriers; industry associations; and veterinary, government and research organizations. There were representatives from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The morning started with virtual breakout sessions where four groups discussed the main issues facing their sector and region. The learnings were brought back for a full group discussion, facilitated by Dr. Duane Landals, Alberta SPCA president and veterinarian.
Not surprisingly, there were a number of common themes across all sectors and sessions.
Transport
The new regulations and how to ensure proper understanding and adoption, proper training of staff and others involved in livestock transport, as well as ensuring animals are in the proper condition to ship were a few of the areas covered in the most discussed topic of the morning.
Communication
Whether communicating directly with the public or looking for new channels and opportunities for reaching consumers, finding ways to share the facts about animal care was high on the list of priorities. Ag in the Classroom programming came up in multiple groups, as did the limited funding for these programs.
Training and animal care programs
Overwhelmingly, the group felt that training and the development of credible animal care programs was an industry responsibility, and recognized the value of existing Codes of Practice and programs such as ProAction, Pig Safe, and VBP+ among others. However, there was also a common theme that individuals in the industry needed to work together – that animal welfare was everyone’s responsibility.
Mental health, activism and access to veterinarians were other common themes. There is a significant understanding that mental health issues are commonly behind animal welfare issues and a recognition, as above, that everyone has a role to play in aiding that situation. Additionally, after a discussion about how to address outliers and bad actors, a suggestion was made to put the spotlight on more of the positive outliers who demonstrate the values in the livestock sector.
One quote from the day summed-up the general discussion well, “There is no finish line. We are always improving and evolving.”
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Western Canada Livestock Welfare Summit. Stay tuned for more information from the day and plans for next steps.
Barb Glen – New transportation rules require producers to document the last time cattle were given feed, water and rest, and give info to truckers
More record keeping and attention to feed, water and rest requirements are the biggest changes for cattle producers and truckers arising from new federal livestock transportation regulations.
The new rules came into effect in February and began with a two-year grace period during which the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it would focus on education rather than hard enforcement.
AFAC works with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to deliver a webinar series on the updated humane transport regulations.
Multi-stakeholder partnership brings livestock transport regs to producers
Aug 25, 2020
Calgary, ALBERTA — A presentation from this spring’s Livestock Care Conference (LCC) has led to a new webinar series, to be offered by Alberta Farm Animal Care with technical expertise provided by the CFIA.
During our LCC in March, Nancy Simmons, a CFIA Meat Hygiene Inspector with a focus on humane transport, made a presentation on some of the key changes to transport regulations that will impact all livestock transportation in Canada. “The questions afterwards highlighted the great demand producers have for this information,” says Annemarie Pedersen, AFAC Executive Director.
They both saw the opportunity. A lot of information is specific to certain livestock sectors. “There are differences even between dairy and beef cattle for example. So why not provide specific sessions focused on each species separately? These AFAC webinars allow us to work with the industry directly and reach the producers and others involved in livestock transportation,” says Simmons.
“The series will include a CFIA presentation on the updated regulations and an extensive questions and answer period. We want to hear from the people who have to deliver on these changes and have a real discussion,” says Pedersen.
The first two sessions have been scheduled:
- Wednesday, September 9th in partnership with Alberta Pork
- Tuesday, September 22nd in partnership with Alberta Beef Producers
Other sessions are in the planning stages and will be announced as they are confirmed. Although the Alberta associations are collaborating on this series, it will be relevant and open to producers and stakeholders across the country. “Registration for this virtual webinar is free and we are very grateful for our provincial partners and the support of the CFIA for helping make this series a reality. We hope we will see producers from across Canada join as well. These rules and changes are the same for everyone,” says Pedersen.
More information and registration is available at https://www.afac.ab.ca/programs-and-events/events/
By Dr. Melissa Moggy
Recently, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry reviewed and amended the Meat Inspection Regulation. Some amendments were focused on enabling innovation and change by removing red tape, improving clarity, and changing to a more outcome-based regulation. What that means is that the regulation now specifies a desired outcome that must be met, rather than giving instructions on how that outcome is reached.
The Meat Inspection Regulation also includes updated definitions on meat by-products and inedibles, categories of salvage, and directions on collecting, handling, storing, shipping, and labelling different categories of salvage. These changes will help abattoirs to salvage more meat by-products, improve access to specialty ethnic markets, and increase access to animal food. However, these products cannot enter the food chain if they are not inspected but may be used by the owner of the animal.
There is also a new license under the Meat Inspection Regulation. The Uninspected Slaughter Operation Licence is for anyone who owns land where on-farm slaughter occurs. This licence allows producers to sell a live animal to a customer and offer on-farm slaughter and processing services to the customer. Again, the meat is uninspected and is not for sale, but is for the consumption of the customer, who is the owner of the animal.
