Alberta’s egg industry is committed to providing high standards of care for laying hens through its comprehensive Animal Care Program (ACP). This program is designed to ensure a safe, healthy, and comfortable environment for all hens, reflecting both current best practices and a dedication to continuous improvement within the industry.
The foundation of the ACP is the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens. This code provides detailed guidelines that the ACP translates into practical requirements for farmers. These requirements cover crucial aspects of hen welfare, including space allowance, access to quality feed and water, proper lighting and air quality within barns, and humane handling practices.
To guarantee adherence to these standards, the ACP employs a rigorous verification system. This system includes meticulous record-keeping by farmers, annual on-farm inspections conducted by a team of trained field inspectors, and independent third-party audits. This multi-layered approach ensures accountability and promotes consistent compliance across all participating farms.
Key Requirements of the Animal Care Program include:
- High Performance Standards: Farms must achieve a minimum overall score of 90% in ACP assessments. Furthermore, strict adherence to critical care elements is mandatory, and the program allows for a maximum of only one missed care element to maintain certification.
- Farm Animal Welfare Policy: Every farm must implement and annually review a Farm Animal Welfare Policy. This policy emphasizes a commitment to meeting ACP standards and enforces a zero-tolerance stance against any form of animal abuse. All farm personnel are required to sign this policy annually, demonstrating their understanding and commitment.
- Employee and Visitor Codes of Conduct: Complementing the Farm Animal Welfare Policy are mandatory codes of conduct for both employees and visitors. These codes reinforce the commitment to compassionate animal care and require individuals to report any concerns regarding hen treatment immediately to farm management. Annual review and signatures are required for the Employee Code of Conduct, while visitors must review and sign the Visitor Policy and Code of Conduct upon each visit to a registered layer barn.
- Routine Inspections and Preventative Measures: Farmers are required to conduct frequent routine inspections covering various aspects of hen well-being and the barn environment. These inspections include assessments of barn temperature, lighting, ammonia levels, feed and water systems, the health status of birds (identifying any sick or suffering hens), adequate space, beak treatment protocols, and the overall feather condition of the flock.
- Humane Handling and Depopulation: The ACP mandates adherence to specific guidelines for bird handling, catching, and loading to minimize stress and injury. Similarly, farms must have a detailed plan in place for humane depopulation and euthanasia when necessary, ensuring these processes are carried out with the utmost consideration for animal welfare.
- Emergency Preparedness: Proactive planning is a key element of the ACP. Farms are required to establish and maintain a comprehensive emergency plan, ensuring all employees are thoroughly familiar with procedures to protect hen welfare in unforeseen circumstances.
Consequences of Non-Compliance:
Failure to meet ACP scoring requirements triggers an immediate Corrective Action Request (CAR). Farmers are then given a timeframe, typically between 7 to 30 days depending on the severity of the issue, to rectify the non-compliant areas. A follow-up re-audit is conducted to verify that corrective actions have been effectively implemented. Persistent non-compliance can result in financial penalties and, in serious cases, the revocation of a farmer’s license to produce eggs.
The Success of Animal Care in Alberta:
The effectiveness of the Animal Care Program is evident in its consistently high average scores. In 2021, the average score was an impressive 99.68%, rising to 99.86% in 2022, and further increasing to 99.93% in 2023. These remarkable figures highlight the dedication of Alberta’s egg farmers to animal welfare and the success of the ACP in ensuring hens in Alberta experience some of the highest standards of care in the industry.
