OMP achieves American Humane Association certification

Ozark Mountain Poultry (OMP) has achieved certification through the American Humane Association’s American Humane Certified program. Ozark Mountain Poultry, headquartered in Arkansas, currently produces approximately 4 million pounds of poultry products a week for its consumer brand Forester Farmer's Market and the restaurant industry.
"We take great care in how we raise and process our chickens, and we think it makes a big difference in the taste and overall quality of our products," said Ed Fryar, president of OMP Foods. "We feel that becoming American Humane Certified is the best way to communicate our commitment to humanely raising birds to our customers and consumers."
American Humane Association's most recent survey shows overwhelming popular support for the humane treatment of farm animals.Its Humane Heartland Farm Animal Survey polled 5,900 Americans and 94.9 percent said they are "very concerned" about farm animal welfare, up from 89 percent in American Humane Association's 2013 study.   More than 75.7 percent stated that they are very willing to pay more for humanely raised eggs, meat, and dairy products, up from 74 percent in 2013.
"More and more Americans are demanding humanely raised foods, and with 10 billion animals raised on America's farms and ranches every year, it is our duty to treat them humanely," said Dr. Robin Ganzert, American Humane Association's president and CEO. "We are pleased that Ozark Mountain Poultry has made the humane choice and achieved certification through our American Humane Certified program."

New poultry housing systems installed at Cal Poly State

Salmet and OES Inc. are partnering with Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, California, to install four poultry housing systems and a custom control system on the Cal Poly campus for use by the school’s poultry education program.
Completely integrated in the system are: poultry rearing housing systems, enriched colony housing systems and alternative cage-free nest systems. In addition to the cage systems, electrical control systems including bird weighing, LED lighting systems, climate controls, video surveillance, feed weighing and feed management technology, egg conveying, egg counting and control as well as an entirely automated agricultural computer system.
“The Cal Poly Animal Science Department is excited to partner with Salmet and OES Inc. on the recent renovation of our Poultry Production Center. As an institution that prides itself on innovation and advancement, Cal Poly has made it a priority to find partners with similar values. Salmet is a true industry leader, with a 50-year history of producing exceptional quality enclosure systems for poultry, and the advanced integrated control systems from OES will provide our students with access to cutting edge technology. We are thrilled to offer our students exposure to these quality products, and look forward to an ongoing relationship with these industry partners,” said Dr. Jaymie Noland, Animal Science department head, Cal Poly State University.
In addition to the benefits for poultry science students at Cal Poly, the Salmet/OES systems will act as a showcase internationally for the ever expanding poultry industry. One student from Cal Poly will be accepting an internship in Germany at a Salmet production facility. This opportunity will allow for hands-on experience and training with the products, which will be integral in the function and maintenance of future operations at Cal Poly. With a constant movement towards improving animal welfare within the poultry industry, this relationship creates opportunity for increased education for all poultry science students on proper animal care while still learning the most modern techniques of operation for increasing efficiency and production.

The new Salmet poultry housing systems and control system were made possible thanks to a $20 million donation from Cal Poly alumni, Peter Oppenheimer, and his wife, Mary Beth.

Aviagen presents Veterinary How To series

Aviagen® has launched a brand new How To series focusing on veterinary topics. These Vet How To’s give step-by-step guidance on key veterinary management practices and techniques that will aid and promote overall flock health and welfare.

The first three in the series provide on-farm personnel with advice in diagnostic sampling for disease identification; how to take bacteriological and histopathological samples as well as how to use FTA cards.

Dr. Nick Dorko, Aviagen’s Global Head of Veterinary Technical Services, said: “It is extremely important that customers are aware of the correct procedures when taking veterinary samples because if they are taken incorrectly, disease diagnosis can be difficult or even inaccurate.”

Nick French, Global Head of Technical Transfer, added: “The inclusion of veterinary topics in our How To series is another great example of our continued support of all aspects of the poultry production chain. This addition ensures that we are supporting all of our customers by providing straightforward practical guidance.”

The Veterinary How To’s can be downloaded from the Aviagen website for Arbor Acres®, Indian River® and Ross®.

