Archive for July, 2008
It’s time to get your mixing bowls out the cupboard, your flour out the pantry and most importantly place those thinking caps well and truly on your head! RSPCA Cupcake Day is just around the corner, and we need you and your most creative critter-esque cupcakes!
Cupcake Day is on Monday August 18, but right now is the time to start getting organised! You can register now… start rounding up workmates, friends, family, strangers (well..maybe not) whoever you think can help make… and/or munch !! You can have your own Cupcake Day at work, at a Parents/Social group, your children’s school, have a cupcakes and cocktail night with girlfriends and watch a chick flick- it’s up to you…however you decide to get involved, the money all ends up here - at the RSPCA, helping the animals. And… let’s face it, helping injured, abandoned and/or homeless animals is definitely worth the extra calorie intake!!
Simply go to the Cupcake Day website for registration forms, recipes and decoration ideas. There’s even an area you can send you best cupcake decorations and you could be judged as one of our winners! There are some fantastic prizes up for grabs… so grab the ’smarties’, licorice and crazy colouring and go wild!! Well… what are you waiting for?! Click onto the site (below) and get baking .. or should I say cupcaking?!!
Click here and go to the RSPCA Cupcake Day site
But wait!! There are other options if the only thing you have ever created in a kitchen is a fire…if you’re in the city on Cupcake Day (Monday August 18) , we are have a Cupcake Day Party happening in Light Square, starting from 9:30am with animals helping us out (!!) and lots of fun to be had…and yes, lots of sugar to be consumed. We’ll also be selling ‘pupcakes’ from Light Square that you can buy for your pooch!!
In the Blackwood area? Blackwood’s RSPCA thrift shop will be selling their delicious cupcake creations, so pop in have a bite to eat and have a look at one of our fantastic, value for money second hand stores - again, it’s all helping our furry friends.
ALSO - on the Saturday before Cupcake Day, the 16th of August, from around 10am we’ll have some cupcake helpers selling up a storm at the Lonsdale Shelter. You can buy them for a morning tea munch, and then have a browse at the animals we have up for adoption. It really is a nice morning out for the kids, lots of families like taking their kids to visit the pups and pusses, they can feed some of dogs, and learn about animal welfare.. all while having a bit of a sugar hit!! While there you can also purchase a bag of ‘pupcakes’ for your dogs at home, or donate them back to the shelter, to brighten up shelter life for our cute critters.
Anything the website can’t answer? Give Michelle a call at Headquarters on 8212 6871… and thank you for choosing to make a difference. We simply could not help the animals without the help of our brilliant supporters.
July 30th, 2008
- Battery hens are kept in a cage that is about 3/4 the size of an A4 size of paper, it’s the roof is too short for them to stand, and there’s no way they could spread their wings.
- Regulations recently introduced mean the size will increase slightly .. but will still be just under an A4 size of paper..although improvement is good, we will always oppose battery hens.
- Meat birds live between 30-60 days depending on how heavy there are…the heavier they are the longer they live.
- One shed may house up to 60,000 meat birds, there are 11.6 Million battery caged hens are kept in Australia
- Once hatched, chicks are ‘graded’ - unhealthy chicks, deformed chicks are killed by lethal gas.
- In 2006/07 454 million chickens were slaughtered to produce over 811,000 tonnes of chicken meat, with Australians consuming 39.5 kilograms of chicken, turkey and duck meat each… the production of chicken meat was valued at over $1.3 billion.
- NSW and Victoria produce the most chicken meat, while QLD is becoming a very large producer too.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Unlike eggs and pork, the RSPCA does not yet put it’s ’stamp of approval’ on any chicken meat. Consumers should look for free range organic chicken - this chicken is the best in terms of animal welfare.
Another way to help the cause is to ask/encourage/tell your local restaurant/care etc. to use Free Range chicken - it actually tastes a lot better, so they’re much better off!
Another way you can help is by writing to the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, as well as your State Minister or why not write a letter to a large chicken producer, or a large food chain that uses chicken.. one person can make a difference.. here are the sites to go to!
