2120 final report.pdf - Agra CEAS Consulting

APPENDIX 2: THIRD COUNTRIESA2.3.2.2. Main production systemsIt can be assumed that all laying hens are held in conventional cages.Animal welfare:Animal welfare is not as important an issue in Mexico as in many developed countries. For mostconsumers, the principal concern is price, according to the industry representatives interviewed inthe context of this study. Nevertheless, this issue appears to be coming onto the industry’s ‘radar’.The National Poultry Union is currently developing what is called a “Mexican Official Norm”regarding the humanitarian treatment of farm animals. It will deal with such topics as appropriatefeeding, transportation, and ventilation practices. It will not address the issue of density or numberof hens per cage. According to the chief veterinarian of the National Poultry Union, producersgenerally follow the recommendations of the suppliers of cages regarding density and these oftenvary from one company to the next.A2.3.2.3. Technical dataAs in the US, moulting is used in egg production in Mexico. It is not clear how extensively it is usedthough UNA estimates that 25% to 30% of all eggs are produced in the second cycle of production.Since a second cycle of production generally accounts for no more than 40% of a flock’s overallproduction, the UNA estimate suggests that a significant share of the commercial flocks in Mexicoare moulted. The distribution of laying hens by age Table A2.28 is also indicative of a system that isapplying the moulting technique on a broad scale.Table A2.28: Number of birds in Mexico’s layer flocks, by age 1997 – 2003 (‘000)Age 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003Pullets (0 – 18 weeks) 26,644 28,215 32,316 32,851 34,076 34,586 33,205Hens (18 – 86 weeks) 73,876 75,292 84,137 92,521 94,590 96,286 91,681Hens (over 86 weeks) 18,000 22,000 19,000 17,350 19,000 19,000 19,000Total 118,520 125,507 135,453 142,722 147,666 149,872 143,886Source: National Poultry Association.Performance information for egg production in Mexico is not routinely collected and is thereforedifficult to find. The information displayed in Table A2.29 was obtained from three sources. The USagricultural attaché in Mexico City reports that the leading layer breeds in Mexico are Babcock 300(35%) and Hy-Line (33%). The UNA staff confirms that Babcock 300 is the most prominent breed.Thus, the key performance measures presented here refer to Babcock 300’s breeds, as obtainedfrom their management guides. In the case of Hy-Line W-36, Table A2.29 provides information forboth one-cycle and two-cycle approaches. It should be noted that these measures representperformance under prescribed management practices. While many of the best-equipped producersin Mexico can and do attain these levels, smaller, less well-equipped producers probably do not.These estimates should not, therefore, be considered representative of the entire industry.358