Euthanasia of recently hatched chicks, poults research pre-proposals requested

The USPOULTRY Board Research Initiative is requesting pre-proposals on the euthanasia of recently hatched chicks and poultry. In various segments of the poultry industry, there are instances when recently hatched chicks and poults may not be used for commercial purposes. Chicks and poults that will not be used must be humanely euthanized on a timely basis. Various euthanasia methods have been developed for hatchery use with maceration, gas euthanasia or a combination of the two systems being the most common.
Despite the current national and international approval of these two primary methods for chick euthanasia, the perspective and humaneness of these methods has been questioned by some retailers, animal activist groups, society and governments. Research is needed to objectively evaluate these methods to determine the specific equipment requirements and parameters needed to achieve the required euthanasia outcomes and to develop new and novel alternative methods for humane euthanasia of recently hatched poultry.

The areas of focus for the research will include objective measures to evaluate whether euthanasia methods provide humane euthanasia in recently hatched chicks and poults; evaluate maceration, CO2 gas, and a combination of gas plus maceration as methods of humane euthanasia; and develop alternative methods of humane euthanasia of recently hatched chicks and poults.

The deadline for pre-proposal submission is Nov. 6. For more information go to www.uspoultry.org, and click on “Research” for complete instructions and deadlines.

The USPOULTRY Board Research Initiative was created by the Boards of USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation to address current issues facing the poultry industry. The USPOULTRY Board Research Initiative operates alongside the current USPOULTRY research program and augments the success of the existing program by focusing additional resources toward defined areas of research.

6 requirements for avian flu ventilation shutdown

USDA recently authorized the emergency use of ventilation shutdown (VSD) to depopulate poultry flocks affected by avian influenza. The federal agency approved the conditional use of VSD because traditional depopulation methods did not always kill affected birds quickly enough to control the spread of the virus as effectively as desired.
However, special criteria must be met before ventilation shutdown may be used. These are the 6 requirements that must be met:
1. Other depopulation methods are unavailable – More traditional depopulation methods may not be available, or available in a timely manner.
2. High threat of transmission – In some cases, the amplification of the avian influenza virus on the premises could pose a significant threat for further transmission and ongoing spread of the virus.
3. Review by veterinary officials – The Ventilation Shutdown Evidence and Policy document must be reviewed and discussed by officials from USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), state and/or tribal officials and the Incident Management Team (IMT) before VSD may be utilized.
4. Incident Management Team approval – The IMT must determine that VSD is the most appropriate depopulation method available.
5. State approval – The state animal health official or a designee must concur with the IMT that VSD is the best depopulation method available.
6. National Incident Coordinator approval – The National Incident Coordinator, or a designee, must also agree that ventilation shutdown is the best depopulation method to be used.

Germany pushes ahead on poultry welfare

Representatives from the German poultry industry organization ZDG have made public a new Poultry Charter, presenting the document to the federal agriculture minister, Christian Schmidt.
ZDG President, Leo Graf von Drechsel, said the Charter is proof of how seriously his members take their responsibilities to their animals, people and the environment, now and in the future. The whole sector gave input into its 6 chapters, which cover such hot topics including animal welfare, the use of antibiotics, disease prevention and consumer information.
Schmidt praised the industry for its active engagement in delivering this latest initiative. Having laid the foundation stone in July by ending routine beak-trimming of laying hens and fattening turkeys, the Charter provides new requirements and ambitions for the whole poultry meat sector, he said. It is a sign of the readiness of the industry to meet the expectations of the market and of consumers, he added.
The Charter describes the poultry sector and how it works. It makes clear that those whose standards fall short will not be allowed to remain in the organization, while also setting out what the sector requires from politicians and society so that it can achieve its stated aim of making Germany the best country in the world for poultry.

