The recently updated Canadian code of practice for the care and handling of broilers includes new requirements regarding lighting. The code takes into consideration expertise from a committee of researchers and specialists, and also considers several studies out the University of Saskatchewan, conducted by poultry researchers Karen Schwean-Lardner and Henry Classen in collaboration with Aviagen. Schwean-Lardner presented her findings at a recent Poultry Industry Council broiler meeting.

With the use of antibiotics for growth and performance promotion phased out in Canadian poultry production, boosting support for overall health is critical. Indeed, overall health is closely related to gut health in chickens and turkeys – the better the gut health, the better the chances of avoiding necrotic enteritis and other diseases that can lead to poor performance and mortality.

While on a recent farm visit, a poultry producer said something that really resonated with me. We were talking about lighting and he referred to the use of incandescent bulbs as “the good old days.”

Nesting behaviour in laying hens is complex, and according to poultry scientists such as Dr. Michelle Hunniford of the department of animal biosciences at the University of Guelph in Ontario, there’s a lot left to discover.

Currently, more than 90 per cent of broiler chicken feeds contain enzyme supplements, which have a direct positive effect on animal performance.

When it comes to disease diagnostics, time is of the essence. And yet there is currently no commercial, on-farm detection technique for poultry diseases like avian influenza (AI).

February turned out to begin very cold, more snow and windy. Any work that could be done inside the new barn building was done when temperatures were not frigid. Some days were too cold to get any work done.

Electrical lines for lights got installed on the ceiling and the baffle on the west side. Any work that had to be done on the ceiling or high areas had to be done before the scissor lift got picked up.

The arrangement with the scissor lift was that you pay a weekly rate, and when you have it for three weeks, you get the fourth week free. This is what worked for us.

From February 4 - 6, the insulation got put in the attic. The first day was very mild with the snow melting on the roof causing a steady stream of dripping off the steel roof. This job had two fellows who were experienced in insulating attics completing the work.

We had two overhead doors to be installed – one for the cooler for Burnbrae Farms to do their weekly pick-up of eggs, and the other as a big entrance to the main barn when the birds arrive and then depart after 51 weeks.

Timing for this had to be when the interior was completed so that the doors could be fastened to completed walls and ceiling.

Again, working in a freezing temperature environment had to be avoided.

Both doors got installed February 11 and finishing these up occurred the next weekend.

For the entire month, we were anticipating getting the concrete for the floor poured.

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I have never watched the weather forecast so diligently, and part of frustrating February was that we wanted the concrete floor to get poured.

Nick chose a warmer stretch of weather later in the month to start using propane to run the heater to begin thawing the ground.

Preparation work to level the floor for concrete took place on February 23 and continued early in the next week. The weather forecast had sun and mild temperatures for that week.

Once again, loads of stone were brought in, a bobcat brought stone inside, and a roller flattened out the floor to make it level with the help of laser level that was set up on a tripod in the corner of the barn.

February 28 brought a 13-degree day, and the concrete floor was finally poured.

There were a dozen guys doing the pour, running the concrete pumping truck, and spreading and levelling the concrete.

The first concrete truck came by 8:00 A.M. and the last truck load was done by 12-noon. A truck came every half hour. All of this activity brought curious neighbors to sneak a peek at all the action going on.

The next couple days were filled with finishing the concrete with power trowels to give it a smooth finish.

March came in like a lion on the 1st with a snowstorm in Haldimand County, about 15 centimeters of snow, and the first snow day for school kids.... so, we were glad that this big job was done.

Cindy Egg Farmerette

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CLICK HEREto read more about Cindy's experience transitioning from a conventional to an enriched layer barn.

There are some types of E. coli (known as avian pathogenic E. coli [APEC]) that can cause serious or fatal colibacillosis infection in chickens. Many factors predispose birds to the infections.

In livestock farming – or really, in any complex endeavour – a good start is critical. With raising broilers, deficiencies in starting care have often been overlooked in years past for several reasons, according to Dr. Stewart Ritchie, a poultry veterinarian and owner of Canadian Poultry Consultants and S. J. Ritchie Research Farms Ltd. in Abbotsford, B.C.

