Animal welfare – Poultry and small farmed animals

The EURCAW-Poultry-SFA has five main activities: 1) Coordinated assistance, 2) Animal welfare indicators, methods for the assessment and methods of improvement 3) Scientific and technical studies, 4) Training courses, and 5) Dissemination of research findings and innovations.
During the next two-year period (2023-2024), each activity includes two to four sub-activities. All partners participate in all activities.
In the forthcoming period, the activities of the EURCAW-Poultry-SFA will focus on the welfare of poultry and rabbits. Other small-farmed animals will be dealt with only under Activity 1 (coordinated assistance) if specific queries on these animals arise. The Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission (DG SANTE) together with the EURCAW-Poultry-SFA has identified five priority areas to deal with in the next two-year period:
1. Broiler chickens on farm.
2. Laying hens in alternative housing systems.
3. Stunning and killing
4. Rabbits on farm, with a focus on alternative housing systems.
5. Turkeys on farm and during transport
The activities of the work programme will be targeted around these five priority areas. The present work programme will detail the first year (2023) and give perspectives about what is planned to be developed in the following year (2024).