The RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme is Australia’s leading independent certification scheme focused on animal welfare. We work closely with farmers to make a positive impact on the lives of farm animals by providing an environment that meets their needs. More than 2.5 billion hens, pigs, chickens, turkeys and farmed Atlantic…
For cows to produce milk, they have to give birth to a calf. Standard dairy industry practice is to separate calves within 24 hours of birth. This is done to reduce the risk of disease transmission to the calf (e.g. Bovine Johne’s Disease, a bacterial infection that is transmitted through…
Calves born in a natural environment will begin interacting with each other at around 1-2 weeks of age when the dam (mother) will leave their calf with a group of other calves and graze nearby. Before then, the calf is either with their dam or alone with their dam in…
Calves are legally able to be transported at 5 days old or, if transported directly to a calf-rearing facility, at less than 5 days old. However, older calves are better able to withstand the stressors of transport which include loading and unloading, and mixing with unfamiliar animals in unfamiliar environments….
Common dairy industry practice is to feed unweaned calves around 10% of calf body weight in milk daily. However, this amount of milk is about half of what calves would typically drink (around 10 litres of milk over 8-12 feeds per day) in the first month of life if a…
Colostrum is a fluid produced by the pregnant cow prior to giving birth to her calf in readiness for the calf at first suckling. Calves are born with little to no immunity and colostrum provides the calf with antibodies that protect it from infectious diseases. This transfer of antibodies from…
In the debate about feeding a growing world population and in which livestock industries often see an opportunity to increase the scale or the intensity of their operations, rarely is consideration given to the effect this might have on farm animal welfare. Livestock farming practices can adversely impact welfare by…
Bushfires are a common occurrence in the Australian landscape and sometimes, despite the best plans and preparation, horses, livestock and other animals are caught up in bushfires. Animals that have been burnt should be immediately assessed as to the extent of the burns and then, depending on the injuries, either…
Antimicrobials are agents that kill, or stop the growth of, microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and protozoa. Antibiotics are commonly used to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. Coccidiostats are also routinely used, especially in poultry production to prevent infections with protozoa including a disease called coccidiosis….
Severe feather pecking is an injurious behaviour performed by birds, where they will vigorously peck at and pull out the feathers of other birds. Outbreaks of severe feather pecking can occur in all types of poultry production systems and in both large-scale commercial flocks and small backyard flocks [1]. The…