Grandin to poultry industry: 'Avoid BS welfare standards'

Dr. Temple Grandin said that when it comes to setting welfare guidelines on things like outdoor access, poultry producers should make sure they are set in a way that consumers will recognize and accept.Whether the guideline addresses what constitutes outdoor access or cage free, the discussion can’t just focus on what is the most efficient arrangement. The system needs to look like it delivers what it promises. Let’s be honest, when a “porch” attached to a layer or broiler house has a roof and a wood floor, it isn’t what most people would think of as “outdoors.” In fact, I know of a lot of turkey finishing houses that are more like “outdoors” than these porches are.I think outdoor access for poultry introduces unnecessary cost and disease risk. But, if enough people want to pay a high enough premium for eggs and meat raised this way and someone wants to raise them, then the market will take care of it. But, the industry does itself no favors by adopting guidelines that consumers won’t recognize.