- The National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Beef Code of Practice outlines guidelines for the on-farm care and handling of cattle raised for beef in Canada.
- The code is being updated for the first time since 2013 and a public comment period is open until June 12, 2026.
- While there are a few improvements, the new draft code fails to address some of the most significant welfare issues within the beef cattle industry.
- Join the VHS in calling for stronger requirements for shelter, daily monitoring, pain control, humane handling, transport decisions, and emergency planning.
TAKE ACTION: Share feedback on the draft code on the issues that are important to you; everyone can participate!
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Top Welfare Priorities
We encourage you to read through the draft Beef Cattle Code of Practice and provide feedback on the issues that matter most to you, if possible.
However, we have prepared the VHS’s top welfare priorities with section headers and tips for submitting your feedback, if you are short on time and would like guidance.
Short on time? Under the heading ‘Which section of the draft Code would you now like to provide feedback on?’, select ‘General Comments on the Code’. This will allow you to bypass providing feedback on each section of the code.
IMPORTANT: Do not copy and paste wording, as duplicate responses and/or profanity or derogatory language will not be considered by NFACC.
Section 1.2: Facilities for all cattle
Comment on Requirements:
Currently, there is no minimum shelter requirement to protect cattle from heat, cold, wind, rain, or other harsh weather.
- The Code should set clear minimum shelter space requirements based on herd size, as well as maximum stocking densities (e.g. number of animals/acre) for cattle on pasture, feedlots, and auction markets.
The Code should require enrichment opportunities that allow cattle to express natural behaviours, including foraging, exercise, social behaviour, and grooming.
The Code should also prohibit tethering cattle as a form of housing. Tethering (tying an animal to an anchor point) should only be used temporarily when necessary for handling or procedures, and it should never be used as a regular housing practice.
Section 2.2: Water
Comment on Requirements
Cattle should have reliable access to clean water, including during heat waves and/or periods of high humidity, and water sources should be monitored regularly.
Snow should not be permitted as the sole winter water source. Snow may not reliably meet cattle’s needs, especially if conditions change or cattle are not checked frequently. A backup water system should always be required.
Comment on Recommended Practices
The following should be requirements:
- Water sources must be easy for cattle to find and access.
- The number of watering points and flow rate must be appropriate for the herd size.
- Automated water systems must be checked daily to ensure they are working properly.
Comment on Requirements
Recently weaned calves and newly arrived feedlot cattle should be monitored at least twice daily for two weeks to support early detection of respiratory disease.
A risk-based bovine respiratory disease prevention strategy should be a requirement as part of every herd health program, given that it is a significant health and welfare problem in the beef industry.
Comment on Recommended Practices
Lameness is a painful leg or hoof condition that is a common welfare issue within the beef industry. The Code should require training on causes, prevention, and treatment of lameness.
It should also require producers minimize cattle exposure to mud and standing water, and to include lameness prevention strategies in herd health programs.
Comment on Requirements
The Code should require stronger emergency planning for fires, floods, and extreme weather.
Newly built facilities should have fire suppression and flood mitigation systems. Existing facilities should be retrofitted where possible.
Comment on Requirements
Electric prods are used during handling and provide an electric shock to the animal. These devices cause pain, stress, and can lead to injury.
Given that electric prods can also easily be overused and that humane alternatives exist and are effective, the Code should prohibit electric prod use and require low-stress handling methods.
Comment on Requirements
Branding, which is used to permanently identify cattle, should be prohibited.
Branding is painful and unnecessary, especially when alternatives such as microchipping, visual identifiers, descriptive markings, coat patterns, colour variations, and properly fitted leg bands are available.
Comment on Requirements
The Code should require practices that eliminate painful horn removal (disbudding and dehorning) procedures, such as transitioning to hornless breeds of cattle.
Comment on Requirements
Cattle should be castrated as young as practically possible and provided both anesthetics and pain control, in consultation with a veterinarian.
Comment on Recommended Practices
Calves must be monitored after castration to ensure they are nursing or eating and to check for signs of infection or other complications.
Comment on Requirements
Spaying should only be carried out by a veterinarian, and both anesthetics and pain control should be required.
Comment on Recommended Practices
Abrupt weaning of calves from their mothers should be prohibited. Low-stress, gradual weaning strategies should be required.
This includes two-stage or fence-line weaning, avoiding weaning during other major stressors such as adverse weather, commingling with animals from other groups, marketing, or transport, and avoiding painful procedures like branding, dehorning, and castration at the time of weaning.
Calves should also be acclimated to human handling and feed delivery methods they will experience after weaning.
Comment on Requirements
Tail docking should only be permitted when medically necessary, in consultation with a veterinarian, and with both anesthesia and pain control.
Comment on Recommended Practices
Transport is a stressful process that can pose a significant risk to the health and welfare of cattle. Therefore, the Code should require stronger protections during transport decision-making, planning, scheduling, and loading/receiving.
- Farm personnel should be trained and have ready access to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) guidance and veterinarian-developed protocols for assessing an animal’s fitness for transport.
- Monitoring should increase as the transport date approaches, so health or body condition concerns can be identified early.
- If there is uncertainty about whether an animal is fit for transport, consulting a veterinarian should be required.
Comment on Recommended Practices
Transport should be planned to minimize the time animals spend loaded in parked vehicles and to account for forecasted weather conditions. Transport must not take place during extreme weather.
Comment on Recommended Practices
The Code should require loading practices that reduce stress and injury, including adjusting loading densities, absorbent material for the weather conditions and providing ramps when the vertical distance between the loading surface and vehicle floor causes cattle to hesitate, stop moving forward, or refuse to move.
Section 6.1: Euthanasia Decisions
Comment on Requirements:
Delayed or inappropriate decisions around humane euthanasia can lead to prolonged animal suffering.
The Code should require training to help personnel assess quality of life, prognosis, and when euthanasia is needed. A required training module should be developed to support timely, humane decision-making.
The Code should include a clear duty of care section, similar to other Codes of Practice, which require that all personnel responsible for cattle must be required to know the Code, be properly trained, and be competent and confident in cattle care and handling.
The Code should also require cattle to be checked daily at a minimum. Daily observation is essential to identify illness, injury, lack of access to food or water, extreme weather impacts, calving difficulties, and other welfare concerns.
There should also be stronger requirements for consistent, practical tools for measuring welfare outcomes across the beef cattle industry.
Tips for submitting
To make your submission impactful, and to ensure that it is reviewed by NFACC, consider these tips before submitting your feedback:
- REMINDER: Do not copy and paste the text below, as duplicate submissions will be ignored by NFACC. Use your own words so your submission reflects your personal concerns and experience.
- Keep responses relevant to on-farm practices.
- Provide references and examples whenever possible.
- Reference exact wording in the draft code that you would like to see changed and how you would like it changed.
- Make it personal, the committee members are interested in how this code impacts you.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak up for beef cattle in Canada.
TBD
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