Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 7/16/18


Perdue Farms has released a report outlining its progress on how it cares for chickens.

The 2018 Perdue Commitments to Animal Care report coincided with the company’s third annual animal care summit in Salisbury, Md., where animal care experts, animal welfare groups, retail and foodservice customers, and farmers get updates the company’s progress in animal care and give feedback.
Perdue’s key initiatives for 2018 include:


• Committing to adding windows to 100 percent of chicken houses, after Perdue’s research demonstrated that chickens benefit from natural light.
• Identifying alternative breeds that meet the demand for customers who want higher welfare chickens.
• Recommitting to better relationships with the farmers who raise its chickens; incentives that reward welfare outcomes and not just productivity; and a farmers- only website, including a Farmer Relationship Index score.
• Moving to higher-welfare, controlled atmosphere stunning and a first-in-the-U.S. system to reduce stress and improve bird comfort during catching, transport and at the harvest plant.
• Increasing transparency by publishing audit results and reporting on animal care incidents.

The latest initiatives build on Perdue’s “Commitment to Animal Care” program that the company launched in 2016.

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