New regulations on Pekin duck welfare in Lower Saxony

The German region of Lower Saxony has made a significant step to improve the welfare of farmed Pekin ducks. These birds will from now on have access to water to meet their behavioral needs for preening their feathers in addition to that for drinking.
An agreement was signed earlier this week by the region’s agriculture minister, Christian Meyer, and Friedrich-Otto Ripke, president of the local poultry association, NGW.
Ripke commented that his association is in favour of improving animal welfare by any means that is practical, proven to be good for animals and workable on farms. The fact that most of the welfare suggestions have come from within the industry is noteworthy, he said.
Among the points covered by the agreement is that if access to bathing water is impossible, the ducks must be able to immerse their heads in water. Scientific studies have shown that open troughs and bowls are adequate for the birds to carry out these natural requirements.
Up to now, ducks only needed water provided for drinking but all farms with more than 500 fattening Pekin ducks will have to provide water for bathing from the end of 2016.
Also under the agreement, all duck keepers will have to participate in an animal health scheme. According to Ripke, Pekin ducks are robust and rarely require antibiotics but, as for other farmed species, duck farmers will have to maintain records of their state of health and make them available to the authorities.
Furthermore, ducks must also have permanent access to manipulable materials and there will be higher requirements for the training of animal keepers. All these measures are aimed at maintaining the reputation of Pekin duck keepers with the public, according to Ripke. Lower Saxony has around 800 Pekin duck farmers with places for a total of around 1.2 million birds.
Germany is 72 percent self-sufficient in duck meat. About 50,000 Muscovy ducks are also reared in Lower Saxony and these have been covered by an agreement over minimal standards since the beginning of 2013. Beak trimming, which was a normal practice to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism, was banned in 2014 and replaced with other precautionary measures.

Germany to end beak tipping

Beak tipping in Germany will end on January 1, 2017. The German Poultry Association, the German Egg Association and the Association of German Turkey Producers have entered into an agreement with Germany’s Federal Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt, albeit on a voluntary basis, to end the practice.
The sector will stop beak tipping layers from August 1, 2016, and will stop stocking pullets with tipped beaks from January 2017.
Leo Graf von Drechsel, president of the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry commented: “Animal welfare is key for guiding our daily work. We see ourselves as constructive partners, we hear very clearly what society thinks and we are proud to have implemented this agreement on a voluntary basis.”
He continued that, in order for the German layer sector to not be put at a disadvantage by the agreement, it should be promoted at European level and the practice harmonized across the European Union’s Member States. 

Layer hen welfare focus of new European research project

The implementation of new practices in animal welfare and production in the European egg industry is the focus of a new project led by the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences.
The Hennovation project involves 15 researchers from five EU countries. Launched earlier in 2015, it will establish on-farm and off-farm innovation networks that will search for and use new ideas in the sector to make business more efficient and sustainable.
Up to 20 networks will be set up at different levels of the production chain at local, national and European level. The networks will be supported by veterinary surgeons, farm advisors and scientific researchers alongside those who buy eggs or certify egg production. The need for innovation has come from the egg producers and the wider industry, notes the University of Bristol.
The networks will initially tackle two particular issues of concern; injurious pecking and the transport and use of hens that no longer lay any eggs.
David Main, Professor of Animal Welfare and project coordinator from Bristol University said: “Changes in commercial animal husbandry often require producers and industry to modify existing practices, which creates opportunities for experimentation and innovation.
“With the growing recognition that the traditional model of knowledge transfer from scientific research to industry practice has not always been effective in addressing hoped for changes in animal welfare and environmental sustainability, a growing emphasis is now being placed on more co-operative forms of knowledge generation and experimental innovation.”
One of the aims of the project is to develop and disseminate technical innovations which have come from practice and communicate economic and scientific information.
The projection is receiving funding of EUR2 million (US$2.2 million) over two years. 

Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply study released

American Humane Association has applauded the results of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply's research into five areas of egg production sustainability. 
The Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply is a multi-stakeholder group which collaborated on the Laying Hen Housing Research Project. The goal of this commercial-scale study of housing alternatives for egg-laying hens in the U.S. was to understand the sustainability impacts of three laying hen housing systems – cage-free aviary, enriched colony and conventional cage.
The research assessed animal health and well-being, food safety and quality, environmental impact, worker health and safety, and food affordability. The final report, which was released to the public after being shared with stakeholders at the Midwest Poultry Federation annual convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, explores the sustainability interactions and tradeoffs for these hen housing systems.
The American Humane Association, a coalition member and animal welfare advocacy group, said that the report support its 2010 decision to endorse enriched colony (cage) housing for laying hens as an improvement over conventional cages.
Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane Association, said: “American Humane Association believes in science and this years-long research will help improve the lives of millions of laying hens on our nation’s farms. Our American Humane Certified farm animal welfare program was the first humane certification program to adopt enriched-cage housing as a humane way to house hens back in 2010, and the new findings strongly support the initial research that was considered to make this decision. The research identifies a sustainable egg supply by providing evidence to support attainable and affordable egg production that ensures animal welfare.”
“When animals are involved, evaluating their welfare is a crucial aspect of any production system,” said Dr. Marion Garcia, chief veterinary officer at American Humane Association. “But to truly achieve sustainability, a variety of other factors such as the environment, the health and safety of the workers, food safety and quality, and affordability of what’s produced should also be considered, effectively evaluating the entire system.”

Cargill adds animal welfare position for poultry

Dr. Stephanie Cottee, PhD, has been named Cargill's head of animal welfare for its international poultry businesses in the U.S., Canada, China, Thailand, Europe and Central America.  She will be based in Guelph, Ontario, and report to Dr. Mike Siemens, PhD, Cargill's head of animal welfare based in Wichita, Kansas. Cottee's appointment is effective immediately.
“Stephanie is well-respected as an animal welfare professional and she has a wealth of experience and knowledge that will be valued by Cargill’s poultry businesses and our customers around the world,” said Siemens. “Producing animal protein to meet ever-increasing global consumption is more complex each day and stakeholders ranging from consumers to customers, employees and others are more interested than ever before about how animals are raised and harvested for food. We are known as a leader in animal welfare and our reputation took a large step forward with Stephanie joining the Cargill team.”
Cargill has chicken businesses in Canada, Thailand, China, Europe and Central America, a turkey business in the U.S. and an egg business in the U.S.
“People should have the choice to consume meat and egg products and we want to ensure the animals that provide that type of nutrition are raised with care and properly handled and harvested,” explained Cottee. “With billions of additional people joining the middle class around the world over the next few decades, demand for nutritious forms of complex animal protein will continue to increase globally, and the ethics associated with doing things the right way are important to Cargill and important to me.”
Prior to joining Cargill, Cottee held positions of responsibility for animal welfare with Maple Leaf Foods, Ontario Pork, Chicken Farmers of Ontario, National Farm Animal Care Council and she has taught at the University of Guelph.  She received a bachelor of science degree in zoology from the University of Toronto. Cottee subsequently earned a master of science and PhD in farm animal behavior and welfare degrees from the University of Guelph and conducted post-doctorate work there on poultry research.

APHIS proposes revision to live animal export regulations

United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing updates to its regulations for the export of live animals and hatching eggs. Since it last updated these regulations, business practices have evolved significantly and other countries have changed their livestock import requirements. 
The proposed rule would remove from the regulations most of the requirements for export certifications, tests, and treatments. Exporters will work to meet the specific requirements of the importing country. APHIS will continue to retain certain export requirements considered necessary to ensure the health and welfare of the animals, such as issuance of export health certificates (EHCs) for livestock intended for export. 
The proposed rule also includes the following changes:


• If an importing countryrequires an EHC for live animals other than livestock or for hatching eggsor animal germplasm, APHIS would require that the animals must beaccompanied by the EHC to be eligible for export from the United States;
• Pre-export livestockinspection would be allowed to occur at facilities other than an export inspectionfacility at the port of embarkation, under certain circumstances; and
• Specific standards forexport inspection facilities and ocean transport vessels would be replacedwith performance standards.
These proposed changes are intended to provide additional flexibility to businesses and better support livestock exports to overseas markets, a segment of U.S. trade which continues to grow each year. The changes are part of APHIS’ ongoing effort to meet stakeholder needs by reviewing and streamlining its regulations. The goal is to make APHIS regulations more responsive to customer needs, easier to update in the future and more performance-based.
APHIS is seeking public comment on this proposal. Consideration will be given to comments received on or before April 27. Interested parties may submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal.

