Call for written welfare code
Call for written welfare code
THE need for a proper health and welfare programme which is written down and updated annually is emphasised in a new sheep welfare code on which the government is currently consulting the industry. The closing date for submissions is Jun 26.
The draft code also claims to meet Farm Animal Welfare Council recommendations for more detailed advice on husbandry techniques like condition scoring and dealing with lameness.
The 37-page code, based on the five freedoms, includes all statutory requirements on welfare. It also advises farmers to use pasture management as an integral part of disease control, especially in the cases of internal parasites and foot-rot where the code states it is best to avoid total reliance on drugs. *