Animal Welfare

All Animal Welfare Content

A site assesment form with a pen sitting on top.

Get a Jump on Your PQA Internal Site Assessments

Spring is coming fast, so before planting gets underway take some time to conduct an internal site assessment as part of the PQA Plus Site Assessment criteria.

Youth For The Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) logo in front of a black and white image of a young girl feeding a small animal with a bottle

Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) in South Dakota 4-H resources

About YQCA – the national program
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) is a national multi-species quality assurance program for youth ages 8 to 21 with a focus on three core pillars: food safety, animal well-being, and character development. The YQCA program is an annual certification created for youth producing and/or showing beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, meat goats, dairy goats, swine, poultry, and rabbits. The program has been designed by extension specialists and national livestock program managers to ensure it is accurate, current and relevant to the needs of the animal industry and shows, and is appropriate for youth learning levels.

A black, plastic case containing a captive bolt stunner kit along with laminated instructions for properly using the tool for euthanasia.

Reviewing Humane Euthanasia Protocols

Unresolvable health problems and injuries occur in pigs in every swine operation and having a plan in place to humanely deal with these issues is critical. This includes having a written protocol for timely euthanasia.

A series of hog barns.

Preparing for a PQA Plus Site Assessment

The PQA Plus site assessment is an on-farm evaluation of a production site by a qualified PQA Plus Advisor. A review of standard operating procedures and office records, including caretaker training, animal observations, and the facilities will occur during the site assessment.

Inside a swine barn.

Pig Barn Turnover Rates: Challenges & Costs

Employee turnover is inevitable, but how managers respond to it and learn from it determines the resiliency of a pig barn’s future and the level of productivity that is achieved.

A group of red chickens feeding.

Tips for Feeding Poultry Wisely

During the March 1st Animal Care Wednesday Webinar, we learned the basics of feeding poultry. Brett Kreifels, Extension Assistant-4-H with University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explained the nutritional requirements and basic feeding tips to help ensure the health and well-being of chickens.

A backup generator outside a swine facility.

Test Emergency Backup Systems in the New Year

Animal care starts with having confidence in facilities and ventilation systems that safeguard health in all weather conditions. Testing emergency backup equipment at the start of a new year is a good preventative practice.

cattle feeding at a feed bunk

Let’s Talk BQA Assessments

Simply put, BQA assessments are a review of a farm or ranch by an assessor that helps managers benchmark their current level of cattle care and discover areas they may be able to improve.

A group of dairy cattle inside a dairy barn.

Handling Reminders for Dairies: Training Resources

Sources of handling stress are accumulative in cattle. Stockmen can have a positive impact on the amount of stress cattle experience by planning ahead and being realistic about allowing adequate time to get things done well.

Three cattle injection needles.

Discussing the Dart Delivery Method for Treating Cattle

Cattle ranchers strive to minimize the stress of handling and disease on their animals. One way they can do this is by implementing remote delivery devices.