Single-floor barns will be the easiest to adapt to modular loading of chickens.

Modular chicken loading means processor, farmer investment

Benefits include improved animal welfare and better workplace safety

Reading Time: 4 minutes Ontario will be joining most of the rest of Canada in moving to modular loading of chickens. But the change, mandated by Chicken Farmers of Ontario by 2024, will mean renovations to barns, some major, and investment by processors and transporters. Most chickens in the province are nabbed by chicken catchers in barns and carried to […] Read more

(File photo)

Egg production on the rise

Reading Time: < 1 minute CNS Canada – Canadian egg production has risen 4.4 per cent in the past year, according to data released today by Statistics Canada. Canadian egg producers generated 64.5 million dozen eggs from May 2016 to May this year, said StatsCan. Placement of hatchery chicks on farms rose four percent to 65.5 million birds from June […] Read more


(Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Chicken farmers to expand phase-out of antibiotics

Reading Time: 2 minutes The national body for Canada’s chicken producers has set new targets to phase out preventive use of the antimicrobials deemed next-to-most important in human medicine. Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) on Tuesday announced that, following the “successful elimination” of Category I antibiotics for disease prevention in chickens, its antimicrobial use strategy will next focus on […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

Tim Hortons parent updates antibiotic policy for chicken

Reading Time: 2 minutes The parent company for the Tim Hortons and Burger King chains has tightened up its pledge to curb the use of antibiotics by its chicken suppliers. Restaurant Brands International on Thursday released its first “Sustainability Report,” outlining its work during 2016 in support of “sustainable practices that promote positive change.” Back in late December, Oakville, […] Read more


(Stephen Ausmus photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Tyson to test new method to stun chickens

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Tyson Foods will test a new way to render chickens unconscious before slaughter, the company said Wednesday, in the latest sign that heightened concerns about animal welfare are affecting U.S. meat processors. Within the next year, Tyson, the biggest U.S. chicken company, will launch a pilot program at two processing plants […] Read more

(Video screengrab for MercyForAnimals.org)

Workers fired following chicken abuse video

Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — A British Columbia company tied to nationally broadcast footage of livestock abuse has laid off five workers, according to a statement from the organization Tuesday. The animal rights and vegan advocacy group responsible for capturing the video says that’s not enough, and is pursuing legal action. Employees at a Vancouver-area chicken farm […] Read more


(JBSsa.com)

JBS says Pilgrim’s Pride stake not for sale

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Brazilian meat packer JBS SA’s core U.S. assets, including its majority stake in Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., are not for sale, the company said on Wednesday, a day after announcing a deal to sell Argentine operations. U.S. chicken company Pilgrim’s Pride is critical to JBS’ long-term strategy of pursuing business opportunities that […] Read more

Taste-testing during a Canadian Beef Advantage Seminar in Shanghai in 2013. (Canada Beef via YouTube)

U.S., China agree to first trade steps under 100-day plan

Reading Time: 4 minutes Washington | Reuters –– The U.S. and China have agreed to take action by mid-July to increase access for U.S. financial firms and expand trade in beef and chicken among other steps as part of Washington’s drive to cut its trade deficit with Beijing. The deals are the first results of 100 days of trade […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

Subway says it shut hundreds of U.S. restaurants last year

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — U.S. sandwich chain Subway Restaurants said on Thursday it shut 359 restaurants in the U.S. last year, amid stiff competition in a highly fragmented fast-food industry. Subway, owned by Doctor’s Associates, is the world’s largest fast-food chain by number of restaurants. It had 26,744 locations operating in the U.S. at the end of […] Read more