Quick reference guide – On-farm feed mills

The Feeds Regulations, 2024 impact a variety of stakeholders, including:

  • single ingredient feed manufacturers and suppliers
  • mixed feed manufacturers and suppliers (for example, commercial feed mills, specialty feed manufacturers, etc.)
  • rendering facilities manufacturing livestock feed ingredients
  • feed retail outlets
  • livestock producers (on-farm feed mills)
  • feed importers
  • feed exporters

On-farm feed mills are livestock producers who manufacture livestock feeds for animals on their farm. The Feeds Act and regulations do not apply to feeds made on-farm by livestock producers as long as the feed is not sold off the farm, is not medicated and does not contain any substance that presents a risk of harm. This exemption is found in the Feeds Act.

On-farm feed mills that use prohibited material in the manufacturing of their feeds for feeding the livestock on their farm would still be subject to the requirements under the Health of Animals Act and regulations.

Livestock producers who sell feeds would be considered a commercial feed mill. Please refer to the quick reference guide – commercial feed mills. Livestock producers who export feeds or import feeds, should also refer to the quick reference guide - feed exporters or the quick reference guide – feed importers, respectively.

Livestock producers who sell single ingredient feeds (SIFs) would be considered a SIF manufacturer. Please refer to the quick reference guide – single ingredient feed manufacturers.

Livestock producers who sell feeds that they purchased should also refer to the quick reference guide – feed retail outlets.

This quick reference guide applies to you if:

  • you purchase a medicated feed and then use it to further manufacture a feed
  • you purchase a non-medicated feed and then you use it to further manufacture a feed that contains a medicating ingredient (including common medicating ingredients, such as monensin or amprolium)
  • you purchase a medication (with or without a veterinary prescription) and then you use it to further make a medicated feed

If you only purchase a medicated feed, you would not be considered as manufacturing feed on your farm and would be exempt from the Feeds Regulations, 2024 requirements. As outlined above there is an exemption for feeds manufactured on-farm. The exemption is tied to whether a particular feed meets the criteria, not the farm as a whole. You may make some feeds that are exempt from the Feeds Act and regulations and other feeds that are not. The requirements outlined below are with respect to feeds that the Feeds Act and regulations apply to. However, it is recommended that if you make any feeds that are not necessarily subject to the Feeds Act and regulations, you consider following the same requirements for all feeds that you make. While an on-farm feed mill may be exempt from the Feeds Act and regulations, it may still be subject to the Health of Animals Act and regulations.

Regulatory requirements that apply to you

Hazard analysis and preventive control plans

You must prepare, keep, maintain and implement a written preventive control plan (PCP) which includes:

  • the identification and analysis of hazards associated with your premises, equipment used, incoming materials, livestock feeds, manufacturing, or other processes
    This would include receiving, handling or storage, and measures to prevent cross contamination
  • the control measures used to prevent, eliminate or reduce the hazards identified
  • preventive controls you implement to meet other regulatory requirements such as general and safety standards or record-keeping and traceability

This is a new regulatory requirement that will come into effect on June 17, 2025. Please refer to the preventive control plans – general overview and hazard analysis – general overview for additional information.

Licences

You are not required to have a licence. Licences are only required for feeds that are to be sent or conveyed across a provincial border or are to be exported. If the feed you are making is being sold across a provincial border or being exported, please refer to the quick reference guide – commercial feed mills. If your farm is located in more than 1 province you are not required to have a licence to move feed within your farm.

Record-keeping requirements

You are required to keep records of the medicated feeds you manufacture and any incoming starting materials, mixed feeds or SIFs used in those feeds. This includes the mix sheet and mix formula for all medicated feeds that you manufacture as well as any copies of veterinary prescriptions.

These updated requirements came into effect on July 3, 2024. Any medicated feed manufactured on or after July 3, 2024 must follow the updated record-keeping requirements and retain the records for 2 years.

Traceability

You are required to keep records related to traceability, which include records of the incoming ingredients, mixed feeds or SIFs you use and where they came from. The records must include the name of the feed, the lot number, the date, and contact information.

This is a new regulatory requirement that will come into effect on June 17, 2025. Please refer to the quick reference guide – traceability for additional information.

Product registration

You do not have to register your feeds manufactured on-farm for feeding the livestock on your farm. This is not a change from previous requirements.

Product labelling

You do not have to label feeds manufactured on farm for feeding the livestock on your farm. Note there may be labelling requirements for your feed under the Health of Animals Act and regulations.

Benefits

The Feeds Regulations, 2024 are outcome-based and risk-based regulations with the focus on feed safety and compliance through modernized regulatory requirements (for example, hazard analysis, preventive control plans, traceability, and labelling requirements) and permissions (for example, livestock feed approval and registration and licences). The benefits of the Feeds Regulations, 2024 include:

  • safeguarding livestock feed and the food production continuum
  • attaining the most effective and efficient balance between fair and competitive trade in the market; and
  • minimizing regulatory burden

Medicated feeds present a potential risk for livestock and for human health. Adding the wrong level of medication, either too much or too little, can result in an animal health issue or a food safety concern. New requirements for preventive control plans and record-keeping will help to prevent these problems before they occur. In addition, these new requirements are in line with on-farm food safety programs that already have preventive control plan principles in place for many aspects of livestock production.

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