Resolutions addressing veal calf housing and livestock identification were among the issues debated by the AVMA’s House of Delegates during the association’s 145th annual meeting in New Orleans.
With 88.7 percent of the delegates voting to accept, the AVMA adopted a position supporting a change from veal husbandry systems that "severely restrict movement" to housing that allows "greater freedom of movement without compromising health or welfare." The delegates also approved a separate resolution supporting AVMA animal welfare committee’s comprehensive analysis of the science considering all relevant perspectives of veal calf production.
In other business, by a unanimous vote, the delegates approved a resolution supporting identification of livestock to enable trace back and trace forward of animals for the purpose of animal disease control and eradication programs. The association supports the development of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) being implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.