HOUSING & FACILITIES

Producers, processors and industry stakeholders are currently reviewing and commenting on the National Dairy Animal Well-Being Initiative’s animal welfare draft guidelines. These guidelines are intended to help these organizations create their own consumer-accepted animal welfare programs. On our index and in upcoming issues, Progressive Dairyman will review the initiative’s six guiding principles – management, housing and facilities, third-party oversight, animal health, movement and transportation and nutrition – by comparing them with existing welfare standards being marketed to consumers.

To comment on the draft initiative and its standards, producers should talk with their co-op or producer organization. These organizations will compile all producer comments from their members and submit them to the initiative’s Principles and Guidelines Committee by July 1, 2008.