Animal Welfare Judging/Assessment Team Program

NIFA participates in the Animal Welfare Judging/Assessment Team Program coordinated by Michigan State University's Animal Behavior and Welfare Group in partnership with land-grant universities and the Humane Society of the United States.

The program gives students in collegiate animal science departments the opportunity to use information from various sources to assess the well-being of farm animals in diverse production settings. In intercollegiate contests, students are asked to explain to a judge which animals are perceived to have better welfare in their production settings.

Michigan State University has coordinated the development of these contests for the past three years by working with department chairs throughout the nation. Faculty members lead teams and teach college students about animal well-being issues as they relate to production practices. NIFA is modifying this concept for use in state and national 4-H and National FFA Organization animal judging competitions.

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