Meat&Poultry -- October 2014 - 84

From the Corral
BY DR. TEMPLE GRANDIN
meatpoultry@sosland.com

Prioritizing animal wellbeing
I

n August, a symposium on Animal

Connecting with consumers

Wellbeing was held at the Univ. of

In another presentation by Janeal Yancy,

Arkansas. The first speaker was Elizabeth

Univ. of Arkansas, titled, "Moms on the

Rumley from the National Agricultural

Farm," she explained how she takes moms

Law Center, Univ. of Arkansas, and

from town on tours of a beef farm, dairy

she gave an informative lecture titled,

farm and broiler grow-out farm. It is im-

"Property Rights vs. Animal Rights."

portant for the visitors to talk directly to

In most states, animals are considered
property and they do not have legally en-

the farmers who raise their food. When a
broiler farm is visited, there is a more-pos-

forceable rights, therefore, if anyone sues

itive reaction when the tour is given by the

on the behalf of the animal, the case

family who owns the farm, instead of being

will usually be thrown out. A few

given by a field representative from a poul-

years ago, the city of Boulder, Colo.,

try company. It is all about making person-

changed dog ownership to dog

al connections. These tours are an excellent

guardians because the word "guard-

example of opening the door and communi-

ian" has a different legal meaning.

cating with consumers.

This change in wording opens the
door for lawsuits to be filed on behalf of
abused animals. A guardian can file a law-

"We have zero
preparation for
foreign animal
disease."

Turkey breeding
One of the most interesting talks from a

suit on behalf of the being he/she is guard-

scientific standpoint was by Paige Glover,

ian of. Lawsuits cannot be filed on behalf of

a geneticist for Aviagen Poultry. For years

property. It is important for animal agricul-

poultry has been bred to grow faster with

ture to be aware of these legal issues.

better and better feed conversions. In 1950,
growth was 80 percent of the selection cri-

Pig welfare issues

teria, today, it is only 25 percent. The eco-

David Newman from North Dakota State

nomic factors of growth, feed conversion

Univ. comes from a multigenerational fam-

and meat yield is 50 percent of the selection

ily of pork producers. He told the audi-

criteria. The other half of the selection cri-

ence there are three big welfare issues fac-

teria are many other traits, which include

ing the pork industry. They are gestation

leg deformities, gait score, lowered mortal-

stalls, pain relief during castration and eu-

ity, feather condition and other factors.

thanasia by blunt-force trauma. The AVMA

The industry needs to be careful when

(American Veterinary Medical Association)

it comes to genetics. Some modern, high-

strongly recommends that blunt-force trau-

producing animals have lowered disease re-

ma should be phased out. He has been in-

sistance and genetic traits are linked in un-

strumental in developing both better eutha-

expected ways. In selecting animals, the

nasia methods and a method to anesthetize

industry should strive to determine what

baby piglets before castration.

is optimal instead of maximum. Newman

On the sow-stall issue, Newman stated,
"This ship has sailed." Gestation stalls will

warns, "We have zero preparation for foreign animal disease." ■

be phased out. Out of the 25 top food companies, only seven have not committed to
phase out gestation stalls.

84

* Meat&Poultry * October 2014 * www.MeatPoultry.com

Dr. Temple Grandin operates Grandin Livestock Systems
Inc., Fort Collins, Colo., and is a faculty member in the
animal science department at Colorado State Univ.
http://www.MeatPoultry.com
Meat&Poultry -- October 2014

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