Re: [Blackbelly] seeking opinions about Animal Welfare Institute
Carol, ablout all I know is what they have listed on their site. I first heard of AWI over a year ago-- maybe 2 years-- think I was near graduation at the time... it seems like agood idea-- unfortuneately, one person's view of humane is another's view of 'filthy', if you understand my drift here. I have not met anyone locally who is aware of the group-- even among those who meet my standards. I guess for some of us, our ethics or our own awareness of what is humane and healthy for animals precludes a need to find a supportive group. perhaps what needs to be found out-- does AWI 'certification' come with an acceptance from the bodies that dictate other aspects of food production or animal ownership? Is there a standardized definition of 'humane' as far as agricultural production is concerned? Yes, ALBC endorses the AWI-- But are the PETA type people endorsing it, as well? If so, then there is probably some sort of connection-- Even the Doris Day Animal League and the HSUS are PETA oriented in their agendas. Terry W --- Carol J. Elkins [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I recently was approached by an organization called Animal Welfare Institute and I would like to ask if any of you know, or have experience with, this organization. Their Web site is at http://www.awionline.org/farm/fivefreedoms.htm. I'm particularly interested in one of their new programs called Animal Welfare Approved. Simply, the program promotes family farmers who treat their animals with high welfare standards and allows those farmers to label their products with a seal. This enables consumers, grocers, chefs, and other food buyers to differentiates the family farms that treat their animals humanely from agribusinesses that subject animals to cruel and unnatural conditions. Be a better sports nut! Let your teams follow you with Yahoo Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/sports;_ylt=At9_qDKvtAbMuh1G1SQtBI7ntAcJ ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] seeking opinions about Animal Welfare Institute
We buy exclusively, this label of branded beef. http://www.paintedhillsnaturalbeef.com/ This beef is extraordinary in its flavor, and the ethic behind raising it is well documented on the website. It not only includes humane handling, but also emphasizes local inputs, and a foodshed that maintains a reasonable farm-to-plate distance. By buying the above brand, I expect/hope that the cattle have been raised in accordance with the humane practices they endorse, the ranchers have total control from birth to distribution of packaged products, I can count on the product being local within reason, and the ranchers have generally opted out of big ag to form a coop where the members have control over their income and not be enslaved by the commodities market. To me, this is a real value-added label. I don't know if this is something that scattered sheep breeders can do, but I AM beginning to smell some possibilities with the high level of activity in a certain breed assn lately! :o) Barb Lee ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
[Blackbelly] seeking opinions about Animal Welfare Institute
I recently was approached by an organization called Animal Welfare Institute and I would like to ask if any of you know, or have experience with, this organization. Their Web site is at http://www.awionline.org/farm/fivefreedoms.htm. I'm particularly interested in one of their new programs called Animal Welfare Approved. Simply, the program promotes family farmers who treat their animals with high welfare standards and allows those farmers to label their products with a seal. This enables consumers, grocers, chefs, and other food buyers to differentiates the family farms that treat their animals humanely from agribusinesses that subject animals to cruel and unnatural conditions. To me, this is a good thing. I am so opposed to agribusiness and its treatment of animals that I can't see straight. I WANT to buy meat from farmers who provide their animals a humane life and a humane death. It is what I do on my farm. I'd like to be involved in programs that promote local farmers and sustainable farming practices. But before I get involved with this organization, I want to learn more about what company it keeps. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has endorsed them, and Niman Ranch, a farm that I respect, participates in the program. From what I've learned, the organization has nothing to do with PETA or other animal rights organizations. What do YOU know about the organization? I have read the group's standards for sheep farmers at http://www.awionline.org/farm/standards/sheep.htm With only one exception, I see these as standards that all of us should employ on our farms. The exception is the recommended weaning age of 4 months (I believe this is too long and endangers the ewe). They also have a policy against docking tails. Blackbelly farmers have no need to dock tails, so we would have no problem meeting this standard, unlike 98% of the other sheep breeds in the U.S. The rest of the standards I already meet and I suspect most of you do, too. Unlike other programs I've looked into, there is no charge for bearing the Animal Welfare Approved seal. That tells me that they are more interested in animals than they are in the income generated by their interest in animals. Of course, they'd like you to join