The eighth annual “Animal Welfare: In Practice” conference took place September 14–15, 2012. About 80 participants attended an evening session on Friday, six Saturday presentations, and a round-table discussion. The keynote speaker was Dr. Ian Duncan, Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Chair of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph. The programme included overviews of welfare issues in broilers and laying hens, recent and current research, and a producer’s view on challenges of alternative housing.
Presentations from some of the speakers:
- Dr. Ian Duncan, Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Chair of Animal Welfare, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario: Commercial poultry production: Is there a welfare problem?
- Dr. Ian Duncan: Mental states, feelings, emotions in chickens—what science can tell us
- Dr. Ian Duncan CBC radio: Chickens have feelings too
- Dr. Michelle Jendral, Poultry Behaviour and Welfare, Plant and Animal Sciences, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Truro, NS: The welfare of laying hens housed in furnished cage systems
- John Duynisfeld, Holdanca Farms Ltd and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Nappan, NS: Challenges of alternative housing