New 'pig code' has enhanced swine welfare
Canada’s swine sector has made a lot of progress in enhancing the welfare and well-being of pigs raised in this country, says Manitoba swine veterinarian Dr. Blaine Tully.
In a recent article written by Tully and published in The Western Producer, he points out that Canada’s Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, released by the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) in 2014, has set the minimum standard to which all swine producers must practise.
As Tully reports, the new “pig code” has been effective in bringing about change in various areas – including requirements for gestating gilt and sow housing, enrichment for pigs and pain management.
Tully, who graduated from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 2001, owns and operates Swine Health Professionals Ltd. in Steinbach, Man.