Potters Poultry aviary certified by American Humane Association

Mike Button (far left), Potters Poultry, and Anthony Harman (far right), Potters Poultry, receive the award and certificate of approval for compact aviary system from Dr. Marion Garcia (center left), chief veterinary officer, American Humane Association, and Will Gillis (center right), standards and systems manager, American Humane Association, at the recent 2015 IPPE. 
The American Humane Association awarded the new compact aviary system from Potters Poultry its seal of approval. Dr. Marion Garcia, chief veterinary officer, American Humane Association, and Will Gillis, standards and systems manager, American Humane Association, made the presentation of the certification to Potters Poultry at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo in Atlanta.
The American Humane Association reports that it created the first welfare certification program in the U.S. to ensure the humane treatment of farm animals. The American Humane Certified program provides third-party, independent verification that certified producers’ care and handling of farm animals meet the science-based animal welfare standards of American Humane Association.
Achieving "Humane Housing" status for the compact aviary is an important milestone for the company, according to Mike Button, export manager, Potters Poultry. He said, "This is an important achievement for us and shows the commitment to providing the egg producers worldwide with workable approved animal welfare friendly systems, and helps the egg producers give confidence to their customers that eggs are produced to high animal welfare standards."

Herbruck’s eggs not organic, group claims in complaint

The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based group that promotes small-scale organic farming, has filed a complaint with the USDA, claiming Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch does not follow practices that earn it the right to carry the “organic” label on its eggs.
The organization filed the complaint on December 10,  saying Herbruck’s Green Meadows organic egg production facilities near Saranac, Michigan, and a Herbruck contractor farm near Mulligan, Michigan, don’t meet USDA organic standards.
The Cornucopia Institute claims Herbruck’s egg production facilities fail to meet USDA standards that are supposed to allow the birds access to the outdoors, reported Michigan Live. Aerial photographs taken on August 15 show there are outdoor porches, but few hens use them, the group contends.
Greg Herbruck, executive vice president of the egg production company, said the Cornucopia complaint is the same one the USDA rejected several years ago against Herbruck and other large-scale egg producers who keep roofs on henhouses to prevent contact with other wildfowl and contaminants that could make their eggs less safe.
Herbruck's Poultry Ranch, whose organic and non-organic farms produce an estimated 60 percent of Michigan’s eggs, produces what are considered organic eggs at its Green Meadows facility, a farm with seven two-story hen houses that contain about 85,000 birds each.
The porches on the Green Meadow hen houses meet USDA guidelines for organic egg production that were established in 2002, Herbruck said, and the company is subject to annual audits by Quality Assurance International.
Herbruck added that the photographs showing their contract farms near Mulligan are facilities no longer used for organic egg production, but instead are now used to raise pullets.

