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The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007

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  1. Introductory Text

  2. 1.Citation, commencement and application

  3. 2.Definitions and interpretation

  4. 3.Animals to which these Regulations apply

  5. 4.Duties on persons responsible for farmed animals

  6. 5.Additional duties on persons responsible for poultry, laying hens, calves, cattle, pigs or rabbits

  7. 5A.Monitoring and follow-up at the slaughterhouse

  8. 6.Codes of Practice

  9. 7.Offences

  10. 8.Prosecutions

  11. 9.Penalties

  12. Signature

    1. SCHEDULE 1

      General conditions under which farmed animals must be kept

      1. 1.Staffing

      2. 2.Inspection

      3. 3.Where animals are kept in a building, adequate lighting (whether...

      4. 4.Where any animals (other than poultry) are kept in a...

      5. 5.Without prejudice to paragraph 11(3) of Schedule 5A Any animals...

      6. 6.Where necessary, sick or injured animals must be isolated in...

      7. 7.Record keeping

      8. 8.The record referred to in paragraph 7 must be retained...

      9. 9.Freedom of movement

      10. 10.Where animals are continuously or regularly tethered or confined, they...

      11. 11.Buildings and accommodation

      12. 12.Accommodation and fittings for securing animals must be constructed and...

      13. 13.Air circulation, dust levels, temperature, relative air humidity and gas...

      14. 14.Animals kept in buildings must not be kept in permanent...

      15. 15.Where the natural light available in a building is insufficient...

      16. 16.Animals kept in buildings must not be kept without an...

      17. 17.Animals not kept in buildings

      18. 18.Automatic or mechanical equipment

      19. 19.Where defects in automated or mechanical equipment of the type...

      20. 20.Where the health and well-being of the animals is dependent...

      21. 21.The back-up system referred to in paragraph 20(a) must be...

      22. 22.Feed, water and other substances

      23. 23.Animals must not be provided with food or liquid that...

      24. 24.All animals must have access to feed at intervals appropriate...

      25. 25.All animals must either have access to a suitable water...

      26. 26.Feeding and watering equipment must be designed, constructed, placed and...

      27. 27.(1) —No other substance, with the exception of those given...

      28. 28.Breeding procedures

      29. 29.Animals may only be kept for farming purposes if it...

      30. 30.Electrical immobilisation

    2. SCHEDULE 2

      Additional conditions that apply to the keeping of laying hens in non-cage systems

      1. 1.All non-cage systems of production for keeping laying hens must...

      2. 2.All systems must be equipped in such a way that...

      3. 3.Where a system is equipped with nipple drinkers or cups,...

      4. 4.Where a system has drinking points plumbed in, at least...

      5. 5.The floors of installations must be constructed so as to...

      6. 6.If systems are used where the laying hens can move...

      7. 7.If laying hens have access to open runs —

      8. 8.Subject to paragraph (9), the stocking density must not exceed...

      9. 9.Where on 3rd August 1999 the establishment applied a system...

    3. SCHEDULE 3

      Additional conditions that apply to the keeping of laying hens in conventional cages

      1. 1.All conventional (unenriched) cage systems must comply with the requirements...

      2. 2.Cage systems must have at least 550 cm² per hen...

      3. 3.A feed trough must be provided which may be used...

      4. 4.(1) Unless nipple drinkers or drinking cups are provided, each...

      5. 5.Cages must be at least 40 cm high over at...

      6. 6.(1) Floors of cages must be constructed so as to...

      7. 7.Cages must be fitted with suitable claw-shortening devices.

      8. 8.No person may build or bring into service for the...

      9. 9.On and after 1st January 2012, no person may keep...

    4. SCHEDULE 4

      Additional conditions that apply to the keeping of laying hens in enriched cages

      1. 1.All laying hens not kept in a cage system referred...

      2. 2.Laying hens must have— (a) at least 750 cm² of...

      3. 3.A feed trough which can be used without restriction must...

      4. 4.Each cage must have a drinking system appropriate to the...

      5. 5.To facilitate inspection, installation and depopulation of hens there must...

      6. 6.Cages must be fitted with suitable claw-shortening devices.

    5. SCHEDULE 5

      Additional conditions applicable to all systems in which laying hens are kept

      1. 1.All hens must be inspected by the owner or other...

      2. 2.In all systems in which laying hens are kept—

      3. 3.(1) All buildings must have light levels sufficient to allow...

      4. 4.(1) Those parts of buildings, equipment or utensils which are...

      5. 5.Cages must be suitably equipped to prevent hens escaping.

      6. 6.Accommodation comprising two or more tiers of cages must have...

