Call Duck Assocation:Information and News on Bird Welfare

Call Duck Association: Information and News on Bird Welfare

Small Holder: sponsors of the Bird Welfare Strategy Group
We are an innovative, family owned, national company with four generations of experience. Using only the very finest ingredients, the Smallholder Range provides well balanced feeds designed for animals being raised more naturally. We pride ourselves on making natural feed without artificial growth promoters or artificial yolk pigmenters. Our mill is totally drug free - no antibiotics, coccidiostats or growth promoters.
The Small Holder Range , Norfolk Mill, Shipdham, Thetford, Norfolk , IP25 7SD Tel: +44 (0)1362 822900. helpline@allenandpage.co.uk. www.smallholderfeed.co.uk

DRAFT AVIAN WELFARE STRATEGY
The welfare discussion document, Avian Strategy For Hobbyist Livestock and Pet Birds, has been eight months in the making. It was put together by the National Committee for Bird Strategy, a group of eight specialist societies: the British Waterfowl Association, Hawk Board, National Council for Aviculture, National Pigeon Association of Great Britain, Parrot Society UK , Pet Care Trust, PCGB and World Pheasant Association.

In its final form it will become 'England 's Health and Welfare Strategy for Birds' - the basis for official best-practice guidelines to be followed by fanciers.

The draft strategy has four main aims:
. To bring all hobbyist birdkeepers together and develop a national strategy program under one umbrella;
. To maintain participation in birdkeeping;
. To raise birdkeeping skills, training and standards; and
. To improve the quality and breeding of birds under hobbyist control.

The document also reviews issues such as medicine needs, bird welfare standards, health surveillance arrangements and companion bird research.

“Avian health and welfare is vital, not just because we owe birds a duty of care as responsible owners and keepers, but because it is fundamental to the long-term future of our ability to keep and breed many species of birds.
For the Strategy to succeed, everyone involved with all aspects of birdkeeping needs to engage with the issues identified in this document and work together in a pragmatic and constructive way to achieve the aims. Without this, the Strategy will fail and a real opportunity will be lost .
This represents a landmark, but it's only the starting point All birdkeeping organisations should try to work together to achieve this vision for the future.”

The committee is now seeking comment on the document from birdkeepers. Committee member Colin O'Hara said: “We want birdkeepers to tell us if they think we've missed something out or whether we've been too ambitious in what we think can be achieved. We want them to comment in general about the aspirations in the document”.
The committee will assess all the comments before making amendments. They aim to submit the strategy next April to the supervising authority the England Implementation Group (EIG).

See www.birdwelfarestrategy.org.uk for further details

Pressure from Four Paws halts fattened goose production in Hungary
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/15819/hungerit-stops-goose-liver-enterprise

HUNGARY - Hungerit, one of the country's biggest poultry companies, has halted production of fattened goose products under pressure from Austrian animal rights organisation, Four Paws

"During the 2 weeks of force-feeding the animals become ill. The death rate in this period is 20 times higher than conventional duck meat production factories (source: EC commission). They die of heart attacks, internal bleeding or asphyxia. Also they suffer from injuries, getting cut on their beaks, wings and faces. Most of them see the world through pus covered, infected eyes, caused by the ammonia (NH3) gases that are emitted by the liquid manure under their cages. At the end of this life span the halls are dead silent. The animals can't move and can hardly breathe – because of their pathologically enlarged liver . They desperately try to get some oxygen by shallow breathing through their open beaks. Each movement or pressure can cause death now." http://www.fourpaws.org.uk/website/output.php?id=1175&idcontent=1542&language=1

Revealed: Inside the UK’s chicken sheds: A new investigation by Compassion in World Farming exposes the horrendous conditions of the UK's chicken sheds.

See http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article3307570.ece
and Chickens coming home to roost http://www.guardian.co.uk/animalrights/story/0,,2234346,00.html

The Climate Change Bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation ever to go before the UK Parliament. However, as it stands, it is not strong enough. MPs listen to their constituents - that's why we need your support in calling for a strong, effective Climate Change Bill. Click on to WWF and support their campaign

Sign a petition to outlaw foie gras production in Hungary, Europe's second largest producer http://www.vierpfoten.org/website/output.php?id=1175&language=1#

Force-feeding in Israel: In August 2003, the Supreme Court of Israel banned foie gras production and condemned force feeding of animals. This powerful video testimony documents the brutality of force feeding, and was released during the campaign which led to the Court’s decision. The voice over is in Hebrew, but the footage speaks for itself.

See the video (click this link left) which is on http://www.stopgavage.com/en/videos.php

RSPCA News from the press office Friday 25 May 2007 It's Time To Ban The F-Word * Foie Gras
Nearly two-thirds of people in Britain (63 per cent) believe foie gras should be banned, according to a new poll commissioned by the RSPCA. The production of foie gras is not allowed under Britain's animal welfarelaws, but it is still imported and sold in the UK and is growing in popularity. Chloe Alexander, campaigner for the RSPCA said: "Foie gras means cruelty. Foie gras is produced from the livers of geese or ducks which have been restrained and force-fed unnatural amounts of food to make their livers grotesquely fatty and enlarged.

“It’s comes from tortured ducks and geese, it’s a product of disease and it costs a fortune but some people still drool and dribble over foie-gras. It’s obtained by imprisoning birds in cages so tiny they can’t move, by forcing a pipe down their throats and force feeding them until their livers swell to ten times their natural size. There is always someone who’s ready to excuse barbarity and cruelty and that’s what those who eat it and those who sell it are doing. But there is no excuse and that’s why everyone should back Viva!’s campaign to make Britain foie-gras free. Viva: http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigns/foiegras/intro.html

FOIE GRAS, enjoyed as a luxury since ancient Egyptian times, may be linked to the onset of diseases including Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, researchers have suggested http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/health/article1942949.ece

How commercial duck is reared in the UK http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=3737310359930116161

Chief Veterinary Officers from across the world are backing the move towards a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare which is supported by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and is being recognized by a growing number of government authorities and international organisations. To find out more about the Universal Declaration for Animal Welfare visit the Animals Matter website http://www.animalsmatter.org/ and sign the petition.

Surely the CVOs won't support gavage?