the association, but I can't find anywhere that says it's mandatory. The association is over 55 years old and they are respected in the non-profit world. I don't agree with some of its politics and activities--it is an activist organization and seeks legislative solutions to issues that I believe are best left to farmers. I don't want the government telling me how to farm. But that is why I am interested in this Animal Welfare Approved seal. It is a way for those of us who can meet certain standards concerning how we treat our sheep to visually demonstrate that to our customers. It is voluntary; it doesn't try to mandate what anyone other than a voluntary participant does. I compare it to the Certified Naturally Grown movement that formed in opposition to the USDA's Organic program. I would be interested in hearing your opinions or any information you may have about this group. Carol ___ This message is from the Blackbelly mailing list Visit the list's homepage at %http://www.blackbellysheep.info
Re: [Blackbelly] seeking opinions about Animal Welfare Institute
Carol, I have some experience with this group in the realm of biomedical research. I have always considered the AWI a part of the animal rights movement. Frankly, though, it has been quite some time since I've been involved in those issues, and I don't recall whether this group might lean more toward animal welfare than rights. I'll take a look a their website, and see if I can find my old copies of some of their publications, and let you know more. I have no interest in having my farm certified-humane or animal welfare approved or what have you, by any group. For one thing, it's a bit gimmicky. I think these groups are more geared toward the big agribusiness-type farms. Purdue chicken might need to participate, to assure their totally out-of-touch customers thousands of miles away that their organic factory farming is humane. But I think my customers can judge my practices for themselves when they visit the farm (and my website, which I hope to have up at some point). I believe that when local customers see how we treat our animals, it will be much more meaningful than any seal of approval. So these humane groups are totally superfluous to my operation. It would just be another set of regulations to adhere to that I not only don't need, but don't want. I don't want somebody else telling me what the animal welfare standards are going to be; I am as good a judge of that as any regulator. Why should I give yet another regulator the power to weigh in on my farm decisions? They may not be the USDA, but if you buy in to their program, you are bound to do what they dictate. I'm not volunteering for that. And, if all of that weren't enough, I certainly already have more than enough paperwork to keep me busy. Just my opinion, Stephanie Parrish Westminster, SC On Nov 17, 2007, at 2:35 PM, Carol J. Elkins wrote: I recently was approached by an organization called Animal Welfare Institute and I would like to ask if any of you know, or have experience with, this organization. Their Web site is at http://www.awionline.org/farm/fivefreedoms.htm. I'm particularly interested in one of their new programs called Animal Welfare Approved. Simply, the program promotes family farmers who treat their animals with high welfare standards and allows those farmers to label their products with a seal. This enables consumers, grocers, chefs, and other food buyers to differentiates the family farms that treat their animals humanely from agribusinesses that subject animals to cruel and unnatural conditions. To me, this is a good thing. I am so opposed to agribusiness and its treatment of animals that I can't see straight. I WANT to buy meat from farmers who provide their animals a humane life and a humane death. It is what I do on my farm. I'd like to be involved in programs that promote local farmers and sustainable farming practices. But before I get involved with this organization, I want to learn more about what company it keeps. The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy has endorsed them, and Niman Ranch, a farm that I respect, participates in the program. From what I've learned, the organization has nothing to do with PETA or other animal rights organizations. What do YOU know about the organization? I have read the group's standards for sheep farmers at http://www.awionline.org/farm/standards/sheep.htm With only one exception, I see these as standards that all of us should employ on our farms. The exception is the recommended weaning age of 4 months (I believe this is too long and endangers the ewe). They also have a policy against docking tails. Blackbelly farmers have no need to dock tails, so we would have no problem meeting this standard, unlike 98% of the other sheep breeds in the U.S. The rest of the standards I already meet and I suspect most of you do, too. Unlike other programs I've looked into, there is no charge for bearing the Animal Welfare Approved seal. That tells me that they are more interested in animals than they are in the income generated by their interest in animals. Of course, they'd like you to join the association, but I can't find anywhere that says it's mandatory. The association is over 55 years old and they are respected in the non-profit world. I don't agree with some of its politics and activities--it is an activist organization and seeks legislative solutions to issues that I believe are best left to farmers. I don't want the government telling me how to farm. But that is why I am interested in this Animal Welfare Approved seal. It is a way for those of us who can meet certain standards concerning how we treat our sheep to visually demonstrate that to our customers. It is voluntary; it doesn't try to mandate what anyone other than a voluntary participant does. I compare it to the Certified Naturally Grown movement that formed in opposition to the USDA's Organic program. I would be interested in
