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Poultry Independent Public Consultation Report

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Poultry Independent Public Consultation Report Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Poultry – Public Consultation Report Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Poultry Independent Public Consultation Report Prepared by Dr Heather Bray, University of Adelaide For Animal Health Australia 9th of July 2018 1 Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Poultry – Public Consultation Report Executive Summary This document was prepared by the Independent Public Consultation Consultant whose role was to examine and summarise the major written submissions to the public consultation processes for the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for poultry, as forwarded by Animal Health Australia, into a Public Consultation Summary report/Action plan. This report will function as a comprehensive summary and analysis of the range of submissions for use by the poultry Drafting and Stakeholder Groups and will be published at www.animalwelfarestandards.net.au. An open public consultation of the proposed draft Poultry Welfare Standards and associated Regulation Impact Statement was undertaken for a 90 day period from 27 November 2017 to 26 February 2018. The public consultation received an estimated 167,000 email submissions and an estimated 2,000 hardcopy submissions. All submissions were read and were classified into short submissions (the overwhelming majority), ‘new insight’ or extended response submissions (45), and major submissions (209) considered to be from major organisations/stakeholder groups. The major submissions were from industry bodies (11) and producers (54), welfare (17) and legal (10) groups, exhibition poultry fanciers (29), government departments (3), members of parliament (9), veterinarians or veterinary organisations (5), consultants and researchers (6), and interested community members (52). Many of these major submissions specifically addressed the Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) and the Proposed Draft Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry (S&G). Submitters were not responded to directly. It was clear from the overwhelming number and content of submissions that the welfare of poultry in Australia generates considerable public interest. It was also clear from the submissions that there are significant differences of opinion about how to ensure good welfare within poultry production systems and in particular the issues addressed within the RIS and the S&G, such as: The use of cages, specifically conventional cages for layer hens and meat and layer chicken breeders. The overwhelming majority of submissions mentioned this particular issue, while some drew a distinction between conventional and furnished cages. Beak trimming and other painful procedures The use of limited feeding strategies such as induced moulting and alternate-day feeding Stocking densities Lighting for housed poultry Humane killing and slaughtering procedures, including procedures for dealing with male layer chicks. Industry bodies and producers tended to be supporting of the continued use of cages for layer hens, citing decreased mortality and better health than non-caged systems. Some advocated the use of furnished cages in place of conventional cages. 2 Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Poultry – Public Consultation Report Welfare and legal groups, and the majority of the community members, opposed the use of conventional cages, citing poorer wellbeing due to denial of natural behaviours, and there was limited support for enriched/furnished cages. Several submissions provided extensive technical (scholarly) information to support their position, which is referred to the drafting group for their assessment. Industry and producer groups tended not to support a ban or phase out of conventional cages, arguing that increased costs to industry, and increased costs to the consumer would not deliver significant benefits in hen welfare. Many supported Option C in the RIS, with some changes suggested to specific S&G. Some groups advocated for the use of furnished cages, and expressed disappointment that they were not expressly considered with the RIS and S&G. Welfare and legal groups, and the majority of the community members, tended to support a ban or phase out of conventional cages, arguing that this was supported by the majority of community members, consumers, retailers and food companies, and had occurred in certain jurisdictions i.e. ACT. Many submissions called for an immediate ban, however others acknowledged that a phase out was required. Many supported Option D within the RIS but with the caveat that the phase out was within 10 years rather than 20 years. There was criticism of the process of the development of