Top stories from Canadian Poultry in 2013

Adding Sunshine to Eggs

Agri-entrepreneur Bill Vanderkooi of Vitala Foods in Abbotsford, B.C. launched Vita D sunshine eggs, the world’s first caged layer white eggs to provide people with 100 per cent of the daily recommended value of vitamin D in a single egg. He launched the new line of specialty eggs in downtown Vancouver by having the Vita D sunshine crew give people their daily dose of “sunshine” through free Vita D sunshine breakfast burritos.

Managing Supply

As Canadian Poultry magazine celebrated 100 years, Jim Knisely took a look back at the long road to achieve the system we operate under – supply management. While many people understand the benefits of orderly marketing, few understand the work that went into achieving and implementing it.

Rocket Man

With more and more legislation about environmental stewardship, handling of manure is becoming even more regulated. In this interview with entrepreneur Ivan Milin, Canadian Poultry learns about his prototype technology that would industrialize the processing of manure – using the larvae of common houseflies.

Food Safety Excellence

A long time in the making, Chicken Farmers of Canada was recognized in 2013 for its On-Farm Food Safety Assurance Program, known as OFFSAP. CFC became the first commodity organization in Canada to be recognized by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada for effective and consistent implementation of a food safety program.

Health Secret Inside Eggs

At its 2013 annual general meeting, Egg Farmers of Ontario announced that it would fund research being done by United Paragon Associates (UPA), an Ontario-based privately-held pharmaceutical developer. UPA is undertaking clinical trials for a new antidepressant drug, named Rellidep, which could help millions of people, worldwide who suffer from Major Depressive Disorder.

Speaking from Experience

B.C.’s four poultry marketing boards and commissions used their regulatory authority to make the industry-developed biosecurity program mandatory, but received little negative reaction because producers were keenly aware of the economic and mental devastation caused by the avian influenza outbreak in the Fraser Valley in 2004. Ray Nickel, a chicken, turkey and egg producer with multiple farms, felt the trauma personally as his layer farm was one of those infected.

Pushing for Pullet Growers

The Pullet Growers of Canada (PGC) has been working hard to achieve marketing board status in order to give pullet growers a clear voice in the industry. At its annual general meeting in March 2013, Andy DeWeerd, chairman of the organization and a farmer in Perth County, Ont., told the Nova Scotia Egg Producers that the PGC have been working with pullet farmers and provincial egg marketing agencies to develop a business plan for the proposed marketing board.

More than Connecting Dots

The Poultry Health Research Network aims to provide a forum for collaboration and co-operation not only among researchers within the University of Guelph, but also between Guelph and other Canadian campuses. It will also, hopefully, reduce duplication where applicable.

Professorship in Poultry Nutrition

In September 2013, the University of Guelph received a $1 million gift to help fund a professorship in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the Ontario Agricultural College. The generous donation from James and Brenda McIntosh will help improve poultry nutrition research, training and outreach.

Standing Proud

Each year, the President of the United States pardons a turkey as part of a decades-long tradition. In 2013, the bird  chosen for the honour could be traced back, genetically, to Kitchener-Waterloo.

Keeping Track

Full traceability is not yet mandatory in Canada, but the benefits to the agricultural industry as a whole are many. Whether it involves ready-to-cook seasoned poultry pieces, tomatoes or grain, it is all about safeguarding our health in times when food safety incidents occur – and presenting an image of Canada’s agricultural industry as responsible and responsive.

Consumer Perceptions of Food and Farming

Concern over jobs, health care, the economy and the environment are most consistently keeping people up at night. As the results for the Farm Issues Survey, done by Ipsos Marketing, these issues constantly change and reflect the changing times.