Ensuring that Canadians have access to safe and healthy food is a top priority for the federal government. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), along with their federal food safety partners, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as industry, remind Canadians about the importance of always fully cooking frozen raw breaded poultry products prior to consumption, as well as using proper food handling techniques and following cooking instructions to limit the risk of foodborne illnesses as salmonella is commonly found in raw chicken and frozen raw breaded chicken products.

Extensive efforts have been made by the federal food safety partners and the industry to increase consumer awareness that these products are raw and need to be fully cooked before consumption, as well as significant attempts by the industry to improve labelling and cooking instructions on packages.

Despite these efforts, frozen raw breaded chicken products continue to be identified as a source of salmonella infection in Canada.

As such, the CFIA is working with industry to identify and implement measures at the manufacturing/processing level to reduce salmonella to below a detectable amount in frozen raw breaded chicken products such as chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, chicken strips, popcorn chicken and chicken burgers that are packaged for retail sale. This approach focuses the responsibility on the poultry industry and represents a fundamental change to existing requirements for frozen raw breaded chicken products.

These new measures call for processors to identify salmonella as a hazard and to implement changes in order to produce an end product that reduces salmonella to below a detectable amount. The CFIA has granted industry a 12-month implementation period, to begin immediately, to make these changes.

"The poultry industry's objective is to provide consumers with affordable, safe poultry products, every day. We will continue to work with CFIA to ensure consumers have access to safe frozen raw breaded chicken products," said Robin Horel, president and CEO, Canadian Poultry & Egg Processors Council.

In the last 10 years the incidence of salmonella illness in Canada has steadily increased. This increase has been driven by Salmonella enteritidis (SE), the most common strain of salmonella in the food supply that is often associated with poultry.

While frozen raw breaded chicken products often appear to be "pre-cooked" or "ready-to-eat," these products contain raw chicken and are intended to be handled and prepared the same way as other raw poultry. The safety of these products rests with the consumer who is expected to cook it, according to the directions on the package.

In 2015, industry voluntarily developed additional labelling on frozen raw breaded chicken products that included more prominent and consistent messaging, such as "raw," "uncooked" or "must be cooked" as well as explicit instructions not to microwave the product and they voluntarily introduced adding cooking instructions on the inner-packaging bags.

For more information, visit: http://www.inspection.gc.ca

Cobb-Brazil is investing more than one-million dollars in a new fleet of state-of-the-art chick transporters to make sure chicks arrive to customers in top condition. Brazil's large landscape with spread-out farms previously presented a challenge for conventional trailers without specialized climate control.

The first of the new vehicles has already proved its worth in delivering chicks with zero mortality and another six trailers will join the fleet by the end of March. The transporters were designed as part of a joint project with global trailer manufacturer Smithway and Brazil's Facchini, located in São Jose do Rio Preto where Cobb Brazil is headquartered.

The new trailer is equipped with a 100,000 BTU air conditioning system with generators to provide electricity for cooling and heating. The vehicle is designed without corridors so it can hold up to 60,000 chicks - twice the capacity of conventional trailers.

"During their first days chicks need to be kept in constant warmth to ensure good early development," said Lucas Lima, Cobb logistics manager in Brazil. "Conventional trailers depend greatly on the external climate as they are only equipped with humidification, exhaust and ventilation systems. We needed a trailer equipped with independent climate control to ensure the wellbeing and ideal environment for our chicks."

Two fuel-powered generators enable cooling even if the truck's engine is off - an essential feature that allows for periods when the driver is taking a break or, for instance, when the truck is waiting at the airport before loading. The generators operate separately, with the second one only used if the main generator fails.

Internal air quality control is also improved with the new technology. With little air exchange, the chance of harmful organisms circulating inside the trailer is reduced.

"We have been using the new transporter since November and are very pleased with the results," added Lima. "We have been working with near-zero mortality during chick transport as a result of the excellent temperature control and comfort within the trailers. Our goal is that the chicks are delivered to the customer in the same condition they left the hatchery."

Archer's Poultry Farm Ltd.
Sector - Layer, hatchery
Location - Trenton, Ont.