the RIS and S&G from welfare and legal groups, as well as the general public, with claims of a lack of basis in current science due to the absence of an independent review, and accusations of governments’ collusion with industry. The key tension within the submissions is how to evaluate and provide a ‘life worth living’ for Australia poultry in current production systems, and particularly whether ‘protection’ from harmful factors through the use of (conventional) cages is ‘better for hens’ than the ability to express natural behaviours in non-cage systems where there are other risks to animal health and welfare. It should be noted that many submissions debate whether these attributes are characteristic of each production system, and provide evidence to support their case. Several note that there are welfare issues in all systems, the factors that contribute to welfare are complex and interact, and management is a key factor in providing good welfare. The other key tension within the submissions is balancing the welfare needs of poultry with the needs of the community, and particularly balancing community support for changing production practices with the projected costs of industry change. The Consultant recommends that the Drafting Group, under the direction of Animal Welfare Task Group, review the technical information provided in the submissions in order to evaluate them in light of the decision-making principles and the objectives of the review. 3 Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Poultry – Public Consultation Report Table of Contents Executive Summary . 2 List of Abbreviations Organisation Acronyms . 7 Other Abbreviations . 8 Context for the Report . 9 Scope of the Standards and Guidelines . 9 Public Consultation Process . 9 Role of the Independent Public Consultation Consultant . 9 Role of the Drafting Group . 10 Submissions . 11 Analysis of short public submissions . 12 Analysis of new insight and major submissions . 12 Themes within the submissions . 14 Introduction . 14 The use of conventional cages . 14 Beak trimming and other painful procedures. 17 Slaughter/killing practices . 18 Stocking densities . 19 Induced moulting and limited access to food and water . 19 Lighting . 20 Rapid growth of meat birds . 20 Water for ducks . 20 Development of the RIS and the S&G . 20 Summary and recommendations . 21 Appendix 1 - Support/Opposition for RIS Options . 22 Support for Option A . 22 Opposition to Option A . 22 Support for Option B . 23 Opposition to Option B . 23 4 Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Poultry – Public Consultation Report Support for Option C . 24 Opposition to Option C . 28 Support for Option D . 29 Opposition to Option D . 30 Support for Option E . 31 Opposition to Option E . 32 Support for Option F . 33 Opposition to Option F . 34 Support for Option G . 35 Opposition to Option G . 36 General comments on RIS Options . 37 Appendix 2 – Responses to RIS Questions . 38 RIS Responses – Question 1 . 38 RIS Responses – Question 2 . 45 RIS Responses – Question 3 . 49 RIS Responses – Question 4 . 55 RIS Responses – Question 5 . 61 RIS Responses – Question 6 . 64 RIS Responses – Question 7 . 66 RIS Responses – Question 8 . 68 RIS Responses – Question 9 . 72 RIS Responses – Question 10 . 77 RIS Responses – Question 11 . 82 RIS Responses – Question 12 . 87 RIS Responses – Question 13 . 92 RIS Responses – Question 14 . 97 RIS Responses – Question 15 . 100 RIS Responses – Question 16 . 104 RIS Responses – Question 17 . 108 RIS Responses – Question 18 . 110 Appendix 3 – Comments on Specific Standards and Guidelines . 114 5 Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines – Poultry – Public Consultation Report Standards and Guidelines A1 Responsibilities . 114 Standards and Guidelines A2 Feed and Water . 119 Standards and Guidelines A3 Risk management etc. 132 Standards and Guidelines A4 Facilities and Equipment . 147 Standards and Guidelines A5 Management of Outdoor Systems . 164 Standards and Guidelines A6 Lighting . 170 Standards and Guidelines A7 Temperature and Ventilation . 180 Standards and Guidelines A8 Litter Management . 187 Standards and Guidelines A9 Handling and Husbandry . 192 Standards and Guidelines A10 Humane Killing . 216 Standards and Guidelines A11 Poultry at slaughtering establishments . 224 Standards and Guidelines B1 Laying Chickens . 238 Standards and Guidelines B2 Meat Chickens . 254 Standards and Guidelines B3 Meat and Laying Chicken Breeders . 259 Standards and Guidelines B4 Ducks . 266 Standards and Guidelines B5 Emus . 271 Standards and Guidelines B6 Geese . 274 Standards and Guidelines B7 Guinea Fowl . 277 Standards and Guidelines B8 Ostriches . 279 Standards and Guidelines B9 Partridge . 283 Standards and Guidelines B10 Pheasants . 285 Standards and Guidelines B11 Pigeons . 286 Standards and Guidelines B12 Quail
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