Layer hens will normally lay their eggs in an enclosed nest, perch, forage, and dust bathe [1, 2]. The ability to express these normal behaviours is important for layer hens to have good welfare. In Australia, layer hens may be kept in caged (battery or furnished) or cage-free (aviary, barn,…
The donkey skin trade has rapidly expanded over the last few years due to a huge demand for a traditional Chinese medicine known as ‘ejiao’, which is a combination of herbs and gelatin from donkey skin. Currently, it is estimated that nearly two million donkey skins are traded each year…
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…