Intensive farming methods involve removing animals from their natural environments and keeping them housed or confined for all, or a large part, of their lives. They are raised in large numbers under controlled conditions, commonly involving use of hormones, antibiotics and vaccines. The RSPCA accepts that some animals need to…
The RSPCA is strongly opposed to battery cages and believes there must now be a legislative phase-out of their use. For many years, the RSPCA has campaigned against housing hens in battery cages and raised public awareness of the inherent welfare issues of these systems through education and advertising campaigns….
It is common to see all types of animals in the heat without protection from the sun. While farm animals have various ways of coping with heat, a very important one is to seek shelter or shade. Shade helps reduce heat loading from the sun, especially for dark-coloured animals that readily absorb…
Feedlots are yarded areas where cattle, after having been raised on pasture, are held in groups in close confinement while being fed a grain-based ration. Feedlot pens may hold 50-200 cattle each. Feedlots are used in beef production to ensure cattle reach a specific weight before slaughter and to provide…
The permanent housing of sheep in a single pen for the purpose of fine wool production was effectively banned in the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep. In the states and territories where the Standards have been implemented, it is therefore illegal to permanently house sheep in individual…
Pigs are intelligent, inquisitive, social animals. If you are thinking of getting a pig as a pet, there are several things you should consider first. Many local councils in Australia will not grant permits for a pig to be kept in a backyard, even in some rural areas. The first step is…
Avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects birds but can also pose risks to other animals and humans [1]. It is known to affect more than 140 bird species including chickens, turkeys, quail, guinea fowl, ducks, geese, emus and ostriches [2]. Avian…
The use of hormone growth promotants to increase growth rates is a widespread practice in the Australian beef cattle industry with around half of both grain-fed (feedlot) cattle and northern Australia pasture-fed cattle implanted (Hunter 2010). Grain feeding cattle in feedlots in combination with the use of hormone growth promotants…
In the egg industry, the sex of day-old chicks is determined at the hatchery. Sexing chicks (determining whether they are a hen or a rooster) requires considerable skill and is done at this very early stage to determine their fate. If strong and healthy, the female chicks are transferred to…
‘Free range’, ‘outdoor bred’, ‘organic’ and ‘sow-stall free’ are terms that are applied to animal-based food products, such as meat or eggs. They refer to the way in which animals are farmed and housed. Unfortunately, there are no universally accepted definitions for these terms, but some guidance is provided below….