Farmscape for January 21, 2013

A new Canadian Pig Code of Practice is expected to be ready for public review by June 1 and in place by the end of 2013.
The Pig Code of Practice governs the standards by which pork producers in Canada raise their pigs.
As part of Manitoba Swine Seminar 2013, slated for January 30 and 31, pork producers will get an update of the National Farm Animal Care Council's effort to revise the code.
Mark Fynn, an animal care specialist with Manitoba Pork Council, explains the committee developing the code has identified a number of key issues.

Clip-Mark Fynn-Manitoba Pork Council:
Some of the critical issues that we're looking at include pain mitigation for elective husbandry procedures such as castration, methods and application of euthanasia, space allowances for growing pigs as well as housing and management of gestating sows.
Environmental enrichment is also something that came up, not one of the critical issues shown but something that is under discussion as well.
Right now the code is coming pretty close to a final draft form.
The next phase would be for that draft to go out for public comment which is new to this development process.
We're expecting the code to go to public comment for June 1, 2013 and it'll be available for people to comment on for a 60 day period.
After that the code development committee will get back together and look over the public comments and revise the draft as necessary and then the code will be released later on in the year.

Fynn encourages anyone wanting to learn more about the effort to update the pig Code of Practice to visit the National Farm Animal Care Council at NFACC.Ca.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council