Website of Tony Burke - Fed. Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry CLICK HERE
Website of Rory McEwen, SA Minister for Agriculture, CLICK HERE
July 23rd, 2008
The RSPCA believes that farm animals must be treated in a way so as to meet their physical, physiological and psychological needs.
Farm animals must not only be provided with appropriate food, shelter and veterinary care, they must have the freedom to express normal behaviours and be kept in an environment which avoids suffering. The RSPCA therefore opposed many common practices in farming and animal husbandry because it believes that such practices do not meet the animals’ needs. These include, as examples, the keeping of hens in battery cages, the use of sow stalls and tethering for pigs and hot iron branding of livestock.
Cruel practices are not illegal
Whilst the RSPCA has policies opposing such practices, the practices are not illegal. To try and bring about improvements in conditions for farm animals, the RSPCA runs public campaigns and lobbies government and industry. For example, the RSPCA, together with other animal welfare organisations and with industry groups, was involved in the Federal government’s review of the Code of Practice for pig husbandry and through that process achieved better welfare standards for pigs.
Welfare friendly alternatives
In the absence of legislation that would be able to ban practices (the government has to bring these in) that the RSPCA finds unacceptable, the RSPCA believes that it is vital that consumers are made aware of such practices and that consumers are provided an incentive to producers to adopt human farming practices.
RSPCA welfare standards - Layer hens
The RSPCA, in the 1990’s, developed a set of standards for egg producers that ensure a high standard of welfare for hens. That is the hens are not kept in battery cages, have litter in which to dust bathe, space to flap their wings, stretch and socialise, nests in which to lay eggs and adequate perch space. RSPCA-accredited barn housed hens are kept at a maximum stocking density of 7 birds/m2. Any egg producer can apply for accreditation for their farm. This will be granted if they are able to meet the high standards of welfare required and allow regular inspections to ensure these conditions are maintained. Eggs from accredited farms are sold with an RSPCA logo so the consumer can be assured that the hens are kept according to these welfare standards.
RSPCA welfare standards - Pigs
More recently the RSPCA has developed standards for animal welfare friendly pork production. Under these standards a pig farm will be considered for accreditation if all pigs are kept either in well managed extensive outdoor system or within indoor environments that cater for the behavioural and physical needs of sows, boars and piglets reared for slaughter, and where considerate handling, transportation and humane slaughter are observed. Practices such as sow stalls and nose ringing are not permitted.
Accredited egg and pork producers pay a royalty to the RSPCA. All royalties from accreditated organisations are used to pay specialist officers who carry out regular inspections of the accredited properties, to fund the development of certification standards and to fund ongoing campaigns aimed at improving the welfare of farm animals.
Things to remember when at supermarket…
Wherever possible ONLY buy eggs that have a RSPCA logo on them. The key is to look for ‘Barn Laid’ as opposed to free range. However, obviously, free range is your next best bet if no barn laid is available.
Here are some products to look out for:
Coles Barn Laid Eggs, Farm Pride "Mrs McKechie’s" Barn Laid Eggs, Pace Barn Laid Eggs.
Click here for more info on brands and egg industry.. excellent page!
There is also a range of RSPCA accredited free range pork products. There are available from an excellent company called ‘Otway Pork’. Click on green writing below to go to their website. You’ll be surprised by the amount of butchers who stock it!!
Click on this link to find butchers who stock products in your area
Please feel free to blog questions about this topic.. we welcome all opinions, questions, comments… that’s what blogging is about..
I am going to also post some more interesting info that has been compiled by RSPCA Australia this afternoon.. together we can make a difference…
Entry Filed under: Uncategorized
July 23rd, 2008
Tonight celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will empower Australian consumers with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions at the checkout. It’s hoped that the episode will crack open the reality of a brutal industry and improve the lives of millions of layer and meat chickens across the country.
Jamie’s ‘Fowl Dinners’ is a challenging look at the poultry industry and aims to let us all know horrible truth about our chicken roasts and scrambled eggs.
"In terms of what I hope to achieve, I think if even a small percentage of people watching were informed and decided to shop differently as a result, then that would make a real difference," Jamie Oliver said.
