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Chickens, Turkeys and Breeders

Update initiated Oct 2011

Code Development Progress

The process for updating the Code of Practice for chickens, turkeys and breeders began October 2011, using the NFACC Code development process. The Turkey Farmers of Canada, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Canadian Hatching Egg Producers and Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council initiated the review.

This is the seventh Code update to be initiated since September 2010. As a result the process has been adjusted to accommodate the human resource challenges presented by having seven Codes underway at once. The Scientists’ Committee has been established and has begun its work. A Code Development Committee (CDC) will be convened upon the completion of the Scientists’ Committee’s report (approximately November 2012).

Priority Welfare Issues List

The priority welfare issues are species specific, manageable topics that are considered to be important for animal welfare and will particularly benefit from a review of the available scientific literature.

The Scientists’ Committees (SC) and delegates from sectors that will be represented on the future CDC collectively identified the priority welfare issues list. The SC is reviewing the scientific literature for each priority welfare issue and will be developing a report synthesizing the research results, summarizing the consensus (if any), and identifying any gaps requiring further research. See full SC Terms of Reference.

The CDC will use the SC report to develop requirements and recommendations around the priority welfare issues.

Following is the priority welfare issues list for the Chickens, Turkeys and Breeders Code update:

  • Air and litter quality (broilers, broiler breeders, turkeys)
  • Lighting regimens (broilers, turkeys)
  • Stocking density (broilers, broiler breeders, turkeys)
  • Lameness (broilers, broiler breeders, turkeys)
  • Methods of euthanasia (all, including unhatched eggs)
  • Aggression (broiler breeders – males)
  • Feather-pecking and cannibalism (broiler breeders, turkeys)

NOTES:

  1. Free-range, organic and alternative systems will be considered within each PWI.
  2. Other welfare topics for the species will be covered by the CDC. The priority welfare issue list is comprised of issues that would particularly benefit from a review of the available scientific literature.

Committees

Chickens, Turkeys and Breeders Code Development Committee – to be determined

Participants are defined as per NFACC’s Code of Practice guidelines.

Chickens, Turkeys and Breeders Code Scientists’ Committee

  • Derek Anderson
  • Mike Petrik
  • Karen Schwean-Larder (Chair)
  • Stephanie Torrey
  • Tina Widowski
  • Brooke Aitkin (Research Writer)

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