Animal welfare vital in all cases when poultry is handled

Dr. Sam Christenberry, Philbro Animal Health, speaks at the USPOULTRY Live Production and Welfare Seminar. 
“Whenever birds are handled for any reason, including vaccinations, treatments and movement to new facilities or to processing, handling should be accomplished in such a manner as to avoid injuries. Abuse of the animals is not tolerated under any circumstances,” stressed Dr. Sam Christenberry, poultry technical services manager, Phibro Animal Health, while addressing attendees at USPOULTRY’s 2014 Live Production and Welfare Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee.
In his presentation, Animal Welfare: Live Haul, Christenberry discussed animal welfare guidelines related to catching, holding and live haul, including the need for a documented training program and a written plan for emergency response and recovery. He also discussed best management practices for poultry welfare to minimize loss during live haul.
Solutions needed to produce more eggs per hen
Dr. Sarah Steinlage, poultry technical consultant, Elanco Animal Health, discussed the role the poultry and egg industries and food production play in meeting the growing demand for food around the world in her presentation,  Chew on This … Feeding the World One Egg At A Time. Steinlage observed that the current and projected future hen population is outpacing production. In order to meet future demand, innovative solutions are needed to help produce one more egg per hen per year, saving the industry 113 million tons of feed, 65 million acres of farmland and 74 billion gallons of water.
Monitoring tools aid poultry producers 
In his presentation on Tools for Monitoring Brooding, Dr. Stewart Ritchie, owner-operator of Canadian Poultry Consultants Ltd. and S. J. Ritchie Research Farms Ltd. and assistant adjunct professor at the University of Georgia, discussed the various tools that live production managers have at hand for monitoring poultry health at the brooding stage, including high resolution cameras, trigger panels and tools for monitoring air flow and ventilation.
Benefits to broiler colony systems
In his presentation,
New Equipment Technology: Broiler Colony System
, Joe Lockinger, area sales manager, Chore-Time Equipment,  provided an overview on the advantages of a broiler colony system, including better health turnout for broilers, lower operating costs and increased overall meat production. In terms of animal welfare, he remarked, “Why does the poultry industry need another innovative solution? Simply because there’s a growing human population that needs the protein we can provide in a more efficient manner. There is a market need for a system that reduces ammonia, manure and farm personnel contact with broilers, which in turn creates a payback with healthier birds and less mortality.”

Poultry welfare to benefit from FMCSA rule exemption

In response to an exemption application filed by a coalition of livestock transporters, including the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has granted a limited one-year exemption from the 30-minute break provision contained in the agency’s Hours of Service regulations which were revised in 2011. The ruling grants a one-year exemption from the 30-minute break requirement during the first eight hours of a shift for drivers hauling livestock.
“The poultry and egg industry appreciates FMCSA recognizing the unique risks incurred when hauling live animals in extreme weather conditions and the potentially devastating impact on the animals if forced to sit in trailers while a driver takes a mandatory 30-minute rest break,” said John Starkey, USPOULTRY president. “While many poultry transport operations were already exempt from the 30 minute rest break requirement due to the short haul exception in the existing regulation, this ruling reduces the possibility of animals being harmed in those situations the short haul exception does not apply. We will request that FMCSA use this year to further evaluate the rest break requirement and make the exemption permanent for livestock haulers."

UK supermarket loses poultry welfare award

The Co-operative Food's Good Chicken Award has been withdrawn by Compassion in World Farming following the retailer's decision to increase broiler chicken stocking densities from 15 to 17 birds per square meter.
While the increase from 30kg to 34 kg per square meter meets legal requirements, it goes above the maximum limit set for the organization's Good Chicken Award, which recognizes companies committing to provide higher welfare standards throughout their supply chain. A reduced stocking density is one of the criteria that must be met. The Co-operative Food signed up to this agreement in perpetuity in 2010 for its fresh and frozen chicken.
Tracey Jones, Compassion in World Farming director of food business commented: "We're very disappointed that The Co-operative has taken this step. As well as the Good Chicken Award, they have also received a Good Egg Award, a Good Dairy Award and Supermarket Awards for introducing higher welfare standards in their supply chain. However, we cannot ignore that the company is now reneging on the criteria for our Good Chicken Award and feel that sadly we have no choice but to withdraw it."
The Co-operative has commented that it has increased stocking densities for economic reasons so that it can continue to supply consumers with chickens at competitive prices.

Most comprehensive guidelines to date released for well-being of chickens

Consumers want to be sure that all animals being raised for food are treated with respect and are properly cared for during their lives. The people and companies involved in raising chickens for food share the public's concern.
To assist chicken producers and processors in this effort, the National Chicken Council (NCC) in 1999 developed the NCC Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist which have been widely adopted by chicken farmers and processors to ensure all U.S. chickens are being properly cared for and treated humanely.  Periodically revised, the guidelines cover every phase of a chicken's life and offer the most up-to-date, science-based recommendations for the proper treatment and humane care of broiler chickens - those chickens raised for meat.
The U.S. national broiler flock is incredibly healthy and is the envy of the world.  Mortality and condemnation rates for broilers, the most sensitive indicators of the health and well-being of any flock, are at historical lows.
Building on that success, the 2014 update of the NCC Animal Welfare Guidelines has more substance than ever before and incorporates new parameters to improve bird welfare.  The new guidelines include a whistleblower protection, more assistance for training programs for proper handling, more documentation and monitoring of various practices and a more streamlined auditing tool for ease of auditing.
"The chicken industry has come together on a specific set of expectations that will continue to ensure the birds we raise are taken care of with the highest standards starting at hatch," said NCC President Mike Brown.
The guidelines were updated with assistance from an academic advisory panel consisting of poultry welfare experts and veterinarians from across the United States, including:

