Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Updated Code for Canadian Pig Farmers Released

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

A revised code of practice for hog farming in Canada was made public March 6, 2014.

The Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs took three years to develop, and was led by a 17-person committee, which involved industry stakeholders including - pork producers, scientists, transporters, processors, government and animal welfare representatives.

The committee worked on a consensus basis. “There was a great divergence of opinions,” said committee member Curtiss Littlejohn.

Littlejohn is a retired pig farmer and now works for Canarm – a company that specializes in swine stabling products.

Significant changes to the code include phasing out gestation stalls by 2024, and adding a requirement to provide pain mitigation during castration and tail docking, starting July 2016.

In summer 2013, the code was open for public comment, where more than 4,700 responses were collected, which was then taken into consideration for the final draft. “We had comments from around the world,” explained Littlejohn.

After having undergone a long and vigorous development process, Littlejohn said he is content with the end result. “I believe that the updated code is a significant move forward for the Canadian swine industry,” he said.

But Littlejohn cautions while the work of revising the code has ended, implementing some of the changes may pose as a challenge.  “It doesn’t mean that change won’t come without some further controversy,” he said.

Littlejohn was referring to the changes made about the use of pain control, adding that there are target dates because the industry currently doesn’t have adequate tools on hand to meet demands outlined in the revised code.  

John de Bruyn, Vice Chair of Ontario Pork echoed much of Littlejohn’s thoughts on the new draft, but strayed away from speaking on behalf of producers.

“I think our producers will have to have some time to look at the code to see whether they are pleased with it or not,” he said. “As this code becomes implemented farmers are looking forward to assuring the consumer that we are providing them with a safe and nutritious product.”

The updated code can be viewed by clicking here.
 


Trending Video

Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

Video: Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.