Friday, March 29, 2024

PULPIT: Doing more harm than good

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It was with great sadness that I read the announcement about the High Court decision to challenge the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee’s (NAWAC) view of farrowing crates. I have spent my life understanding and farming my animals with care, and to know that I may be forced to change from a proven system that cares, to one that will create more harm than good, is tough to contemplate.
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As farmers, we spend a lot of time in nature and through this exposure, we learn to respect that nature is not always kind. Humans have gone to great lengths to minimise the discomforts of nature in their own lives, equally we strive to do the same for our companion animals (pets) and also our domesticated animals which we farm. 

Farrowing systems have taken generations to develop and continue to evolve as we learn more. It’s used all around the world. Countries like Denmark, Sweden and Finland – the very countries we aspire to in terms of how they treat their resources, including young people and animals – recognise their benefits and use them. They’ve tried other means, as have most countries, but all to date have not been as successful at managing the needs of the sow and the newborn piglets at such a vital stage of their lives. 

Farrowing crates save millions of piglets worldwide every year. No other system gets close to meeting the needs of this farmed animal. Well over 80% of pork products consumed in New Zealand will have started their lives in a farrowing crate. I estimate that farrowing crates could save over 200 piglets a day in NZ if they were universally used. That’s 200 piglets each day going on to having a meaningful life. For a small industry who grows animals just for NZ consumption, that’s a large amount. For anyone dealing with raising animals, our focus is on growing them to their potential. Losing them prior to this, conflicts with our passion and our reason to farm. As a first-generation farmer I have spent 40 years of my life farming animals – I’ve clocked over 30 years in the pig sector – and have been lucky enough to have been involved in farming most species. My pan sector view is that farmers aren’t afraid of change. We are constantly changing and adapting our systems, our breeding herds, our on-farm practices. We use science that helps us ensure what we are doing is factual and proven. I was the chair of the NZ Pork board and one of the industry representatives during the NAWAC farrowing crate review. 

There was a complete and thorough investigation into farrowing systems completed by NAWAC in 2016. There has been no new science since to suggest any need for significant change. For the benefit of an animal’s welfare, these decisions must only be made on science not emotion or perceptions, which can have unintended consequences that cause more harm than good. Emotive and perceptive decisions should be left solely for the individual consumer to make at their point of purchase. There are pros and cons in all walks of life and we all know there’s no such thing as ‘ideal all the time’. The one thing, however, that is prevalent in all species is the instinct to survive. Most mothers will compromise their lives for that of their progeny, this instinct is universal across most species. In a farrowing system, the sow’s essential needs are met and she can focus on her role of caring for her many piglets. A farrowing system is used for approximately four weeks – from just prior to birth through to weaning at up to four weeks of age. During this time, the sow doesn’t need to concern herself with safety, predator threat, shelter, warmth, seeking food or water. It is all provided for her.

She can focus on nurturing her piglets. In this same system, the piglets have areas that are warmed at a higher temperature than the sow, which helps provide them freedom from the sow accidentally lying on them and killing them. Sows are large (250kg-plus) animals which give birth to large numbers of piglets, each roughly 1.5kg. Accidental lay-ons are the biggest driver of mortality in pig production. Those who understand our animals see the farrowing system for what it is, a maternity unit of care. 

As humans we seek comforts along with nature. Why do we question farmers who want the same for their animals? To focus decisions solely on idealised views of nature is flawed and it does not necessarily improve animal welfare, in fact it can do more harm than good. 

Globally, pig farmers understand this and have developed systems based on the needs of the pig at different stages of their life to provide for it. The outcome is that more of their babies survive and prosper. How can that be wrong?

Who am I? Ian Carter is a farmer and former chair of the NZ Pork Industry Board.

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