Media Centre
Animal Care
Animal Health Is Our Livelihood
Following 105 Code of Practice requirements, Manitoba hog farmers lead the way for exceptional animal care, safeguarding the livelihood of 22,000 Manitobans.
The animals have ready access to fresh water, nutritious feed and natural air in spacious, climate-controlled barns. Pens, equipment and flooring are inspected daily. Animals injured or in distress are treated immediately.
It’s great to see animal care standards implemented and maintained in the barns I visit. Hog farmers are leaders in animal care, following 105 Code of Practice requirements.
Swine Veterinarian, HyLife Ltd.
Ste. Anne, MB
Protecting Our Pigs
Everyone who works with hogs in Manitoba is expected to follow the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, government legislation including the Criminal Code of Canada and Manitoba’s Animal Care Act. Every Manitoba hog farm is visited at least annually by a veterinarian, and animal care is assessed every year as part of a federally recognized assurance program. The animals have ready access to fresh water, nutritious feed and natural air in spacious, climate-controlled barns. Pens, equipment and flooring are inspected daily. Animals injured or in distress are treated immediately.
Click here to read the federal Health of Animals Regulations on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) website.
Animal Welfare
Manitoba hog farmers have zero tolerance for animal abuse. We support the strict penalties against animal abusers that are included in the Criminal Code of Canada and in Manitoba’s Animal Care Act, and indications of abuse are reported immediately to the appropriate authorities.
Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development has created a YouTube video with more information on the province’s animal welfare program.
Research
The Manitoba hog sector places a high priority on ensuring that Manitoba hog farmers have access to the best possible information for their swine herds. Since 1999, we have spent over $10 million on third party, independent, swine-related research.
Training
Providing those working with our animals with knowledge, skills, resources and workplace culture reinforces the empathy and high standards of animal care we expect for our herds. Hog farmers ensure that their employees receive the appropriate training.
Canadian Pork Excellence
As of 2019, Manitoba’s hog farmers will be transitioning from the current Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program to the Canadian Pork Excellence (CPE) program. CPE is a national platform that allows registered pork producers to demonstrate compliance with food safety, animal care, and traceability requirements. The CPE registration also allows hog farmers to ship their animals to federal abattoirs. All farms that market pigs to federally inspected processing plants in Manitoba, and those farms that supply them, must be registered on the CQA program.
Pigs in Transit
Most animal transport movements in Manitoba are less than four hours long. The animals have access to water until they are loaded onto a trailer and then again as soon as they are unloaded. As temperatures rise, transporters reduce the number of pigs on trailers to allow for increased air circulation. Transporters avoid stopping for more than a couple minutes so that the pigs remain comfortable. As long as the trailer is moving, the pigs are kept comfortably cool.
The Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) program is a training and certification program designed for transporters, producers and handlers of pigs that are involved in the loading, unloading and transport of pigs. All transporters delivering to federally inspected pork processing plants in Manitoba must be certified.
Click here to read more on our website about the care that is taken when transporting pigs.
Click here to read more about the federal Health of Animals Regulations on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) website.
Protecting Our Pigs
Everyone who works with hogs in Manitoba is expected to follow the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs, government legislation including the Criminal Code of Canada and Manitoba’s Animal Care Act. Every Manitoba hog farm is visited at least annually by a veterinarian, and animal care is assessed every year as part of a federally recognized assurance program. The animals have ready access to fresh water, nutritious feed and natural air in spacious, climate-controlled barns. Pens, equipment and flooring are inspected daily. Animals injured or in distress are treated immediately.
Click here to read the federal Health of Animals Regulations on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) website.
Animal Welfare
Manitoba hog farmers have zero tolerance for animal abuse. We support the strict penalties against animal abusers that are included in the Criminal Code of Canada and in Manitoba’s Animal Care Act, and indications of abuse are reported immediately to the appropriate authorities.
Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development has created a YouTube video with more information on the province’s animal welfare program.
Research
The Manitoba hog sector places a high priority on ensuring that Manitoba hog farmers have access to the best possible information for their swine herds. Since 1999, we have spent over $10 million on third party, independent, swine-related research.
Training
Providing those working with our animals with knowledge, skills, resources and workplace culture reinforces the empathy and high standards of animal care we expect for our herds. Hog farmers ensure that their employees receive the appropriate training.
Canadian Pork Excellence
As of 2019, Manitoba’s hog farmers will be transitioning from the current Canadian Quality Assurance (CQA) program to the Canadian Pork Excellence (CPE) program. CPE is a national platform that allows registered pork producers to demonstrate compliance with food safety, animal care, and traceability requirements. The CPE registration also allows hog farmers to ship their animals to federal abattoirs. All farms that market pigs to federally inspected processing plants in Manitoba, and those farms that supply them, must be registered on the CQA program.
Pigs in Transit
Most animal transport movements in Manitoba are less than four hours long. The animals have access to water until they are loaded onto a trailer and then again as soon as they are unloaded. As temperatures rise, transporters reduce the number of pigs on trailers to allow for increased air circulation. Transporters avoid stopping for more than a couple minutes so that the pigs remain comfortable. As long as the trailer is moving, the pigs are kept comfortably cool.
The Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) program is a training and certification program designed for transporters, producers and handlers of pigs that are involved in the loading, unloading and transport of pigs. All transporters delivering to federally inspected pork processing plants in Manitoba must be certified.
Click here to read more on our website about the care that is taken when transporting pigs.
Click here to read more about the federal Health of Animals Regulations on the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) website.
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Learn About Transport Quality Assurance (TQA)
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Explore The Care Taken When Transporting Pigs
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Read The Federal Health Of Animal Regulations
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