Page 12 - Demo

Page 12 %u2013 National Poultry Newspaper, December 2024 www.poultrynews.com.auCHICKEN is by far the most popular ani- mal protein consumed in Australia, however chickens raised for their meat face a number of serious welfare issues.The average Australian consumes around 50kg of chicken each year and to meet this demand about 700 million chickens are processed for their meat each year. This level of demand, and the intensity of production required to meet it, means that chickens raised for their meat face a number of serious welfare issues, including:%u2022 The rapid growth of meat chicken breeds genetically selected to grow very fast results in serious health and welfare issues%u2022 High stocking densities indoors potentially limit the ability of meat chickens to easily move around and perform natural behaviours%u2022 Poor quality of indoor housing, such as inadequate ventilation and lighting regimes%u2022 Poor quality of outdoor environments where provided, without adequate overhead cover and palatable vegetation%u2022 Stress and risk of injury from euthanasia methods, catching, transport and pre-slaughter stunning methods.The issuesGenetics and fast growthThe skeletal, muscle and other bodily systems of fast-growing meat chicken breeds are unable to support the rapid growth for which they%u2019ve been genetically selected. This rapid growth can lead to health and welfare issues including lower activity levels, contact dermatitis, leg disorders, increased susceptibility to stress, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders.This is a particularly important issue, because while many other problems %u2013 such as poor housing and inadequate space %u2013 can be addressed over the life of the chicken, we are limited in what we can do to mitigate the inherent welfare impacts of these genetic selection decisions.Space allowance indoorsHigher stocking densities for older meat chickens limit their ability to easily move about and perform natural behaviours, which can increase the risk of contact dermatitis, lameness and heat stress.The current legal maximum stocking density for meat chickens in Australia is 40kg per square metre.Indoor housingInadequate ventilation in sheds results in poor air quality, increasing the risk of heat stress, ammonia toxicity and death. Artificial lighting is used to mimic daylight and dark periods but must be appropriate, for example intensity and adequate dark time for rest. Poorly maintained and wet litter in a shed can increase the risk of disease and discourage natural behaviours such as dustbathing and foraging.Outdoor accessFree-range meat chickens are required to have access to an outdoor area with shade and shelter once they are fully feathered. Meat chickens with access to a good quality outdoor area have been shown to have improved leg health, display more natural behaviours and show less fear, though can have higher mortality rates than meat chickens in indoor systems. The majority of meat chickens in Australia are farmed in indoor-only systems.EuthanasiaMeat chickens may be euthanised if they%u2019re identified as weak, sick or injured and unlikely to recover. The most common method of euthanasia for meat chickens is manual cervical dislocation %u2013 quickly stretching the bird%u2019s neck to dislocate the first cervical vertebrae from the skull %u2013 but this may not result in an immediate loss of consciousness and so may cause pain and distress prior to death.SlaughterIn Australia, meat chickens are stunned prior to slaughter to ensure What needs to change for Australia%u2019s meat chickensMore work is to be done by industry to improve the welfare of Australia%u2019s meat chickens.WITH changing weath- er conditions and the unpredictability of de- cent rain, many farm- ers are planning ahead when it comes to man- aging water resources. They are looking to maximise water harvesting, when possible, with proactive management of water tanks and dam levels. Selecting the right pump to achieve this is essential.Aussie Pumps%u2019 new Pump Smart 9 catalogue displays a full range of self-priming centrifugal pumps for a variety of on-farm applications, including transferring water, spray irrigation, even firefighting duties.The catalogue explains how to select the right pump, providing details of pressures and flows with comprehensive performance curves.Portable self-primersAussie%u2019s self-priming QP range consists of engine-drive pumps that use leading brands such as Honda, Yanmar, Kubota and Deutz. The Pump Smart 9catalogue includes a lot of information about specific applications for these pumps, from fire protection to flood mitigation. The Aussie QP pump range starts with a lightweight 1%u201d Ultralite and goes all the way through to big 6%u201d flood lifters that will move up to 6000LPM.And these QP pumps all come with a five-year warranty.Aussie%u2019s QP portable firefighting pumps have built an excellent reputation among farmers for their performance, longevity and quality. Available in both petrol and diesel-drive versions, it is the dieseldrive option that farmers are turning to.Aussie Pumps chief engineer John Hales said, %u201cIn our experience, customers choose diesel fire pumps for many reasons.%u201d%u201cFrom a safety point of view, refuelling a petrol pump during an ember attack is seriously dangerous.%u201cAnimals and crops are lost in the paddock due to inadequate firefighting protection,%u201d he said. %u201cFarmers are moving to diesel fire pumps for that protection.%u201dCast iron performersThe Pump Smart 9catalogue also covers the Aussie GMP motor pump range. These heavy-duty castiron trash pumps can be used for everything from handling effluent to recycling water and stall/shed washdown.The Aussie GMP range also includes a full line up of 2%u201d through to 4%u201d heavy-duty self-priming stainless-steel pumps, designed for abrasive applications in both highflow and high-head versions.Smart pumps for chemical transferWhen it comes to handling corrosive liquid fertilisers and other ag chemicals, Aussie offers a range of corrosion resistant %u2018smart pumps%u2019. Available with either EPDM or Viton seals, these 2%u201d and 3%u201d polyester pumps can handle a comprehensive range of chemicals.%u201cWe christened these %u2018smart pumps%u2019 because they are manufactured from 30 percent glassfilled polyester and are capable of handling a range of farm liquids safely,%u201d Mr Hales said.Knowledge sharedThe new Aussie Pump Smart 9 catalogue is also fully priced, so customers can be confident they are getting the best value for money. It also includes plenty of QR codes that link to further reading and videos to assist with pump selection, maintenance and even troubleshooting. %u201cIt%u2019s a gem that we%u2019re really proud to release, because we know it%u2019s full of useful information aimed at giving customers the knowledge they need to select the right pump first time,%u201d Mr Hales said.The catalogue is available to download from aussiepumps.com.au and free copies are available from Aussie Pumps or authorised distributors. Aussie%u2019s new pump selection guideAussie%u2019s latest pump selection guide has Australia%u2019s biggest range of selfpriming pumps, from 1%u201d all the way to 6%u201d.PETSPOULTRY PIGS AQUATICWAREHOUSE DIRECTHIGH PROTEIN FISHMEAL USED FOR: HIGH PROTEIN FISHMEAL USED FOR:CONTACT DARYL FIELKE - 0428 839 129 daryl@wildseasfishmeal.comPOULTRY PLUSIMPROVE DISEASE RESISTANCEEXCELLENT PROTEIN SOURCEHIGH LEVELS OF AMINO ACIDSTO PROMOTE GROWTH AND HEALTH* continued P13