The final thing to change in the Meat Inspection Regulation is the future allowance of Meat and Dairy Inspection Section inspectors to perform video ante-mortems. This change will be finalized after the government has completed its research on video ante-mortem inspections. It will allow inspectors to perform their ante-mortem inspection, which is needed to sell the meat, from a real-time ante-mortem video of the animal prior to slaughter. This is ideal for animals that are unfit for transport, in emergency situations, or as approved by the Director. The carcass of the animal must be transported to a licensed abattoir within two hours to complete the slaughter process and to complete a post-mortem inspection. The inspected meat can then be sold for public consumption.
Please see the factsheets below for more information:
Spring time is one of the most important times of year for the Alberta Farm Animal Care Team. The staff spends quite a bit of time on the road and at different agriculture education events. Sadly this year all public outreach events have been cancelled.
This is how the idea behind AFACts was born! AFACts is a series of short episodes mainly directed at children between the ages of 3-18, but it has naturally formed itself into something that adults are interested in too.
(more…)Bringing the industry together – virtually
It would be an understatement to say there hasn’t been a part of our work, home, and social lives that hasn’t been impacted by COVID-19 in the last few months. Life as we know it has changed drastically but rolling with the punches has had a few benefits for Alberta Farm Animal Care.
It started in March, less than a week before our annual Livestock Care Conference was due to begin. The government announced increasingly strict rules for public gatherings, and we needed to make a decision – go, or no-go. Well, it turned out there was a third option: transform what was usually two-days of public conference and receptions, invite-only meetings, limited access workshops, and an AGM into a one-day virtual conference. No problem.
(more…)Livestock Welfare Engagement Project
The end of April marked the end of the Livestock Welfare Engagement Project (LWEP). The LWEP collected input from stakeholders across Alberta’s livestock industry. The goal was to provide an accurate understanding of Alberta’s livestock welfare landscape from the industry’s perspective.
The LWEP was requested and funded by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry and was facilitated by Alberta Farm Animal Care. Data was collected throughout 2018 through an online survey and a series of focus groups that were open to anyone who worked within Alberta’s livestock industry.
(more…)How the first Virtual Backyard Chicken Series was born
Early in April, there was a lot of thought given to what resources AFAC could provide to an Alberta that was now at home for the foreseeable future. With the interest growing in food sources and back-to-basics, as well as the resounding success of the virtual Livestock Care Conference, the idea of a virtual Urban Hen program was born. Cassandra Kirkpatrick, the facilitator of AFAC’s Urban Hen workshops since 2017, was quickly on board! With her enthusiastic support and hosting skills, the Virtual Backyard Chicken webinar series was brought to life over three weeknights in May.
This series covered flock health, handling, cost, by-laws, breeds, coop design, diseases, and more. This three-hour workshop, split into one hour sessions, covered the basics and the necessities when owning and raising backyard chickens. With a dedicated Q&A period after each session, each of the 52 registrants had a chance to ask their questions about their particular backyard flock venture.
Once the series came to an end, the registrants were given an opportunity to take a quiz and receive a certificate of completion. These certificates allowed them to meet potential permit requirements for their municipality and get started on their chicken adventures!
Within days of the series end, AFAC started to receive requests for yet another introductory series, as well as inquiries for more advanced content such as disease control and in-depth biosecurity. With that in mind, AFAC is proud to present the following:
Introduction to Backyard Chickens – Virtual Series will be taking place on June 9th & 11th at 7:00 pm. Registration can be found here
Advanced Chicken Care Series will be running the month of July starting July 8th. These workshops will run once a week for four weeks covering a variety of in-depth topics. Take our Poll to help choose the four topics covered! This series is meant for those who have taken a workshop in backyard or small flock care or have prior experience. Registration to open soon!
And finally, AFAC is proud to bring a monthly feature, “Questions from the Coop”. On the third Tuesday evening of each month, a different poultry expert will join AFAC for a free Q&A session that will be open to anyone who has questions about their coop, feed and nutrition, bird health, or any other topic. The first session is on June 16th, watch our Facebook or Twitter accounts for the link to join!
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across Canada, communities and organizations were forced to abruptly change plans and processes to protect the health and wellbeing of Canadians and help flatten the curve. AFAC was no exception. The organization was one of the first in the agriculture industry to quickly pivot and successfully transformed its annual Livestock Care Conference (LCC) into a virtual online conference in just five days.
At the end of the day, AFAC’s efforts proved worthwhile, with 101 registered participants and an average of 88 individuals logged in per session. Moving to a virtual format enabled AFAC to connect with individuals from Canada and the United States who weren’t originally able to attend. Even better, the technology encouraged everyone to have a voice in the conversation with the inclusion of chat functionality, where participants could chat with each other and ask questions of the presenters. Many registrants were curious about topics like shipping across the border with new transport regulations and how to plan for emergencies such as COVID-19.
(more…)Canadian Cattlemen recognizes its new Young Leaders as well as the distinguished Award of Distinction winners. These winners were virtually presented with their awards at the March 2020 Livestock Care Conference 2.0.
