Farm-Scape, Episode 2093

Alberta Quality Pork expects the first group of producers in Alberta to enroll for validation under new the animal care component of the Canadian Quality Assurance program to begin the registration process this summer.

Last fall Alberta Quality Pork began to train the auditors who will be conducting the on farm assessments in Alberta for the new animal care assessment tool and, as part of a pilot audit, the first farm in Alberta became registered.

Following a series of producer workshops last month to outline details of the tool, several farms have enrolled and started incorporating the tool into their daily routines.

Alberta Quality Pork Manager Sarah Turner says the responsibilities under the Animal Care Assessment Tool are similar to those of the food safety component of Canadian Quality Assurance.

"They're required to have specific protocols related to specific areas in the farm so, for example, euthanasia protocols. They need to meet certain stocking densities.

We look at feeder and waterer provisions, drinker provisions. We look at the overall condition of the animals.

There's a wide variety of things that they need to have protocols for in addition to euthanasia. They need to have a back up life support system in the case of a power failure.

They need to have protocols for how they castrate the piglets and how they manage the sows post farrowing and monitor them during farrowing. It focuses primarily on the management and the stockmanship within the barn.

It promotes pen walking, it promotes positive interactions with the animals and ensuring that the people within the barns are trained to perform the tasks that they have been hired for."

Turner explains the registration process requires producers to complete the animal care assessment tool work book at which point an on farm audit will be conducted.

She expects farms to start going through the registration process during the summer.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.