by Connie Tabbert
Editor
BEACHBURG — Several farmers gathered at the farm of Ben Snyder on the Zion Line to hear about the updated Code of Practice for Beef Producers which include new guidelines when dehorning or castrating cattle.
The Friday night event was hosted by the Renfrew County Cattlemen’s Association, noted Dave McGonegal, who is president.
“There have been a series of workshops across the province, the country probably, because it’s a national code of practice,” he said.
The evening began with a barbecued dinner followed by Dan Ferguson of Beef Farmers of Ontario giving an overview of the recent update to the Code of Practice. It was originally produced in 1991. Following his 20 minute talk, Renfrew veterinarian Donald Clarke spoke and demonstrated the preferred way of dehorning and castrating cattle.
Mr. Ferguson told the crowd this was information session number 25 he was giving. The social setting is a way of introducing the new code without being intimidated by it, he said.
He noted with the recent news of a dairy farm in British Columbia coming under the spy glass of someone who was not raised on a farm, nor who knows the proper practices of farming, all farmers should be wary of how their farms are viewed by society. If there is something on your property that can be viewed from the road, that you don’t want to be seen for whatever reason, it’s up to the farmer to ensure it can’t be seen.
Also, he noted, if a farmer receives an Access to Information letter asking if his or her name and address can be given out, and they don’t reply to the letter within 20 days, it’s an automatic yes, give out the information. This could possibly come from a situation where protesters saw cattle being trucked and they wanted to know whose cattle they were, he explained. The trucker is under no obligation to give out that information, however through Freedom of Information Act, it can be requested, Mr. Ferguson said.
To ensure that farmers are doing things in as humane way as possible, the code of practice was updated by a committee of 15, Mr. Ferguson said. This committee was made up of producers, and represetnatives from veterinarians, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA), Canadian Food Inspection Agency and provincial and federal agricultural ministries.
Many consumers do not understand the life of farming, Mr. Ferguson said. For example, if someone were to see cattle out in the field, the one they would focus on would be one that was limping, he said. If the media were to receive permission from you to do a story on your farm, the reporter may see things differently than you do, and focus on an animal penned up as if it’s not receiving treatment, or a limping cow.
“There is a risk to you and your farm when a camera or activist gets a hold of your information,” he said.
When the national Code of Practice was revised, Mr. Ferguson noted everyone on the committee had to agree to the revision, and that’s why it took two years before it could be released.
There are six areas in the code: animal environment, feed and water, health, husbandry, trucking and on farm euthanasia, he said. Each area has two sections, what is required and what is recommended, he added.
The veterinarian/client relationship is very important, Mr. Ferguson said. It minimizes stress if something were to happen on the farm, he said.
When handling cattle, he said the best advice he could give: Always handle cattle like someone’s watching, as if they’ll use it against you.
Within the farming community, Mr. Ferguson said if there is a farmer you believe is not operating in a humane way, have a talk with him or her.
“Have a neighbourly visit, a coffee and talk,” he said. “The farming industry doesn’t need a bad producer in the system.”
What has been a great change in enforcement is the Memorandum of Understanding that was developed between the province and the OSPCA, Mr. Ferguson said. If the OSPCA receives a complaint, it will contact the Beef Producers of Ontario and a representative will go to the farm with the OSPCA inspector, he explained.
“There have been a lot less flare-ups and reactions when there has been an investigation,” Mr. Ferguson said. “There have been about 25 calls so far, and there have been favourable outcomes.”
As well, the OSPCA inspectors who investigate large farm animal complaints, have been trained in what they should be looking for, he said.
Mr. Ferguson advised that the Code of Practice manual, as well as other hand-outs, were available for the farmers to take home.
Mr. McGonegal then advised that Dr. Clarke would give a hands-on demonstration about the new recommended code of practice for de-horning and castration procedures.
While the farmers went into the newly constructed barn at Mr. Snyder’s, Mr. McGonegal took a few minutes to talk to WhitewaterNews.ca. He said most farmers do both procedures at their farms.
The revisions for de-horning, following “a lot of scientific research,” suggest it be done before the horn fully attaches to the skull.
“They can remove the horn properly when the calf is still young,” Mr. McGonegal said. “It does hurt, but less so than when they are older.”
If it has to be done when the cattle are older, it’s now recommended that the animal be anesthetisized so there’s not as much pain, he added.
Cattle are dehorned so they don’t hurt themselves, other cattle, or even people, Mr. McGonegal said.
“They can get their horns caught in equipment or feeders and the can also become bossy and start bunting and stabbing each other with their horns,” he said. “They do much better without horns.”
The same for castration, Mr. McGonegal said. If it can be done when the animal is very young, then it won’t hurt as much. Castration is done to males so they don’t try to breed other animals and they aren’t as rowdy in the pen.
“They can get rowdy and destroy things,” he said.
Not all bulls are castrated, Mr. McGonegal said. The farmer will select bulls he wants to keep for propagating while the ones who won’t be used for that service will be castrated.
Inside the barn, Dr. Clarke talked about the various medicines available for de-horning and castrating, as well as gave a hands-on demonstration.
