A kinder, gentler future: with welfare issues not likely to fade away, experts predict it will pay to practice good husbandry and maintain the public's confidence

摘要

Whether you raise cattle, pigs or poultry, you might want animal care issues to just fade away. Bill Baumgardt says that's not going to happen. Baumgardt is executive vice president of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS).The former associate dean of agriculture at Purdue University says hot animal issues will include cages, gestation crates and overcrowded facilities -- and any painful procedures such as break trimming, castration and de-horning. Baumgardt predicts you could see no beak trimming in the poultry industry within five years, and certainly within 10 years. Already, United Egg Producers is working for on-farm audits of member operators.