• Sarge Bilgili, Ph.D., professor and extension poultry scientist, Auburn University;
• Michael Hulet, Ph.D., associate professor of poultry science, Penn State University;
• Joy Mench , Ph.D., professor of animal science, University of California, Davis;
• Tony Pescatore, Ph.D., professor of poultry production and management, University of Kentucky;
• Yvonne Thaxton, Ph.D., professor and director, Center for Food Animal Well Being, University of Arkansas; and
• Bruce Webster, Ph.D., professor and extension coordinator, Poultry Science Department, University of Georgia.
"We are very pleased with the inclusion of many of the panel's recommendations into this revision," said Dr. Bilgili, who chaired the academic advisory panel.  "As a result, the NCC Animal Welfare Program is significantly improved and, more importantly, the continued well-being of broiler chickens will be assured."
The new guidelines also:

• Increase emphasis on corporate commitment;
• Require internal and external auditing for animal welfare;
• Require increased oversight by veterinarians, service technicians and live production managers;
• Provide more details on acceptable euthanasia practices from the hatchery to the processing plant;
• Provide new requirements to make sure the chickens are properly monitored for healthy legs;
• Require stunning procedures to be more effective;
• Change the audit scoring system to emphasize each step on the process from the hatchery to the processing plant; and
• Highlight the implications of non-conformances to the guidelines.

Lawsuit alleges Kroger falsely claimed chickens were raised humanely

U.S. grocery chain Kroger has been hit with a lawsuit, with the plaintiff alleging Kroger falsely claimed its Simple Truth chicken products used only birds raised according to certain animal welfare standards. The case -- Anna Ortega v. The Kroger Co. --  was filed February 12 in Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County.
Ortega alleges that the Simple Truth labeling states the birds were raised in a "humane environment." Ortega claims the chickens, raised by Perdue Farms, were handled using practices such as electrically stunning birds prior to slaughter.
Kroger spokesman Keith Dailey told Reuters that the company has not had an opportunity to review the lawsuit. "What we have on our Simple Truth chicken label is information for our customers that we believe is accurate, and we intend to vigorously defend our label," Dailey said.

