The national animal welfare advisory committee will on Friday release a draft code of welfare for sheep and beef cattle.
The code will lay down minimum standards of animal welfare and recommended best practices for farmers, covering sheep and beef cattle farmed mainly for their meat, fibre and offspring, rather than those kept for milking.
The minimum standards cover stockmanship, handling, breeding and the provision of food, water, shade, shelter and housing, and set out requirements for shearing, protection from flystrike, the use of feed pads and selection for transport.
“We want to know whether the minimum standards and recommendations being made go too far or not far enough,” said Dr Cheryl O’Connor, the animal welfare programme manager for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The closing date for submissions is December 12.
