As an Ontario goat producer, you are constantly striving to improve animal welfare on farm by adjusting management based on current research and meeting or exceeding industry standards for the care of goats.
While most farms are already following the best practices outlined in Ontario Goat’s “Best Management Practices for the Commercial Goat Production” and the “Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Goats,” a welfare assessment can help you benchmark the level of welfare on your farm and identify your farm’s strengths as well as some areas to improve in order to provide the best welfare for your herd.
The welfare assessment is simple to complete. You can do it yourself, or ask an advisor such as your herd veterinarian to complete it with you. The standards and information you need is included in the assessment booklet - no need to look anything up.
Assessing the level of welfare on your farm on a regular basis will help you evaluate the effectiveness of management changes and ensure your farm continues to improve animal care. Assessing welfare is something you subconsciously do every time you go to the barn. Following a more focused assessment can help you get a more complete picture of the welfare of your herd, identify areas of improvement, track progress, and keep staff (and yourself) accountable.