A knackery is a facility where animals are killed for pet food or the making of animal by-products used in pet food. In some jurisdictions, a knackery may include establishments that receive live animals for slaughter and those that receive dead animals killed on-farm for further processing. The regulation for…
The attitude, behaviour, skills and knowledge of the people who manage and handle farm animals is known as stockpersonship. Knowledgeable, caring and low-stress handling and animal management, when practised consistently, is key to good stockpersonship and farm animal welfare. Technical skills and knowledge are important, so it is essential that…
What is corporate social responsibility? The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) arose in the 1970s in western societies because of changing societal values. The pressing day-to-day social challenges that existed after World War II, e.g. finding a job, finding a house, and amassing material possessions, were beginning to dissipate,…
If you are a consumer who cares about the welfare of farm animals, you will probably be purchasing higher welfare food. But, if you are an investor, and interested in animal welfare, do you seek out businesses or farm animal production systems that aim to achieve high levels of animal…
RSPCA Australia acknowledges that there is scientific consensus that climate change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions from human activities including electricity generation, agriculture (including livestock farming), industry, waste, and land use [1, 2]. Climate change can have a negative effect on animal health and welfare directly (e.g. increased risk…
There are about 30 breeds of rabbits, ranging in colours, shapes, and sizes. The most popular breeds are the Dwarf Lop, the Mini Lop, and the Netherland Dwarf, but mixed breed rabbits are very common. They vary greatly in size with their average adult body weight anywhere between 1-8kg! Although…