National Farm Animal Care Council

Pigs

Update initiated Oct 2010 

Code Development Progress

Revisions to the Code of Practice for Pigs, using the NFACC Code development process, are slated for completion in summer 2013. For an overview of where the Code is in the development process follow the following links:

Priority Welfare Issues List

The priority welfare issues are species specific and manageable topics that are considered to be important for animal welfare and will particularly benefit from a review of the available scientific literature.

The Code Development Committee (CDC) and the Scientists’ Committee (SC) each identify their respective lists. Once complete, the committees come together to collectively finalize the priority welfare issues for the species. The SC then reviews the scientific literature for each priority welfare issue and develops a report synthesizing the research results, summarizing the consensus (if any), and identifying any gaps requiring further research. See full SC Terms of Reference.

The CDC uses the SC report to develop requirements and recommendations around the priority welfare issues in the Code of Practice.

Following is the priority welfare issues list for the Pig Code of Practice update:

  • Controlling pain: castration
  • Methods of euthanasia
  • Pig space allowance
  • Sow housing
    • Group housing (floor feeding, electronic sow feeding, feeding stalls)
    • Sow stalls
  • Social management of sows
  • Space allowance – sows

Note: other welfare topics for the species will be covered by the CDC. The priority welfare issue list is comprised of issues that would particularly benefit from a review of the available scientific literature.

Committees

Pig Code Development Committee members

Participants are defined as per NFACC’s Code of Practice guidelines.

Role Committee Member
Code Secretary Betsy Sharples
Producer Florian Possberg (Chairman)
  Stephen Moffet
  Curtiss Littlejohn
  Edouard Asnong
Transporter Steve Brandt
Veterinarian Mike Sheridan
Animal welfare organization Dr. Carol Morgan
Animal welfare regulatory enforcement body Penny Lawlis
Retail and food service organization Requested but position not filled
Processor Frank Wood

 Jorge Correa
Agriculture Canada and/or CFIA Dr. Gordon Doonan

 Francois Bédard
Researcher / academic Harold Gonyou
Technical Expertise Miles Beaudin
  Dannielle Pettigrew
Agricultural Engineer Franklin Kains
   
Industry Liaison (ex-officio) Catherine Scovil

Pig Scientists’ Committee members

  • Harold Gonyou (Chair)
  • Nicolas Devillers
  • Tina Widowski
  • Luigi Facitano
  • Tim Pasma
  • Robert Friendship
  • Nadine Ringgenberg (Research Writer)

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