Animal Welfare

Pork producers are committed to raising and managing pigs with care in all stages of production. Programs exploring the well-being of animals in modern pork production systems include the many facets of pig health, housing, handling and slaughtering practices. As new knowledge is gained, adjustments will be made for the betterment of the animals.

May 10, 2012

News

Make Your Farm YouTube Ready 1

In light of this week’s undercover video of a Wyoming pig farm by the Humane Society of the United States, the Ohio Pork Producers Council (OPPC) is advising U.S. pork producers to be thinking about the activities that take place on their farms. “Are you doing all that you can do to assure you and your employees are abiding by the We Care ethical principles?” asks the OPPC Web site....More
May 9, 2012

News

Panel Releases Findings of Undercover Video at Wyoming Pig Farm

The Animal Care Review Panel, a panel of animal well-being experts created to analyze undercover video investigations at livestock farms, calls animal mistreatment seen in a recently released case from a Wyoming hog farm “unacceptable and indefensible.” The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) created the panel of animal well-being experts to examine video and provide their expertise for food retailers, the pork industry and the media....More
May 8, 2012

News

NPPC Issues Statement on Latest Hidden Pig Video

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) has issued the following statement on the latest hidden pig video: “Undercover video from a Wyoming hog farm released today by an animal rights group shows practices that are abhorrent to U.S. pork producers. The National Pork Producers Council condemns such actions, which are not in accord with the U.S. pork industry’s best practices that are exemplified in its Pork Quality Assurance Plus program....More
May 8, 2012

News

Expert Panel to Investigate Latest Undercover Pig Video

The Center for Food Integrity has created an Animal Care Review Panel to provide a balanced analysis of a hidden camera video investigation at a hog farm in Wyoming that was released this morning by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The panel is comprised of a veterinarian, an ethicist and an animal scientist. Members include:...More
May 3, 2012

News

Webinar Series Kicks Off With Gestation Sow Housing

The Federation of Animal Science Societies Scientific Advisory Committee on Animal Care and the American Veterinary Medical Association will be presenting a gestation sow housing webinar on May 11 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. (central standard time). This will be the first in a series of webinars on current and emerging trends in animal welfare....More
Apr. 18, 2012

News

Webinar Focuses on Legal Issues of Farm Animal Confinement

The National Agricultural Law Center is sponsoring a webinar on legal and policy issues dealing with farm animal confinement. The presentations center around laws and regulations with a special emphasis on the statutory evolution behind them. The webinar is scheduled for May 10, 2012 from 12 to 1 p.m. (eastern standard time) and costs $50 to participate. To register for the webinar, visit http://learn.extension.org/events/500....More
Apr. 16, 2012

News

First Responders Trained In Proper Animal Handling

The Animals for Life Foundation provided a grant for more than 150 first responders to be trained on the proper handling of large animals in time of crisis. Animal Agriculture 202 was conducted by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and the Ohio State University Extension. It included a series of eight presentations on the proper ways to plan for and respond to farm animal accidents and how to effectively interact with those animals....More
Mar. 23, 2012

News

Missouri Coalition Defeats HSUS-Backed Ballot Initiative

A spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)-funded "Your Vote Counts" initiative has announced that the group will end their petition drive. This news comes after a year-long effort by Missouri Farmers Care and allied groups to educate the public on the failings of the proposed constitutional amendment....More
Mar. 21, 2012

News

Cameras Catch Pigs in the Act

Research conducted by a graduate student at Iowa State University (ISU) has shown that digital images provide a more accurate measurement of pig behavior than human observation. ISU graduate student Shawna Weimer says plans that date back to 2003 by the National Pork Board to assess pig behavior by approaching piglets was eventually rejected because people observing piglets could not get consistent results....More
Mar. 15, 2012

Article

Electrocution May Ease Concerns About Timely Piglet Euthanasia

Every pork production system faces the challenge of what to do when it’s clear that young pigs won’t recover from disease, weakness or trauma and need to be euthanized in a timely, humane and safe manner. This can be especially problematic with suckling pigs. Current approved methods including blunt force trauma and non-penetrating captive bolt are heavily criticized by consumers and animal rights organizations. And these methods may impact the caregivers’ well-being and psychology....More