The Rural Voice, 1993-10, Page 26Redesigning the barn
U. of G. Proffessor Frank Hurnik is looking at housing
through the eyes of both the farmer and the animal
by Keith Roulston
Chickens that get to scratch in litter, that live
longer lives, yet still match the production of
their sisters kept in cages; sows that have more
freedom in their farrowing crates and actually
produce more piglets because of it; dairy cows
that aren't teathered and because of their contentment give
more milk — they're all living lives in a new kind of barn
that is the vision of Frank Hurnik.
The term "barnyard philosopher" has perhaps never
been so truly applied to anyone as it is to Professor Hurnik
of the University of Guelph. Hurnik has been busy, the past
few years, combining his knowledge of animal behaviour,
agriculture and philosophy to redesign the Ontario barn in
a way that makes it work as well or better for the farmer,
yet is more suitable to the animals kept there.
"Based on the study of the moral philosophers who deal
with the welfare of animals I've sort of formulated my own
personal position. In a simplistic way it can be described as
my desire to achieve benefits for all interactive partners,
which is the farmer, the animal and the society — the
farmer by getting respectable production and the
performance from the animals; the animals by improving
their quality of life; and society by getting food that is high
quality and produced in accordance with our ethical
principles.
"I don't just want to concentrate on the welfare of the
animals 100 per cent and ignore everything else. This is a
sort of conglomerate of interests. I think it can be done. It
is not necessarily an antagonistic relationship between the
three groups involved."
Prof. Hurnik has years of studying the behaviour of
animals behind his attempts to redesign equipment for the
modern barn. Watching the normal behaviour of animals
helps him design housing that will meet their needs at the
same time it meets the farmer's.
Hurnik's ideas first made news in 1990 when his study
of group housing for laying hens was made public. One of
the areas where animal welfarists are most critical of
modern farming practices is, in the keeping of laying hens
in batteries of cages.
ror farmers, however, caging layers was a great step
forward in reducing labour costs, space requirements,
losses in egg breaking and improving sanitary conditions
because the birds on wire have a cleaner surrounding. Yet
this unnatural surrounding does cause stress on the birds.
Working with student Alison Taylor, Hurnik attempted
to design a group housing situation which would be
Prof. Hurnik combines philosophy and practical design in
his work at University of Guelph.
22 THE RURAL VOICE