NFACC Information Update September 2025
In this issue:
UPDATES ON THE CODES OF PRACTICE UNDER REVISION/AMENDMENT
Beef Cattle Code Update
The beef cattle Code Committee (CC) has had a productive summer of meetings. Following an in-person meeting in May, the CC met again virtually in June to wrap up discussions on the Feed and Water, Euthanasia, and Animal Environment chapters of the Code. Online Code subcommittee meetings for the Animal Husbandry and Animal Health chapters were also held periodically from June to August.
The CC continued their discussion on the animal husbandry chapter of the Code of Practice, focusing on topics such as weaning, identification, and pain control. Discussions on this chapter are scheduled to continue into the fall.
The animal health subcommittee also met a number of times throughout the summer, discussing all aspects of the animal health chapter of the Code, from herd health management to health conditions of beef cattle, to safety and emergencies. The subcommittee has made substantial progress on this chapter, with final discussions scheduled for September and October.
Along with continued discussion on various sections of the Code of Practice, the CC also continues to discuss next steps for this Code update, including a schedule of meeting dates through the fall and preparations for Public Comment Period (PCP) in 2026. The CC continues to give consideration to the priorities identified at the outset of the project, including those identified in the top—of-mind survey.
Meetings will continue into the fall, with virtual CC and subcommittee meetings scheduled in September. The next in-person meeting for the Code Committee is scheduled for October 2025.
The Scientific Committee (SC) has now completed all chapters of their research report on priority welfare issues. The SC report is currently undergoing peer review.
Previous progress updates can be found here.
Equine Code Update
Following its third in-person meeting in Vancouver (April 2025), the Equine Code Committee has been hard at work drafting, consolidating, and continuing to edit Code content based on the robust discussions that occurred. Subcommittee Leads organized meetings, coordinated over email, and worked to ensure that their respective chapters were ready for the next in-person meeting. Additionally, over the course of July and August, all available members of the Code Committee met weekly to review chapter content presented by chapter Leads and to offer constructive feedback.
These meetings were all in preparation for the fourth in-person meeting, which was held in August 2025 in Prince Edward Island. Here, the Code Committee gathered to resume deliberations on the draft equine Code with the goal of finalizing a version that was agreed upon by all members prior to submission for Public Comment Period (PCP). For two days, the Code Committee members spoke at length about new and updated material and were able to reach consensus in most areas. Time for review and an additional online meeting in September will allow the Code Committee to finalize the last few topic areas (still under deliberation) and review the Code in preparation for PCP.
The Code Committee was also provided with the opportunity to tour the Atlantic Veterinary College large animal surgical facilities.
At the same time, the Scientific Committee report is in the middle of its peer review process, with the Scientific Committee discussing and addressing all comments provided by peer reviewers. The report will be published prior to the launch of the PCP in both English and French.
The goal is that the draft version of the equine Code will launch into its 60-day PCP early 2026. All Code Committee members look forward to the feedback that they will receive.
Previous progress updates can be found here.
Sheep Code Update
It was a busy summer for the Sheep Code Committee. The second in-person meeting was held in Ottawa at the end of July, with a packed two-day agenda. Subcommittee leads presented an overview of their discussions to date and shared proposed suggestions for full Code Committee consideration for the Environmental Conditions, Emergency Preparedness, Transport, and Husbandry sections. The Scientific Committee also presented the draft chapter on Pain Management to the Code Committee. The complete list of PWIs from the Sheep Scientific Committee report is available here.
Since the July meeting, subcommittees have continued advancing their work and preliminary examinations of additional Code sections are now underway. The draft remains on track for completion by May 2026, with the public comment period scheduled to begin in July 2026. The next in-person meeting of the Sheep Code Committee is scheduled for December, as the Committee builds on its momentum and collective effort to deliver a Code that reflects the best available science and practical experience.
Previous progress updates can be found here.
Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chickens, and Turkeys Update
Since the March 2025 meeting, subcommittees have been hard at work reviewing their sections, engaging in lively discussions, and tackling complex issues from multiple perspectives. The aim throughout has been to identify practical solutions that will strengthen bird welfare.
Progress remains on schedule, with subcommittees preparing to bring forward their proposed edits for full Code Committee deliberation at the upcoming in-person meeting in mid-November.
Meanwhile, the Scientific Committee has been making steady progress and is on track to share the first chapters of its report at the November meeting. These chapters will play a key role in supporting subcommittee discussions and guiding Code revisions. The complete list of PWIs for the Poultry Scientific Committee report is available here.
Previous progress updates can be found here.
Pig Update
Online orientation sessions were attended by all Scientific Committee (SC) and Code Committee (CC) members. The orientation sessions provided an overview of the following:
- NFACC Code Development Process
- Administrative activities and requirements
- Anticipated timelines for the project.
The first in-person meeting will be held in October with both the SC and CC in attendance. Preliminary work to identify priority welfare issues (PWIs) has begun. PWIs are selected because they are important for the welfare of pigs and will particularly benefit from a review of available scientific literature. Note: welfare issues that are not selected as PWIs may still be very important issues that the CC can discuss and incorporate into the updated Code of Practice.
The PWI list is the basis for the peer-reviewed Scientific Committee report. Click here for the 2012 Scientific Committee Report.
Previous progress updates can be found here.
Pullets and Laying Hens Code Amendment - COMPLETE!
Amendments to the pullets and laying hens Code were finalized and the final amendment published on July 31st. The announcement of this achievement can be read here and the amended Code can be accessed here.
Accompanying the amended Code is a What We Heard and How We Addressed it report from the Code amendment committee, which outlines key themes from the public comment period and the impact comments had on the final amendments. The amendments were also informed by a Scientific Panel review of the scientific research on amendment topics, which is available here.
The overall plan and timeline for all Code updates underway can be viewed here.
Financial support was provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the AgriAssurance program under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.
Questions or comments? Contact us at info@nfacc.ca.
NFACC is a division of Animal Health Canada
