Do you know your CFIA laws?

[dfarms11]

I just got back from taking 5 cows and a bull to the auction. While unloading, the yard boss made a comment that I could of gotten fined and been refused unloading. I go "pardon!" Well aparently the law out there now is that all classes of animals MUST be segregated in a trailer. For example cows, bulls, feeder calves, must all be in seperate compartments. How many people here knew of this? He said that it has been law for about 2 years now. I guess that I must be a real outback country hick to not have heard about this! As of Sept 1, he said that they will be enforcing this fully. I'm glad that I learnt of this now and not in a couple of months from now!

[perfecho]

Have heard of through our local auction as well. Again, some of it has merit, however common sense again loses......a bull and a few cows may have been together for a few years and will travel just fine, now you would have to put him into the compartment with the "new" bull much to the detriment of your trailer and smaller animal.
We were also told to have a little straw or shavings on the floor even if you had mats, to reduce slippage.
I know it is difficult to legislate for everything, but somehow it should be a "stupid" fine......when it is obviously stupid, you get charged....and leave the rest alone.

[loric]

The federal animal transport regulation (Part XII of the Health of Animals Regulation) is around 30 years old. It states that “no person shall load on any railway car, motor vehicle, aircraft or vessel and no carrier shall transport animals of different species or of substantially different weight or age unless those animals are segregated”, “Every cow... with its suckling offspring shall be segregated from all other animals during transport”, “Animals of the same species that are incompatible by nature shall be segregated during transport” and “Groups of bulls... if mature, shall be segregated from all other animals during transport”.



Alberta’s Animal Protection Act regulations are very similar as far as transportation is concerned.



The CFIA has been updating its animal transport regulations for several years, but the new regulations have not been finalized. ABP and other industry groups have been providing input to this process. Much of our effort has focused on achieving science-based and outcome-based regulations. In other words, if the cows and bulls are mixed in the same compartment, but arrive at the destination in good condition, there should be no reason for enforcement action.



But there may be an investigation if there is a negative outcome. For example, if one of the cows is in heat, transporting her together with a bull increases the risk of a bad outcome (i.e. risk of an animal being lame or injured when it arrives). The challenge will be to determine whether it was simply an unpredictable and accidental injury, or whether the producer and/or trucker may have been able to avoid the injury by not loading the cow to begin with (if it was severely lame or injured before loading), or by segregating from the bull (if it was in heat) or from the rest of the animals (if it had a mild limp).

[perfecho]

Thanks for clarification......do wonder, however, if many of the "field people" understand the "favorable outcome." Will be interesting to see outcome if someone is charged....as long as its not me;-)

[wd40]

Once again Uban Beauicrates rule.

If producers don't have the commen sense to load their investment in a manner that will protect their investment till the end of the trail who will. If cows and bulls come from the same yard and are in the same mature class then gate/partitions only complicate loading efficiency.
No producer in his right mind will load 3oo lb. calves together with cows when he can segrigate them.