File photo of a plate of tandoori chicken legs. (Paul_Brighton/iStock/Getty Images)

Ontario halal processor to buy poultry packing capacity

Amir Quality Meats taking up Wellington Poultry

Reading Time: < 1 minute An Ontario meat processor specializing in the halal market has a deal in place to boost its capacity by buying a nearby chicken and specialty fowl packer. Amir Quality Meats, which operates a federally registered HACCP-certified boning and cutting plant at Brampton, has an agreement in place to buy the processing plant and “associated supply” […] Read more

A plate of honey dijon glazed chicken wings. (SandersonFarms.com)

Cargill, Continental close U.S. chicken deal

Reading Time: < 1 minute Washington | Reuters — Cargill and Continental Grain said on Friday that they had closed their deal to buy Sanderson Farms, the third largest chicken producer, in a deal worth some US$4.53 billion. Under the deal, which was announced last August, Sanderson is being combined with Continental Grain subsidiary Wayne Farms. Sanderson will cease trading […] Read more


File photo of chicks on a genetic map of a chicken. (Peggy Greb photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

H7N3 avian flu found in chickens in Mexico, near Texas border

Reading Time: < 1 minute Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico’s agriculture ministry on Saturday reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic H7N3 bird flu virus in two hatching egg production barns in the northern state of Coahuila, which borders on Texas. The strain in question has existed in some regions of the country since 2012, the ministry said in a statement. […] Read more

File photo of a bald eagle at Churchill on Hudson Bay in northeastern Manitoba. (Enrico Pescantini/iStock/Getty Images)

High-path bird flu reaches Manitoba airspace

H5N1 confirmed in wild birds found last week in province's west

Reading Time: 3 minutes Manitoba’s feather sectors and backyard flock owners are being reminded to take the necessary precautions now that highly pathogenic avian flu has been confirmed in wild birds found last week. The province’s natural resources department reported Wednesday that the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) has confirmed the presence of high-path H5N1 avian flu in two […] Read more


File photo of chicks on a genetic map of a chicken. (Peggy Greb photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Avian flu arrives in Saskatchewan poultry

More outbreaks also confirmed in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec

Reading Time: 3 minutes Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in a poultry flock and a non-commercial flock in separate areas of Saskatchewan. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it confirmed high-path avian flu on Thursday in a small non-commercial flock in the RM of Moose Mountain, near Carlyle in the province’s southeast, and on Saturday in a […] Read more

(Video screengrab for MercyForAnimals.org)

Chicken abuse caught on video nets $600,000 in fines

Sofina Foods, chicken-catching company fined; other charges stayed

Reading Time: 2 minutes A poultry processor and its “chicken-catching” service provider whose handling of chickens in British Columbia wound up on network TV are now each on the hook for $300,000 in fines. The fines were levied against Sofina Foods and Elite Farm Services after the two companies pled guilty to two counts each of Health of Animals […] Read more


A refrigerator is stuck in a tree at Dawson Springs, Kentucky, about 140 km west of Bowling Green, on Dec. 13, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Jon Cherry)

U.S. tornadoes destroy chickens, tractors, silos

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A Deere dealership and a Pilgrim’s Pride chicken hatchery were destroyed when deadly tornadoes swept through Kentucky on Friday, while silos holding millions of bushels of corn suffered damage, the companies and the state’s agriculture commissioner said on Monday. At least 64 people, including six children, lost their lives in Kentucky […] Read more

Chicks atop images from a genetic map of a chicken. (Peggy Greb photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

EU’s bird flu outbreaks reach Poland

Country's outbreaks hit farms totalling 650,000 birds

Reading Time: 2 minutes Paris | Reuters — Poland has reported several outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu at poultry farms with flocks totalling nearly 650,000 birds, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday. Poland is the European Union’s largest poultry producer. Five outbreaks, of which four were at fattening turkey farms and one at […] Read more


Rejean Nadeau. (Photo courtesy Olymel)

Olymel CEO dies of ‘sudden’ cancer

Rejean Nadeau died Thursday at 71

Reading Time: 2 minutes The CEO of Canadian pork and poultry packer Olymel has died of a “sudden and virulent cancer” at age 71, his company reported Friday morning. Rejean Nadeau, the CEO of Sollio Co-operative’s meatpacking and processing arm since 1996, died Thursday at his home at Rougemont, Que., about 25 km south of St-Hyacinthe, Olymel said in […] Read more

Photo: Thinkstock

Cargill, Continental Grain to buy chicken producer Sanderson Farms for $4.5 bln

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters – Commodities trader Cargill Inc and agricultural investor Continental Grain Co will buy chicken producer Sanderson Farms Inc for $4.53 billion, the companies said on Monday, at a time when meat prices have been soaring due to strong demand. The deal would see Sanderson Farms, the third-largest poultry producer in the United States, join […] Read more