LANSING, Mich. — Organic animal welfare rules that were to take effect after the end of the Obama administration were delayed until May 19 under President Trump’s executive order for a regulatory freeze. Now they’ve been pushed to November.

 

The rules set production standards for organic livestock and poultry by expanding existing standards for living conditions, production practices and animal care. The final rules also create new provisions for animal handling including transport and slaughter.

The rules, however, do not reflect the changes that were recommended by agricultural industry officials. Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) Livestock Specialist Ernie Birchmeier said left the way they are, the revised rules could eliminate some producers.

“Part of the challenge with the rule is the requirement for outdoor space and access to free range,” he said.

The final rules require that producers provide animals with daily access to the outdoors and that outdoor areas include vegetation and/or soil. Additionally, exit doors must be distributed to ensure animals have ready access to outdoors. It does not allow enclosed porches to be considered “outdoors” or to meet the requirement for outdoor access.

It also specifies the amount of space required indoors for chicken broilers and layers, prohibits forced molting, restricts the use of artificial light, limits the amount of ammonia in the air indoors and requires perching space for laying chickens indoors.

“Organic production has nothing to do with outdoor access,” Birchmeier said. “Many believe the rules were set up to protect the small outdoor organic operator. The original rules were written and larger farms figured out a management system to comply with those rules. “Now, some are wanting to rewrite the rules to eliminate their production systems because those folks found a way to make the system work for them.”

John Kran, national lobbyist with MFB, said the organization is working to educate legislators as the rules come up for review.

“One of the things that really jumped out at us was the reasoning for the proposal from the writers of the proposal was concern about public perception of the organic label. It wasn’t about concern for safety of the animals or biosecurity or any of those issues,” he said.

He explained the outdoor requirement alone increases production risks.

“If you’re going to be moving animals outdoors, there’s potential for interaction with wild animals, wild birds, wild rodents or whatever it might be. When we talk about disease risks, such as avian influenza for example, it’s really expanding that opportunity,” he said.

"When you think about the practicality of raising this number of birds outdoors, it really doesn’t make sense, either.” Kran said Farm Bureau filed comments in relation to the rule based on the organization’s concerns about outdoor access, outdoor cage construction, biosecurity, animal health and welfare.

“I think poultry is the biggest area that would have seen this first, but there are implications for raising dairy, beef, veal, hogs and other livestock, too.”

He said Farm Bureau will continue monitoring the issue and sharing concerns with members of Congress and the new administration.

The final rule also:

•Clarifies when and how certain physical alterations may be performed on organic livestock and poultry in order to minimize stress, and prohibits some forms of physical alterations 

•Adds humane handling requirements for transporting livestock and poultry to sale or slaughter and clarifies humane slaughter requirements

•Describes when producers can temporarily confine animals indoors

•Clarifies the application of the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) requirements regarding the handling of livestock in connection with slaughter to certified organic livestock and poultry establishments, and provides for the enforcement of USDA organic regulations based on FSIS inspection findings

•Sets maximum indoor and outdoor stocking densities for organic chickens Public comments are being accepted about this matter until June 9; instructions are online at http://bit.ly/2pOL6Oa