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BACKGROUND

Thank you for your interest in the proposed amendments to the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens. Proposed amendments will be available for review and comment according to the following schedule:

Public Comment Period launch date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Closing date for comments: Monday, May 26, 2025
Status: Open for review and comments

The proposed amendments were developed through the National Farm Animal Care Council’s (NFACC) Code amendment process and by a Code Amendment Committee that brought together diverse stakeholders, including egg farmers, processors, and pullet growers working alongside government, veterinary, retail, animal welfare advocacy, and researcher representatives. This is your chance to let the committee know your thoughts on the proposed amendments.

Unlike a Code update (where the entire Code is open to possible revisions), a Code amendment has a limited scope, relating to a defined set of topics or sections in the Code. The amendment to the pullets and laying hens Code was initiated following a review of the Code that identified the following topics as needing to be amended:

  • Round feeder space for pullets and laying hens
  • Minimum space allowance for pullets in multi-tier systems
  • Maximum number of tiers allowed in laying and rearing facilities

Important context on the issues identified for this amendment are summarized in this brief overview document. A peer-reviewed Scientific Panel report summarizing research on the amendment topics is also available and informed the Code Amendment Committee’s discussions and decisions. All those participating in this comment period are encouraged to review both documents before commenting.

More information about Codes of Practice and the development process is available at www.nfacc.ca/codes-of-practice.

INSTRUCTIONS

After you read these instructions, click “Next”. The proposed amendments are shown using the following fonts: blue for additions, red strikethrough for deletions, and green for text that has been moved. Each section is followed by a comment box.

Please keep your comments focused on the proposed amendments as the committee can only consider feedback relevant to the scope of this amendment.
Use the "Prev" or "Next" buttons to navigate through the draft Code. Do not use the back button on your browser.

If you do not have enough time to review all the amendments at once, you can click “Exit” (top right corner of each page) and return later through the web link or by bookmarking this page. Feedback can only be submitted once from any given computer (i.e., IP address) and only through this online system.

Please be polite. Submissions that include profanity or derogatory or threatening language will not be considered.

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