Our Commitment to Animal Welfare

For each species of livestock that we raise, we acknowledge the millennia of evolutionary and ecological circumstances that shaped the animal’s lives. At Caney Fork Farms, we honor that history by allowing each animal to express its natural behaviors.

Ruminants: we regularly rotate our cattle and sheep through our pastures, allowing them constant access to the freshest and highest quality forages, mimicking the way their ancestors traveled around grasslands in herds.

Pigs: our pigs are also rotated across our pastures, and in addition to munching on forage, they are able to root around in the soil, digging up tubers, insects, and more, fulfilling their drive for curiosity and foraging. 

We offer all of our animals ample space to move around, run, scratch against trees, interact with each other, and let them do their thing. We do not confine our animals.

Feeding ruminants grass (and only grass) is an animal welfare practice in itself. When ruminants eat grain, they develop an unnatural increase in acidity in their rumen. This reactionary process occurs in order to digest the grains, leading to bloating and discomfort. Because ruminants evolved in grasslands, they are made to digest grass. They’re only able to digest grain as an evolutionary backup plan. We acknowledge that it takes longer to finish animals on grass and grass alone. But the health and comfort of our animals is something we’ll never sacrifice.

We allow our calves, lambs, and piglets to stay with their mothers for an extended period of time. Nine months for cows, six months for sheep, and 8-10 weeks for pigs. 

This is a crucial window in which the animals receive maximum nutritional and immune-system benefits from their mothers. Additionally, weaning naturally occurs around the times stated above, so late weaning minimizes stress on both the young and mothers.

Each and every one of our animals has constant and unlimited access to forage, mineral supplements, water, shade, and dry ground year round. On a farm where animals are moving to new pastures every day this can be a lot of work, more than some may see as necessary, but for us there is no question. 

Our livestock team performs twice-daily vigilant animal observations. This allows our team to catch sickness or injury early, before it evolves into a more serious issue. And when issues arise, we have protocols in place to minimize animal suffering.

We are grateful to work alongside the livestock on our land. We build a relationship of mutual trust and respect with our animals each day, by spending a great deal of time close to them. We honor this relationship by handling them with calm, easy care. Anyone on our farm who will be handling our animals is well-trained beforehand on low-stress and safe ways to do so. We use a Temple Grandin style working facility and chute. We select for demeanor when breeding. All of this allows us to move and handle our livestock in ways that are low-stress for them, and safe for us.

This policy outlines the standards that CFF upholds for ensuring welfare of all animals on the farm, as well as the standards that we uphold other farms to when considering aggregation or purchasing opportunities. Variation from these policies is up to the discretion of the Head of Livestock in conjunction with the Farm Director. 

Standard

Policy

1. Animal Health

Our Livestock Team is well trained in the appearance of healthy vs unhealthy livestock and first symptoms of common livestock health issues, and performs thorough animal health checks at least once daily.

Any animal who becomes sick or injured immediately becomes the Livestock Team’s first priority.

Our farm’s Biosecurity Plan is adhered to at all times. Biosecurity of all existing animals on the farm is considered when hosting visitors, when farm employees are visiting other farms, and when purchasing new animals.

Medicines, including therapeutic levels of antibiotics, are used only when the Head of Livestock and/or Farm Director, in conjunction with the veterinarian, determine they will improve the wellbeing (fight off disease or reduce pain) of an animal.

• Homeopathic or natural medicines that have proven effective are always considered. 
• Whenever any medication use is necessary, the withdrawal period is doubled before processing the animal for meat. 
• Subtherapeutic levels of antibiotics, growth hormones, etc. are prohibited. 

Whenever possible considering management ease, weather concerns, & biosecurity for the other animals, sick or injured animals stay in the field with their herd during recovery. Because our system allows livestock to express their natural behaviors, continuity of life in the pasture gives them the greatest chance at a speedy and full recovery.

 If an animal does have to be separated from their group, they are given heat, fans, water, dry bedding, feed, and access to outside and inside the barn, as appropriate. 

• We keep records of all treatments given to animals and the results of those treatments, in order to improve decision making around treating animals in the future. 