      7. 7.The design and dimensions of the cage door must be...

    6. SCHEDULE5A

      Additional conditions that apply in relation to conventionally reared meat chickens

      1. PART1 Interpretation

        1. 1.Interpretation

      2. PART 2 General additional conditions

        1. 2.Training

        2. 3.Stocking density limits

        3. 4.Notification of stocking density

        4. 5.Requirements for higher stocking densities

        5. 6.Drink and feed

        6. 7.Litter

        7. 8.Ventilation and heating

        8. 9.Noise

        9. 10.Light

        10. 11.Inspection

        11. 12.Cleaning

        12. 13.Record keeping

      3. PART 3 Monitoring and follow-up at the slaughterhouse

        1. 14.Food chain information and chickens dead on arrival

        2. 15.Identification of poor welfare conditions and follow-up

    7. SCHEDULE 6

      Additional conditions that apply to the keeping of calves confined for rearing and fattening

      1. 1.Accommodation

      2. 2.Inspection

      3. 3.Calves which are kept outside must be inspected by the...

      4. 4.Tethering

      5. 5.Artificially lit buildings

      6. 6.Cleaning and disinfection

      7. 7.Floors

      8. 8.Bedding and lying area

      9. 9.Bovine colostrum

      10. 10.Additional dietary requirements

      11. 11.Muzzling

      12. 12.Feeding

      13. 13.Drinking water

    8. SCHEDULE 7

      Additional conditions that apply to the keeping of cattle

      1. 1.Where lactating dairy cows or calving cows are kept in...

      2. 2.A pen or yard in a building used for calving...

      3. 3.Calving cows which are kept in a building must be...

    9. SCHEDULE 8

      Additional conditions that apply to the keeping of pigs

      1. PART 1 Interpretation

        1. 1.In this Schedule— “boar” means a male pig after puberty,...

      2. PART 2 General additional conditions

        1. 2.Inspection

        2. 3.Tethering

        3. 4.(1) Where tethers are used in accordance with paragraph 3,...

        4. 5.Accommodation

        5. 6.(1) The dimensions of any stall or pen used for...

        6. 7.Artificially lit buildings

        7. 8.Prevention of fighting

        8. 9.Cleaning and disinfection

        9. 10.Bedding

        10. 11.Floors

        11. 12.(1) Where concrete slatted floors are used for pigs kept...

        12. 13.Feeding

        13. 14.Drinking water

        14. 15.Environmental enrichment

        15. 16.Prohibition on the use of the sweat-box system

        16. 17.Noise levels

        17. 18.Noise levels above 85 dBA must be avoided in that...

      3. PART 3 Boars

        1. 19.Boar pens must be sited and constructed so as to...

        2. 20.The lying area must be dry and comfortable.

        3. 21.(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the minimum unobstructed floor area...

      4. PART 4 Sows and Gilts

        1. 22.Pregnant sows and gilts must, where necessary, be treated against...

        2. 23.Farrowing

        3. 24.In the week before the expected farrowing time, sows and...

        4. 25.During farrowing, an unobstructed area behind the sow or gilt...

        5. 26.Farrowing pens where sows or gilts are kept loose must...

        6. 27.Group housing

        7. 28.The pen where the group is kept must have sides...

        8. 29.The unobstructed floor area available to each gilt after service...

        9. 30.For gilts after service and pregnant sows, a part of...

        10. 31.Sows and gilts kept on holdings of 10 or fewer...

        11. 32.In addition to the requirements of paragraph 13 of this...

        12. 33.All dry pregnant sows and gilts must be given a...

      5. PART 5 Piglets

        1. 34.Where a farrowing crate system is used, piglets must be...

        2. 35.A part of the floor area where the piglets are...

        3. 36.Where a farrowing crate system is used, the piglets must...

        4. 37.Subject to paragraph 38, piglets must not be weaned from...

        5. 38.Piglets may be weaned up to seven days earlier than...

      6. PART 6 Weaners and rearing pigs

        1. 39.As soon as possible after weaning, weaners and rearing pigs...

        2. 40.If weaners and rearing pigs unfamiliar with one another have...

        3. 41.The use of tranquilising medication in order to facilitate mixing...

        4. 42.If there are signs of severe fighting, the causes must...

        5. 43.The unobstructed floor area available to each weaner or rearing...

    10. SCHEDULE 9

      Additional conditions that apply to the keeping of rabbits

      1. 1.Hutches or cages in which rabbits are kept must be—...

      2. 2.Where rabbits are kept in accommodation which is exposed to...

  13. Explanatory Note

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