The Rural Development Administration has distributed a manual of animal welfare guidelines that any farm, even one without official certification for animal welfare, can implement. iClickArt (This image is protected by copyright law and unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.)

By Jeong Euiseok

A newly released guide presents guidelines on proper animal welfare for all types of farms.

The Rural Development Administration's (RDA) manual outlines practices that even farms without official certification for animal welfare can implement.

The core guidelines cover livestock management in areas like rearing, facility environment, health and behavior. It details standards for appropriate living spaces and facilities tailored to the growth stages of seven animal types: laying hens, broiler chickens, pigs, hanwoo (domestic) and beef cattle, dairy cows, ducks and goats.

The guide also contains information on monitoring their health status and managing pain and stress.

For laying hens and broiler chickens, the advice is to check for leaks in watering systems and the condition of litter, with any wet or hardened matter to be removed and replaced with fresh dry material. Since ducks have a natural attraction to water, another guideline recommends keeping the area around their watering facilities dry and conducting regular inspections for foot lesions and abnormalities in their gait.

Farmers should also periodically check the cleanliness of water troughs for beef and dairy cows as well as their hooves and gait.

For pigs, the guide instructed checks on watering systems and prevention of abnormal behavior such as tail or ear biting. For goats, it said to clean water troughs at least once a day and look for signs such as abnormal hoof wear or inflammation, with prompt action for any issue.

Local governments and relevant associations nationwide have received this guide, which is also available for download as an e-book from the RDA's Nongsaro site (https://www.nongsaro.go.kr).

Photos from animal welfare guidelines for farms (Rural Development Administration)