Educational Opportunities and Resources
Upcoming Webinar
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL GROUP HOUSING OF SOWS
Jeremy Marchant, Ph.D. (Organic Plus Trust)
Thursday, May 8, 2025
5 PM PDT / 8 PM PDT
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
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Understand how intensive sow housing developed and how it impacts sow health and welfare
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Apply knowledge of pig natural behavior to mitigate health and welfare challenges
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Describe how different elements of sow housing fit within the Five Domains model of animal welfare
Past Webinars
A BETTER MEANS TO A HUMANE ENDING?
Nitrogen Anoxia for the Mass Depopulation of Livestock
Jeffrey Hill, MSc (President, Livestock Welfare Strategies, and Member, Board of Directors, VAFAW)
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
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Click here for a video replay.
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Click here for the powerpoint presentation.
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Click here for a nitrogen whole house gassing resource.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
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Gain insight into the importance of improving depopulation systems to better protect animal welfare​​
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Develop an understanding of the different nitrogen-based methods for mass depopulation, including their mechanism of action and requirements for preparedness
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Learn to compare N2-based methods to other depopulation methods and apply this knowledge to help clients in selecting the option(s) best suited to their circumstances
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Learn to recognize critical factors in applying inert gassing technologies and the value of integrating real-time depopulation process monitoring and audit programming
HUMANE ENDINGS:
Navigating the Ethical Maze of Animal Welfare in Depopulation Practices
Jessica Elisabeth Martin, B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc., Ph.D., FHEA (Newcastle University)
October 30, 2024
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Click here for a video replay.
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
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Understand the ethical considerations in depopulation
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Recognize the importance of human responsibility
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Assess the practicality of depopulation methods
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Explore innovative depopulation solutions
HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA:
Vaccines and Vaccination Programs for Poultry
Erica Spackman, MS, PhD (Research Microbiologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture)
August 21, 2024
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This was a live-only event. A replay is not available.
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
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Understand vaccine availability for avian influenza in poultry.
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Identify critical components of successful avian influenza vaccination programs.
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Explain metrics of efficacy and correlates for vaccine-induced protection for avian influenza in poultry​.
PAIN IN FARM ANIMALS:
Understanding the Barriers to Mitigation & Improving Welfare
Abigale Zoltick, DVM (Director of Education, VAFAW)
May 8, 2024
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Click here for a video replay. ​
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This webinar is relevant for veterinarians and others who treat farm animals, as well as anyone committed to advancing farm animal welfare via policy reforms.
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
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​Understand pain physiology and its connection to animal welfare.
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Identify causes of pain in farm animals, including management procedures and diseases.
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Explore the scarcity of FDA-approved drugs for pain in farm animals, resulting in extra-label use.
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Investigate barriers to on-farm pain management and their impact on animal welfare.