2. Animal Handling

• When selecting replacement animals and animals for purchase, we strongly consider animal disposition to ensure safe handling for all animals and handlers.
• Anyone handling animals must have a basic understanding of livestock behavior, flight zones, and training in handling animals as listed below. Dogs used for pushing livestock must be trained and under control. 
• We use closed in, curved chutes whenever possible to maximize calm, animal motivated movement. 
• We handle our animals with calm, slow, and quiet motion, taking into account their natural responses. 
• Electric prods & lariats may not be used except in extreme cases where the safety of animals or handlers is at risk. 

3. Breeding

• We make all of our breeding decisions (keeping back breeding stock & purchasing new) in a way that promotes the welfare of animals in the system, and not in a way that only prioritizes economic / production outcomes. 
• Breeding through natural service is encouraged. Breeding through AI or embryo transfer must be considered only with calving or lambing ease scores as a high priority.
• We evaluate any breeding stock that is purchased through a lens of ability to thrive in our region and in our system. 
• We do not purchase breeding stock (or any animals) through sale barns. 

4. Babies & Weaning

• During calving, lambing, and farrowing, the Livestock Team checks on the mama group at least three times a day, with the first check by 8 a.m. at the latest and the last by 5 p.m. at the earliest.
• New Lamb, New Calf, and Farrowing SOPs are covered and understood by all Livestock Team Members before birth seasons begin. 
• A team member capable of intervening with birth, if necessary, is always available to respond to emergencies during baby seasons.
• We only intervene in birth if the Head of Livestock, Farm Director, or the farm veterinarian deems it necessary for the mama & baby’s survival. Otherwise, we give our animals the maximum amount of space possible while still being able to observe them. 
• Births always take place on dry ground with at least 90% bedding or forage coverage.
• Lambing & calving ideally occur on pasture, except in extremely severe weather. 
• Farrowing may occur outside or inside in temperature controlled stalls.
• We have a dry & warm space available, and colostrum replacer on hand for any struggling newborns during baby seasons. 
• We castrate lambs and calves within 48 hours of birth, and all piglets within 7 days. 
• We practice natural weaning for ruminants, separating calves from their mothers at a minimum of 8 months of age, and lambs at a minimum of 6 months. Grower pigs must be creep fed for at least 2 weeks before weaning, and are weaned at a minimum of 6 weeks old. 

5. Feed & Water

• All of our animals have unlimited access to clean drinking water at all times. 
• All of our ruminants have unlimited access to forage, or hay in the winter, at all times. All pigs have access to pasture, and an appropriate ration for their age group and life stage. 
• All of our ruminants have constant access to their mineral blend. Our pigs have a mineral blend included in their feed ration. 
• We make all changes to animal feed gradually. 
• Feed must not become moldy, mildewed, contaminated by rodents, or compromised in quality, and must be discarded if it does, even if that results in economic loss. 
• All of our ruminants are managed to AGA standards

6. Environment

• Our animals are always allowed ample space to move around and access to outside (with the exception of sick animals in extreme weather conditions). 
• Pigs in particular have constant access to pasture where they’re able to root around, (or enriching materials like straw while inside for farrowing), to allow them to exhibit their natural behaviors in a non-destructive way. Ruminants also have access to trees or their shade structure to scratch on. 
• Animals must always have access to dry ground, and ample shade. 
• Regular rotation of livestock ensures that animals are well-fed and helps prevent disease and parasites, minimizing the need for dewormers and antibiotics.
• The Livestock Team checks twice daily to ensure animals have access to all feed, water, and environmental requirements. The basic priority of the team’s job is to address any issues that prevent animals from having these essentials.

7. Movement & Transport

• The livestock trailer must be clean and in good condition, hooked up correctly and tires inspected before each trip to prevent any unnecessary breakdowns while loaded with animals. 
• Trailers must have textured floors and be bedded with straw prior to transport to prevent slipping. 
• We always load an appropriate amount of animals on the trailer, so that each animal has space to stand naturally, but not enough space to slide across the trailer. 
• We separate animals from different groups or species within the trailer if they are to be transported together. 
• We do not hold animals on the trailer any longer than necessary, or transport animals anywhere unnecessary in unfavorable weather conditions. 
• Animals may not be held in a trailer that is not moving for more than 12 hours, or more than 1 hour when the temperature is above 75 degrees or below 30 degrees F. 
• Animals held on any trailer for more than 1 hour in any weather must be provided with water. 
• In case of a vehicle breakdown with a trailer loaded with animals, every effort must be made to get animals off of the trailer as quickly as possible. 
• We uphold anyone who is transporting animals to or away from our farm to these standards, as well as our animal handling standards.