Animal care and safety

The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is a demonstration farm in the heart of Ottawa. At the museum, our top priority is the health and well-being of both visitors and animals. As a working farm, we take extensive measures to ensure our animals are well cared for while creating a safe environment for staff and visitors.

Read on to learn how we care for our animals and what you can do to help keep both yourself and the animals safe during your visit.

Our animals enjoy safe environments tailored to their needs throughout the year – from meeting different nutritional needs, to providing daily care, and access to outdoor spaces. Our care practices allow our farmers to monitor each animal’s health, including regular visits from experts like hoof trimmers, shearers, and veterinarians. This helps us maintain their health and well-being year-round. During the spring, summer, and fall, dairy cows spend the night in a pasture where they have access to fresh grass and hay. The museum’s annual milk quality certifications are a testament to the strong health of these dairy cows, and the excellent care they receive as well as to the museum’s accordance with government and industry herd health guidelines.

The museum’s beef herd, donkeys, and horses have access to outdoor spaces throughout the year. The goats, sheep, alpacas, rabbits, and poultry have periodic access to outdoor space throughout the spring, summer, and fall.

Pigs are social and intelligent animals and are often provided toys to help stimulate brain function and physical activity. We regularly alternate the toys, introducing new ones to keep them entertained.

Some animals on the farm are kept together while others may be housed in separate enclosures. These differences are based on the needs of each breed and of each individual animal. For example, while calves and sheep are kept together because it promotes animal wellbeing for those breeds, other animals such as sows live in separate enclosures since they may injure one another when they are kept together. This also allows staff to monitor their food and waste as a way of preventing illness. Separate enclosures can also ensure worker safety since it allows staff to clean and care for animals – such as pigs – while avoiding being in the middle of a fight.

Biosecurity is the word we use for practices that prevent the introduction and spread of diseases.

At the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, we follow guidelines from the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to protect the health of our animals. By following these practices, we help create a healthy environment for both visitors and animals.

Animals such as cows and pigs receive ear tags by law in order to identify them for traceability reasons. Museum staff also follow best practices in the collection and storage of milk from the museum’s dairy cows which goes to the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, to be processed and distributed in grocery stores.

At the museum, simple measures from visitors also have a role to play in biosecurity. Here’s how you can help:

• Handwashing, during and following your visit
• Following signs that designate where you can and cannot go
• Following museum signs and staff directions about which animals you can and cannot touch

By practicing these steps, you’re helping prevent the spread of disease and ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Before your visit, you can review best practices for visiting farms in Canada to understand how you can contribute to animal welfare during your visit.