Now it’s the turn for poultry farmers to comment on a
proposed code of practice for bird welfare.
Hog producers got their new code earlier this year.
The Chicken Farmers of Canada, Canadian Poultry and Egg
Processors Council, Turkey Farmers of Canada, Canadian Hatching Egg Producers
and the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) are inviting comments before
the Dec. 4 deadline.
The draft will then return to the 15-member Code Development
Committee which will come up with the final version is released, likely next
June.
Both the draft code and scientific advice are posted online.
They can be found at www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice
.
“The Code process provides an important opportunity for
advancing farm animal welfare policy in Canada,” said poultry welfare expert
Dr. Ian Duncan, representing the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies on the
Code Committee.
“We hope to receive broad input from the general public,
industry and other stakeholders to ensure this code improves animal welfare and
reflects the values of Canadians.”