Re: [Blackbelly] seeking opinions about Animal Welfare Institute
Just reading some of the material on their website - they sure sound like an animal rights group to me. I wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole. Take a look at their standards for sheep at http://www.awionline.org/farm/standards/sheep.htm - they are rather restrictive. For instance: A. Sheep shall not be socially isolated. This includes a sick or injured animal separated from the flock due to illness or injury. The individual shall be kept with at least one other compatible animal unless there is evidence that social housing would jeopardize either animal’s health and/or well-being. If the animal cannot be housed with a compatible animal, uninterrupted acoustic, visual and olfactory contact with other familiar sheep shall be maintained, unless there is evidence that such housing would jeopardize the animal’s health and/or well-being. How would we raise bummer lambs indoors, even for a short while, and be able to follow the above? B. Weaning 1) Ewes and their lambs may not be abruptly and completely separated from each other at weaning. They must be able to maintain visual, auditory and olfactory contact for one week after weaning. 2) Lambs may not be weaned before four months of age. An earlier weaning may be allowed on an individual basis if further nursing endangers the ewe’s health, provided that every other reasonable and humane effort has been made to promote the ewe’s health. 3) At weaning, removing ewes from the lambs is recommended, so that lambs may remain on territory familiar to them. Does anyone think that lambs do better when allowed visual, auditory, and olfactory contact for one week after weaning, instead of simply removing them to another pasture? If so, please clue me in, because I do not see the advantage here. Also, some 4 month old ram lambs are capable of impregnating females. C. a) The environment shall at all times be free of objects or situations that may inflict injuries or entail risks to the health of the animals. This includes prevention of social situations where injury may occur, such as fighting between rams. Are any of you totally able to prevent ramming between your rams? What's your secret? I believe this is an impossible requirement. D. If the injury requires the animal to be euthanized, this shall be done promptly and humanely on the farm. What if you need to transport the animal to a vet clinic for euthanasia? Nothing wrong with that, yet you are violating the rules. E. Non-toxic paints or dyes are the preferred method of identification. If permanent marking is required by legislation then a single, two-piece, self-piercing ear tag may be applied. Apparently, you need legislation requiring ear tagging to be able to ear tag your animals. So, unless your animals are moving out of state, you do not have legislation requiring ear tags or tattoos, or other permanent ID. I would not want to rely on paints and dyes to identify my animals. How on earth am I to keep track of my animals if I can't ear tag them? F. Hired handlers and truckers shall complete training on humane methods of sheep transport.AWI recommends the American Meat Institute’s trucker certification program but will consider an equivalent program. Sounds lovely, but can you really require this of your truckers, if you are otherwise satisfied with their handling techniques? You can't mandate that your shippers, no matter how qualified they are, complete the course the AWI is talking about. Personally, I have better things to do than try to meet this requirement. G. Sheep must not be transported in isolation. So you can never ship just one animal. Again, sounds great, but not practical. H. The practice of selling lambs through any process including, but not limited to stockyards, auction houses or to buyers who remove the animals from the farm, such that their safe transport is not assured, and/or the method of slaughter or the slaughterhouse cannot be audited by the Animal Welfare Institute, is prohibited. So much for selling live animals for Greek Orthodox holidays. Would this also apply to selling breeding stock? Here is the bio of one of their key writers, off of their own site. Henry Spira is definitely an animal rights activist, not simply a welfare advocate. Henry Spira, who has been active in human and animal rights movements for half a century, has coordinated successful campaigns to promote alternatives to the use of animals in laboratories. He has been a merchant seaman, auto assembly line worker, Journalist, teacher, and an activist for civil rights and trade union democracy. He is now focusing on the plight of seven billion farm animals and plans to write a column regularly for the AWI Quarterly. I'm not saying that some of what the AWI promotes is not good. I'm not wild about factory farming either. But I think that their mission goes beyond promotion of simply humane treatment of farm
