Education, not regulation key to improving animal welfare
Education, not regulation, and changing “They are looking at it from the been advocating for animal welfare legisla- The HSUS Ohio referendum specifically
attitudes, not facilities, are the keys to wrong perspective. Improvements in ani- tion in Ohio, similar to what was passed in targets the laying hen and egg production
improving animal well-being on the farm. mal welfare have to be done through California last year. California’s industries, both of which rank second in
James Kinder, chair of Ohio State education instead of regulation,” Kinder Proposition 2 mandates that as of Jan. 1, the nation with a combined estimated
University’s Department of Animal said. “It’s changing the attitudes and 2015, it shall be a misdemeanor for any value of more than $650 million, according
Sciences, said the approach taken by the behaviors of the producers and the ani- person to confine a pregnant pig, calf to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Humane Society of the United States mal handlers that, at the end of the day, raised for veal or egg-laying hen in a man- “The bottom line is that if change would
(HSUS) to push for animal welfare legis- will have the greatest impact on animal ner not allowing the animal to turn around occur, it would make the cost of production
lation in Ohio is not an effective means well-being in agricultural production.” freely, stand up, lie down and fully extend prohibitive in Ohio,” Kinder said.
of change. For the past several months HSUS has its limbs. He added that there is more at stake
than Ohio’s agriculture.
Family Owned
“The greatest concern to me from a
long-term perspective is food security,
which includes plentiful amounts of
safe food. If the economics are such
that we can no longer afford to produce
for Family Farming
food in our own country, then it will
come from someplace else, and then
we’ll lose control of it from a food secu-
rity standpoint,” Kinder said.
In addition, the impact of such legisla-
“The
tion would eventually trickle down to the
whole family gets involved on this
fa
consumer, some of whom in today’s eco-
rm. Things can get pretty busy with wheat
nomic crisis may not be able to afford the
harvest
potential food cost increases.
in the summer, especially with
baseball
“The argument used against this is
games, 4-H projects, and the
that systems would be put in place to
county
keep the cost of production down if alter-
fair. But, the guys at Seed
native systems became predominant, but
Consultants are great to work with and
that is simply not the case,” Kinder said.
when
“The costs may decrease some after
things get tough, they are just a
phone
wider-spread implementation of alterna-
call away. If I get wheat that has the
tive systems, but not to the extent that
we have with conventional production.”Seed Consultants name on it, I know it's a
qual
Animal welfare is becoming a recogniz-
ity product and that I made the right
able component of animal production sys-
decision. If their name is on it, I don't have tems, but the approach to its implementa-
to
tion is what is most important for making
worry from planting through harvest.
the most impact.
- Bill Black, Pickaway County,
“Education is one area producers can
w
wrap their minds around, and they’ve
ith his father Bob,
son
embraced the importance of animal wel-
Ross and daughter Sydney
fare on the farm,” said Jeanne Osborne,
program coordinator in the Department of
SC 1298 SC 1325
SC 1339
SC 1348 SC 1358
Animal Sciences. “They’ve taken an inter-
est in animal welfare and invested time
• Great early line for • Industry standard
• 6/62 in 2008 OSU
• 8/80 in 2008 KY • 5/62 in 2008 OSU and money to make improvements in how
double cropping, • #1 SCI volume
Wheat Trials, 3/80
Wheat Trials, 2008 Wheat Trials, 15/56
the animals are handled. Helping people
adapts to all soil variety
in 2008 KY Wheat
SCI Competitive in 2008 SCI
gain that understanding provides for the
types • Strong disease
Trials, 10th in 2008
Test Summary at Competitive Test
greatest impact on animal well-being.”
• High yielding package packed
SCI Competitive
Wood County, Summary, 1st at
Ohio State University Extension has
variety with good with yield
been leading efforts to educate the
Test Summary, 1st
ranked 3rd. Ashville.
farming sector on how to get the most
disease package, • Test weight king
at Covington
• Patterson + 4 • Full season yield
out of animal productivity in a
13/56 in 2008 SCI
• Double crop
maturity, strong leader and strong
nurturing environment.
Competitive Test SC 1328B
candidate with
disease package disease package.
Led by OSU Extension animal welfare
Summary • 2nd in 2008 SCI
wide adaptability
with exceptional • Later version of SC specialist Naomi Botheras, the organization
• Accepted on Seimer Competitive Test
• Offensive variety
winterhardiness. 1325, yield, test has launched animal welfare training pro-
and Mennel Milling Summary, 1st at
with good disease
• Ideally adapted to weight and bright
grams for swine and dairy producers. The
Co’s recommended both WCH and
package, yield
southern IN., and straw color.
ProHand programs for dairy cows and
list Chillicothe
response to high,
KY growing areas. • Qualifies for the
pigs are cognitive behavioral intervention
• Qualifies for the • Early bearded
spring N
Will do well in Nabisco/Kraft
training programs that train producers and
Nabisco/Kraft variety, an excellent
workers on developing and implementing
applications.
double crop premium program
premium program choice for double rotations. out of Toledo
the right attitudes and beliefs toward how
they handle the animals. So far, farms that
out of Toledo cropping
have participated in the programs have
• Medium height with
noticed an increase in animal productivity
a strong disease
due to the behavioral changes of the work-
package ers. Under the ProHand Dairy training,
Seed

Consultants
producers have seen a 5% increase in milk
production, and under the ProHand Swine
training, producers have seen an increase
in sow reproductive performance of one
piglet per sow per year.
The lack of an educational component
1-800-708-CORN (2676) • 740-333-8644 • Washington C.H.
in any animal welfare legislation would do
E-mail: seedconsultants@seedconsultants.com
little to change animal welfare behaviors,
while creating more economic challenges
Visit our Web site at www.seedconsultants.com
during a time when food animal producers
are already struggling, Kinder said.
10News • Ohio’s Country Journal • July 2009
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