Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 6/17/16

Canadian poultry groups announced Thursday new national chicken care and handling guidelines.

The revised “Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chickens, and Turkeys” are nationally developed guidelines to ensure sound management and welfare practices that promote animal health and well-being. The guidelines are used as educational tools, reference materials for regulations, and the foundation for industry animal care assessment programs, the groups said.

Updates to the Canadian poultry code were led by a 15-person committee comprising poultry farmers, animal welfare and enforcement representatives, researchers, hatcheries, transporters, processors, veterinarians, and government representatives. Helping them was a five-person scientific commitee that included research and veterinary expertise in poultry behavior, health and welfare. A public comment period was held in the fall of 2015.

"The Code process provides an important opportunity for advancing farm animal welfare policy in Canada," said poultry welfare expert Dr. Ian Duncan, representing the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies on the Code Committee. "A step forward has been taken with the completion of this Code."

The new code is the country’s eighth iteration.

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