Barn Spotlight: Daybreak Farms

Location: Terrace, B.C.

Sector: Layers

The business
Daybreak Farms, located in the secluded town of Terrace, B.C., is a thriving egg operation. Comprising of layer barns, a grading station, and a feed mill, the farm employs about a dozen staff members. Following the unfortunate passing of her father, Kieran McKeown assumed control as general manager of the farm.  

Kieran McKeown quickly prioritized modernizing the farm after taking over as general manager.

Daybreak went with stackable, enriched housing for the new barns.

The need
Upon inheriting the business, McKeown promptly shifted her focus towards replacing the farm’s deteriorating conventional barns. She recognized the industry’s shift towards enriched housing. She also felt that her community prioritized affordability over whether hens were cage-free. So, she embarked on a decade-long modernization project, investing millions into the development of a state-of-the-art enriched housing facility. 

Each new barn has its own ventilation system and climate controllers.

The facility welcomed its initial two flocks in mid-September.

The barn
McKeown had a single expansive facility built comprising of six interconnected barns, each equipped with its own separate production unit. Opting for a mega structure instead of three individual barns proved to be a more efficient choice, as stated by McKeown. Each barn is furnished with enriched, stackable housing and possesses its own ventilation system, climate control, manure removal, and feeding system. However, they all benefit from a shared conveyor belt, enhancing the efficiency of egg collection and sanitization.  

Barn Spotlight highlights new and renovated barns and hatcheries. Do you know of a good candidate to be featured? Let us know at poultry@annexweb.com.