National pullet and laying hen code amended

Ultimate amendments to Canada’s pullet and laying hen code of apply have been revealed.

“The result of this course of helps our sector’s imaginative and prescient of continuous improvement in our manufacturing practices and method to producing Canadian eggs,” mentioned Roger Pelissero, chair of Egg Farmers of Canada in a information launch.

The Nationwide Farm Animal Care Council and Egg Farmers of Canada introduced the adjustments on Thursday. The ammendment course of started December 2023 after a complete overview of the code.

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The adjustments targetted three facets of layer and pullet care: necessities for spherical feeders, house allowances for pullets in multi-tier programs and the utmost variety of tiers allowed in barns.

Spherical feeders

Particular necessities for minimal house per hen for spherical feeders was added to the code. Area necessities for linear feeders wasn’t modified.

The 2017 code necessities have been difficult for egg farmers utilizing spherical feeders, a ‘what we heard’ report mentioned. The code necessities for birds per feeder differed from producers suggestions.

As an alternative of particular outlined measurements, the code supplied a system to transform linear feeder house to spherical feeder house. Producers questioned the rationale behind that conversion, “main business and the Code committee to query whether or not this will likely have been included as an oversight,” the report mentioned.

The minimal house allowance requirement will apply to all holdings sooner or later, the ammended code says. A transition timeline for barns constructed earlier than the modification might be determined when the code is subsequent up to date in or round 2028.

Multi-tier programs

Area necessities have been modified for pullets older than eight weeks and housed in multi-tier programs so as to add about 36 per cent extra space per hen.

Throughout the session course of, business stakeholders raised considerations that the minimal house requirement was inadequate, the ‘what we heard’ report mentioned. Many pullet growers have been trying to quickly exchange present pullet housing and have been caught in a holding sample as they waited for additional steering.

A brand new really helpful apply was added to supply extra house for pullets after 17 weeks of age.

“Pullets which are transitioned to the layer barn after 17 weeks of age are at higher danger for poor welfare because of physiological and behavioural adjustments related to the onset of lay (e.g., danger of smothering, egg peritonitis, mislaid eggs),” the amended code says.

Most variety of tiers

Egg Farmers of Canada added standards to interpret guidelines across the variety of tiers allowed in laying hen aviaries. Gear producers had interpreted the necessities a number of methods, the committee mentioned. The extra standards is supposed to make sure the intention to guard the hens’ welfare is upheld whereas permitting for brand spanking new aviary designs.