Animal Welfare

 Piglet

Comfort and well-being helps any living creature achieve its full potential! As a business, Wakefield Pork survives on the production potential of its animals. We have a vested interest in seeing that our herd is well cared for by using systems that enhance our producers' ability to carefully monitor diet, provide hands-on care, manage environmental controls and reduce disease transfer.

This is done by:

  • Enforcing a biosecurity program to prevent the entry of communicable diseases.
  • Maintaining a current set of Standard Operating Procedures with which to train animal care-takers.
  • Utilizing housing systems that adequately serve the livestock's needs and the animal care-takers ability to manage herd health within their respective stage of production.
  • Promoting longevity of our breeding herd by monitoring body conditioning through dietary needs and selecting for conformational correctness.
  • Following industry recommendations for moving and transporting animals. Our employees are trained how to effectively guide animals with shaker paddles and sort boards.
  • Requiring all employees & growers to maintain active Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) and Tranport Quality Assurance (TQA) certification through the National Pork Board. 

 

Employee Accountability

Wakefield employees are well-informed of their responsibility to animal welfare. Terms are laid out in WPI's Employee Policy Manual upon hire and are expected to follow an employee throughout their career with Wakefield. The manual states, "Patience and gentleness are always the best rules when caring for animals."

Throughout one's employment, WPI also utilizes opportunities for continued education in animal care and husbandry through programs like PQA+ and TQA. Certification is mandatory for WPI employees and growers. It must be updated every three years. We have also made it a component of the WPI's safety program. WPI has created safety standards and video tools to demonstrate safe animal handling as a method to compliment hands-on training.