'Free range' and 'pasture raised' officially defined by Humane Farm Animal Care

Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC) announced new standards for products that are labeled Certified Humane and either "free range" or "pasture raised." There is currently no legal definition for "free range" or "pasture raised" in the U.S., therefore these terms are often used on poultry packaging with no unilateral definitions for the consumer to trust. HFAC's 28-member Scientific Committee has spent nearly two years reviewing all of the current research, which has resulted in new standards for the Certified Humane label.
HFAC has revised their laying hen standards, which now divide the "free range" section of the standards into "pasture raised" and "free range." The "free range" section was originally written for what is now defined as a "pasture raised" system; the revised standards add a third category for birds which are outdoors seasonally. This change in standards means that Certified Humane producers wishing to use either of the two terms on packages must now meet the requirements of the newly defined categories.
Dr. Ruth Newberry, Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, chaired the Poultry Committee within HFAC's Scientific Committee. The Scientific Committee and the producers gave input while the Standards Committee did the final review. That process included review of animal research and visits to farms to review various outdoor systems.
The USDA's (and industry standard) definition for "free range" is that birds must have "outdoor access" or "access to the outdoors." In some cases, this can mean access only through a "pop hole," with no full-body access to the outdoors and no minimum space requirement.
HFAC's Certified Humane "free range" requirement is 2 square feet per bird. The hens must be outdoors, weather permitting (in some areas of the country, seasonal), and when they are outdoors they must be outdoors for at least six hours per day. All other standards must be met.
HFAC's Certified Humane "pasture raised" requirement is 1,000 birds per 2.5 acres (108 square feet per bird) and the fields must be rotated. The hens must be outdoors year-round, with mobile or fixed housing where the hens can go inside at night to protect themselves from predators, or for up to two weeks out of the year, due only to very inclement weather. All additional standards must be met.
Pasture raised and free range producers must meet all the standards in addition to those specific to the pasture raised and free range housing systems.
"Any product labeling terms that are important to consumers need to be clearly defined. The Certified Humane labeling program is in place to assure a trusted product for consumers who care about how animals are raised and slaughtered for food," said Adele Douglass, HFAC's executive director. "While it takes time for the entire industry to adapt best practices, we at HFAC have the opportunity to break ground, and we do so every year as we revise and raise our standards."
Without any legal definitions for the terms, HFAC's previous "free range" standards were written for what is now defined as "pasture raised" standards and had a requirement of 2.5 acres per 1,000 birds (108 square feet per bird), which is the standard space requirement based on the British Free Range Standard and was a recommendation of the Soil Association, an organization founded in 1946, that focuses on sustainable farming and preventing soil degradation. As consumer demand has increased for Certified Humane products, HFAC realized a need to separate the terms to define farms that had "outdoor access" and create a standard for "free range" versus those that were actually "pasture raised."
Currently, there are already three "pasture raised" egg companies on the program: Vital Farms (Austin, Texas), White Oak Pastures (Bluffton, Ga.) and Ayrshire Farm (Upperville, Va.). The only 100 percent "free range" company to be on the program, so far, is Happy Egg Company (San Francisco, Calif.).
In addition to the revised best science-based standards that encompass both "free range" and "pasture raised" hens, HFAC's current animal care standards for laying hens include standards for the rearing of laying hens in barns either with or without outdoor access. Cages of any type (including furnished cages) have always been prohibited.  The minimum space requirements for barn-raised chickens include clean air (less than 10 parts per million of ammonia), 15 percent of the floor space must have litter for the hens to dust-bathe, perches must be provided at 6 inches per bird and at least 20 percent of those perches must be elevated. There are requirements for feeder space and drinker space, as well. All animal byproducts are prohibited, as are antibiotics.

National Chicken Council responds to ASPCA petition

Tom Super, National Chicken Council vice president of communications, issued the following statement on November 14 in response to receiving a petition from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
According to Super: "We plan to respond to the letter ASPCA sent this morning to the National Chicken Council.
"Consumers want to be sure that all animals being raised for food are treated with respect and are properly cared for during their lives. The people and companies involved in raising chickens for food share the public's concern.
"The ASPCA's description of poultry production in the United States is not based on fact and in no way represents the realities of modern poultry production or the health and welfare of today's chickens. The U.S. national broiler flock is incredibly healthy and is the envy of the world. Mortality and condemnation rates for broilers, the most sensitive indicators of the health and well-being of any flock, are at historical lows.
"In fact, if we reverted to the way we used to raise chickens several decades ago, the mortality rate for chickens would increase 490 percent.
"Consumers can learn about modern chicken breeding and production and watch videos of how they are raised by visiting: http://www.realtruthaboutchicken.com/.
"Because of better nutrition, breeding, genetics, veterinary attention and technology, which include optimum growing conditions within climate-controlled barns, it takes less time for chickens to naturally reach market weight - all without the use of hormones or steroids. A common misconception, broiler chickens are never caged and free to roam within barns, interact, and eat and drink at will.
"From a pure business standpoint, it would make zero business and economic sense for a farmer to do anything to a bird that would harm it. The birds are their livelihoods and chicken producers want to do everything possible to keep them healthy.
"To assist chicken producers and processors in this effort, the National Chicken Council developed the NCC Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist which have been widely adopted within the industry. Periodically revised, this year's updates will cover every phase of a chicken's life and will offer the most up-to-date, science-based recommendations for the proper treatment and humane care of broiler chickens," said Super.