Behind the Lines - August 2013

Monday, August 5, 2013

When Senior Staff Editor Don Stoneman began research for this month's cover story on the new pig-raising code of practice, released in late May, it was barely on producers' radars.

One substantial-sized operator, speaking off the record, said his biggest concern was when to lock in his contracts for the next while in order to get the best return for his marketings. It had been a while since he had seen the possibility of good returns! Yet a few weeks later he was at one of the producer meetings with some hard questions about that new code, which strikes not only at how gestating sows are housed, but also at basic practices such as castration and tail docking.

So-called "alternative" housing has been well-covered in the past. This issue's cover story looks at the code's proposals on castration, or no castration, as one new technology is offering. That story starts on page 6.

Producers are encouraged to make individual submissions, while the public can comment on the draft pig code to the National Farm Animal Care Council website at http://www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice/pigs where the draft of the code can be found, as well as supporting documents. The deadline is Aug. 3.

Submissions from individuals are anonymous and it's important that producers make their feelings about their industry known. Completing a submission may take a couple of hours or more but, considering the investment that any producer has in this industry, it is time well spent.

One of the biggest concerns of producers now is keeping Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) out of their barns – and out of the country for that matter. Herd Health writer Ernest Sanford has taken on the daunting task of tracking developments in the knowledge of this disease and its spread in North America. His column starts on page 31. BP

ROBERT IRWIN