Animal welfare: ADAS advisory campaigns for 2002/2003
Promotion of Welfare Advice
A list of all the campaigns for 2002-2003 in the poultry, ruminant and pig sectors is listed below:-
| Poultry | Improving Health and Liveability of Free Range Layers | |
| Improving Welfare of Hens Kept in Small Flocks | ||
| Broiler Catching and Transport (extended from previous year's campaign) | ||
| Ruminants | Dairy Cattle Welfare Throughout the Year (continuation from previous year) | |
| Welfare Implications of Organic Milk Production | ||
| Welfare Implications of Extended Grazing | ||
| Welfare Implications of Organic Beef and Sheep Production | ||
| Dry Cow Management | ||
| Pigs | Biosecurity in the Pig Herd | |
| Pig Housing for the Future |
If you would like any further information about any of these campaigns or want to express an interest in attending a particular meeting, please contact:
Poultry
- Linda Tonkin at ADAS on 01902 693 197 or by email.Ruminants
- Sally Read at ADAS on 01522 521 301 or by email.Pigs
- Linda Tonkin at ADAS on 01902 693 197 or by email.For any other information on Animal Welfare, please see our Contacts page.
As in previous years, the cost of providing meetings for all these campaigns will be met by Defra.
Poultry Campaigns
Improving Health and Liveability of Free Range Layers
Following the success of the Defra-funded free range meetings held earlier in the year, a further series of similar workshops will be held in the Autumn / Winter 2002 on the theme of health and liveability in free range layers. Although aimed primarily at 'conventional' free range egg production, the specific problems / issues arising in organic systems in the subject areas will also be covered.
Topics to be included are - biosecurity and hygiene, current veterinary issues, control of predators, and a feather pecking update. Speakers will be drawn from ADAS and from industry.
These meetings have now finished.
Improving Welfare of Hens Kept in Small Flocks
This is a new initiative, specifically aimed at helping producers with smaller flocks to maintain and improve standards of welfare and performance. Information from the most recent Agricultural Census indicates that there are 26,000 holdings in England with fewer than 5000 birds - often as part of a mixed-farm. Because these small flocks are not generally considered as a commercial enterprise in their own right, these producers have here to missed out on much of the free welfare advice and help that has been available to the larger producer.
In the first year of the project, ADAS is attending a series of agricultural shows throughout England to provide advice and guidance to small flock producers, and will have copies available of all current welfare publications. ADAS will be able to advise of all classes of poultry production.
These meetings have now finished.
Ruminant Campaigns
Dairy Cattle Welfare Throughout the Year
The final meeting of the series of five on the theme of Dairy Cattle Welfare Through the Year series at Easton College is being held on 6 November. The meeting will concentrate on the theme of Reducing Lameness in the Dairy Herd. Personal invitations will be sent to all dairy producers in Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
This meeting has now been held.
Welfare Implications of Organic Milk Production
There is much media coverage on organic milk. Interest and uptake has increased in response to milk premiums and the conversion grant, but a fall in milk price with supply ahead of consumption is affecting the outlook. The main areas of concern for animal welfare under organic feeding standards are the effect of lower inputs on high yielding cows during the conversion period, mineral nutrition and trace element supplementation. In addition the control of parasites and mastitis feature highly. The aim of any production system is to reduce the incidence of disease by good husbandry practice. This is even more fundamental to organic dairying and a properly constructed herd health plan will help achieve this goal.
The aim of a series of 9 meetings presented in association with the Veterinary Laboratories Agency is to address these issues and provide guidelines to help achieve healthy and profitable dairy cows. The meetings are planned between 24 September to 3 October. Adverts are to appear in the magazines of both the Soil Association and Organic Farmers and Growers. Personal invitations will also be sent to a number of dairy farmers and to veterinary practices.
These meetings have now finished.
Welfare Implications of Extended Grazing
Grazing has re-emerged in recent years as a means of lowering production costs in response to falling milk prices. This has lead to New Zealand type techniques of grassland management with some producers extending the normal season of grazing.
This approach is not so much about changing systems, as re-examining the use of resources and challenging pre-conceived ideas. As with any modifications to a system there could be welfare implications that need to be thought through if the change is to be successful.
Extended grazing is about pushing back the self imposed constraints by being flexible. It is not a 100% grazing system, but is a compromise to achieve profits.
Extended grazing is trying to exploit the synergy between grass and grass silages for a longer period of the winter and spring.
Planning ahead to enable flexibily according to weather conditions requires a good infra structure.. But this can add significantly to the costs associated with extended grazing.. It can be profitable provided it is flexible in its application, it utilises the existing infrastructure and manages to minimise the potential welfare problems.
These meetings have now finished.
Welfare Implications of Organic Beef and Sheep Production
Organic livestock systems are under financial pressure and the strict standards under which organic livestock must be produced will become increasingly stringent over the next few years. Areas to be covered in these meetings will include the economics and prospects for organic beef cattle and sheep production, an overview of animal health plans, the control of key diseases and parasites and the formulation and feeding of balanced rations.
The campaign will be presented by specialists from ADAS and the Veterinary Laboratories Agency this December in 9 venues across the country. Three of the meetings will include farm walks. It is planned for an invitation to appear in the magazines of both the Soil Association and Organic Farmers and Growers. Personal invitations will also be sent to a number of beef and sheep farmers and to veterinary practices.
These meetings have now finished.
Pig Campaigns
Biosecurity in the Pig Herd
The past 3 - 4 years have seen devastating disease outbreaks in the livestock industry generally but in the pig herd in particular. In the summer of 2000 we saw the first outbreaks in the UK of Post-weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) and Porcine Dermatitis and Nephropathy Syndrome (PDNS) in East Anglia. In the latter part of the year came the serious outbreak of Classical Swine Fever, again in East Anglia. In February 2001 Foot and Mouth Disease appeared for the first time for nearly 20 years. Thankfully the CSF and FMD outbreaks have been consigned to history but the devastating effects of PMWS and PDNS are gradually spreading across the country causing major losses to the pig industry.
Pig herd biosecurity is perhaps the most well developed within the livestock sectors, but no-one would claim to have the perfect system to protect their herd.
This series of meetings, at 14 venues around England, will look at a range of aspects of biosecurity including:- the disease threat, lessons learned from the CSF outbreak in 2000, the current situation with PMWS and PDNS, welfare aspects associated with gilt replacement systems and the development or updating of a Herd Biosecurity Programme.
The meetings are aimed at managers and stockmen.
These meetings have now finished.
Pig Housing for the Future
Investment in pig housing is an expensive and long-term decision. The chosen designs need to enable economic, efficient production and also meet existing and, if possible, future legislative requirements. This campaign comprises a series of four conferences across England looking at future pig housing systems. New welfare legislation, currently at the consultation stage, and the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) legislation relating to emissions into the environment will have a significant effect on the design of future pig housing. These conferences are aimed at informing unit owners, managers and those involved in the building manufacturing sector, of the main factors that will affect the decision making process.
These meetings have now finished.
Page published: 5 August 2002