The RSPCA fully supports the celebrity chef and animal welfare advocate in his bid to educate people about how their food is farmed.
Intensive poultry farming is one of the Society’s biggest welfare concerns, Aimee McKay, spokesperson, says while the program is filmed from a British perspective, many of the practices are identical.
‘There are 11.6 million egg laying hens in Australia leading miserable lives in cage, and their freedom lies in our hip pocket. The welfare of most meat chickens, or broilers, is also significantly compromised in Australia, with the majority of broilers farmed intensively in sheds.’
‘Many Australians are confused or don’t trust labeling, think it’s too hard and/or expensive to find animal welfare products. These concerns can be easily allayed by becoming informed, and using that knowledge when filling the trolley. That is what this program strives to achieve. ‘
Jamie says one of the biggest problems is that people have become accustomed to paying a pittance for their eggs and meat, forcing many farmers to produce them intensively, at a low cost.
"I’m not asking people to pay three times as much, just what they can afford. It’s morally better for the animal and it’s morally better for the producers, because I haven’t met a farmer yet who wouldn’t love to move up to a better welfare situation for their animals."
He said he appreciates the program may be confronting for some people but it’s a story that needs to be told.
"I don’t think it’s sensational to show people the reality of how chickens live and die at the moment. It may be upsetting for some people, but that’s how things are. And if seeing some of the practices helps to change the shopping habits of just 5% of people watching, then it will be worth it," Jamie said.
The RSPCA encourages all people to tune in to Channel 10 tonight at 9:30pm. Those wanting more information on where you can buy RSPCA accredited eggs in SA, as well as free range chicken should call 8212 6871 or go to www.rspca.org.au.
I am also about to post the National Food Accreditation and some facts about the broiler industry for your information and perusal. Please choose wisely.
July 23rd, 2008
The RSPCA received a call at 7:30 am Monday morning (July 7), and were asked to attend a truck rollover at Burton. The truck had been transporting thousands of chickens when it came to grief on Port Wakefield Road.
RSPCA rescue officers arrived on scene around 8:15am and after surveying the site, estimated around 4,000 birds had died instantly as a result of the accident. A further 500 were destroyed by officers at the scene. The birds were suffering a range of acute injuries including broken wings and lacerations.
RSPCA officers were on site until after midday.
Around 1,000 survived and were re-loaded and taken to their original destination.
This incident comes in the same week hundreds of sheep lost their lives when a road train crashed in the state’s far north, and 20 cattle died in a truck rollover an hour north of Melbourne.
‘This spate of incidents is a terrible reminder of the risks inherent in transporting animals. The RSPCA urges all those farmers and companies who must transport animals to ensure the truck itself and the driver are as safe as possible, and the journey is as short as possible. These accidents often incur very nasty injuries upon the animals involved.’
The RSPCA has recently put forward submissions to the National Code for Live Stock Land Transportation. These include greatly reducing the length of journeys, regular stops, and driver accountability.
For more information about land transportation of animals, as well as live exports, go to www.handlewithcare.org.au
July 10th, 2008
The nights have been noticeably cooler in the last month - and it’s not just humans that feel the freeze. Our animals need to keep nice and warm too.. and they do this thanks to generous blanket donations from people like you!
However, currently, our blanket cupboard is looking far too bare, and we need your help! If you have any clean, decent quality blankets, towels, rugs etc - our pooches and pusses will be forever grateful! Unfortunately we can’t take your quilts, pillows etc, they are just far too tempting for our dogs and quickly become ‘chew toys’!
le we welcome your donations at any of our thrift shops, we would love it if you could make it into our Headquarters at 172 Morphett St, as this is where our animals need help most urgently. The Lonsdale Shelter’s cupboard isn’t quite as bare, but of course, they always welcome donations.
THRIFT SHOP LOCATIONS:
67A SEMAPHORE ROAD, SEMAPHORE
13/168-170 MAIN ROAD, BLACKWOOD
455 BRIGHTON ROAD, BRIGHTON
3/352 MORPHETT ROAD, WARRADALE
July 3rd, 2008