Click the link below to read the full article at Canadian Cattlemen.
By Wiolene Nordi*, Désirée Gellatly§, Daniela Meléndez*, Sonia Marti‡, Doerte Dopfer††, Kathy Parker†, Joyce Van Donkersgoed╪, and Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein*
Sheep production is on the rise in Canada, largely due to the growing ethnic market. This means that the number of lamb feedlots is also increasing to meet this demand. As with most intensive production systems, some health and welfare issues are reduced as a result of greater ability and opportunity to manage animal health while other issues may increase since disease can be more easily spread. This is true in the case of lameness, which can be caused by either infectious or non-infectious sources. Regardless of the cause, lameness is a significant animal welfare and economic concern known to be painful for the animals and costly to producers due to production losses and increased treatment and labour costs.
(more…)By Julian Cortes
Beef lameness team: Karin Orsel, Ed Pajor, Anice Thomas and Ben Caddey
Digital dermatitis (DD) has been reported in North American feedlots, but the cause is still not fully clear. DD causes ulcers on cattle feet and often results in lameness. The beef lameness team at the University of Calgary, decided to look at foot and leg conformation as well as pen conditions as factors that make it more likely for a feedlot animal to have DD. A better understanding of the potential role of each variable should provide new ideas to improve prevention and treatment.
(more…)By Dr. Kelsey Gray DVM, Prairie Swine Health Services
During the era of Covid-19, these unprecedented times bring high anxiety as we do not have all the answers. One minute, we’re told not to wear masks, and the next, well…you better get yourself a mask.
The pig industry is certainly not free from the anxiety of this evolving situation. Initial reactions by our pork producers regarding Covid-19 started with the concern “can pigs get Covid-19?” and “What am I going to do if our workers get sick? Who will care for our pigs?” and unfortunately in some areas, the heart wrenching question is now being asked “How do I mass euthanize my pigs?”
(more…)By Daniela M. Meléndez, Sonia Marti, Derek B. Haley and Karen S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein
Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Surprisingly, we know very little about the effects of providing beef calves a rest (including feed and water) mid-way through a long-haul (>12 hours) transport. Finding an answer to this question has become more important due to recent changes to the Canadian humane transport regulations implemented by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in February of this year. The proposed changes state that un-weaned and weaned calves can be transported a maximum of 12 and 36 hours, respectively, before an 8 hour rest is required. To provide producers and policy makers with science-based information we conducted a study evaluating the effects of different rest stop durations after different lengths of transport on indicators of welfare in 7-8-mo-old conditioned beef calves.
(more…)Dr. Melissa Moggy, Alberta Farm Animal Care
Transportation is a stressful experience for all livestock. The care of animals during transport is a significant welfare concern. Transportation begins with the selection of animals for transport and ends with unloading animals at their destination. The Health of Animals Regulations (HAR) Part XII applies to all forms of animal transport in Canada, such as trailers, trains, and vessels. It is enforced by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The CFIA can conduct an inspection at any time and at any location where animals are transported, including abattoirs, auction markets, and assembly centres.
(more…)Wm.H.L (Bill) desBarres, Chair Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
HWAC’s statement of purpose is the communication of accurate information related to the Canadian equine industry to horse, mule and donkey owners and the general public. More information can be found at www.horsewelfare.ca.
(more…)By Roy Lewis DVM
A few years ago cattle in an American feedlot went down during transport to a packing plant, and others developed severe lameness. This condition was eventually labeled fatigued cattle syndrome (FCS) and became a huge animal welfare issue due to the appearance of severely lame, non-ambulatory cattle.
(more…)By Dr. Melissa Moggy, Alberta Farm Animal Care
Four students from the University of Alberta are conducting a capstone project with mentorship from Alberta Farm Animal Care and faculty member, Dr. Clover Bench. We were initially asked by the course professor for project ideas, and we considered multiple producer challenges on which to focus. Producer mental health was a consideration as we know that it is closely related to animal welfare. However, we realized that, with so many challenges that producers face, we need more information on what producers perceive are their biggest challenges. Regardless of what challenges are highlighted, they would have an impact on their mental health if producers feel overwhelmed and not supported.
(more…)By Melissa Moggy
On November 29th, 2019, I attended a lunch n’ learn on the Animal Health Emergency Management (AHEM) Project. The goal of the project is to provide producers and their organizations with sector-specific tools that can be used in a disease emergency. At the end of the first phase, the project developed 13 plans and handbooks for different species and specific regions.
(more…)Sarah Struthers and Karen Schwean-Lardner
Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan
Beak treatment of laying hens is an important management practice as it is one of the most effective methods of controlling or eliminating cannibalism within egg-production flocks. Infrared beak treatment (IRBT) is the most commonly used methodology in Canada, and the available literature shows that IRBT has less of a negative impact on production and welfare than with other methodologies.
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