Reading Time: 3 minutes University of Alberta researchers are only halfway through a precision feeding trial for broiler breeders — but the early results are promising. “The system has done a great job at growing birds to the right weight,” said Martin Zuidhof, an associate professor at the University of Alberta. Along with a team of electrical and mechanical […] Read more
Chicken feed doesn’t describe this system
Some broiler breeders gobble more than their fair share of feed, but a new Alberta-designed system has a fix for that
Egg farmers say there’s ‘zero tolerance’ on abuse
Farms caught abusing birds can have their egg-production licence pulled immediately
Reading Time: 4 minutes Egg producers in Alberta are now required to sign a “zero tolerance” pledge for animal abuse. “Any form of abuse, neglect, cruelty, or mistreatment of the birds under our care will not be tolerated and may be grounds for immediate disciplinary action up to and including dismissal,” the pledge states. Any farm that has severe […] Read more
Free quota allows producers to break into the egg industry
With the cost of quota north of $300 per bird, the New Entrant Program offers producers a way to beat the biggest barrier to egg production
Reading Time: 4 minutes Richard Molenaar wouldn’t have even considered becoming an egg farmer without free quota. “If we weren’t accepted for the New Entrant Program, we wouldn’t be doing it. I know that for a fact,” said Molenaar, who farms near Grande Prairie with wife Mandy and his parents. “Unless you’re born into an egg farm, you’re probably […] Read more
Digital meat-grading scanner making its way to the processing floor
The device developed at U of A uses near infrared and visible light to detect fat and meat colour
Reading Time: < 1 minute Grading is an important step for processors, and the industry has traditionally used human graders to measure qualities such as marbling, as well as fat colour and texture. But processors are now moving towards electronic grading tools and technology. Technologies such as the Computer Vision System’s BeefCam module have achieved up to 64 per cent […] Read more
Chicken industry reaches long-delayed allocation agreement
New deal gives Alberta fair share of chicken allocation
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canada’s broiler chicken industry has reached a new quota allocation agreement, avoiding a potential showdown with a federal regulator that could have thrown the system into chaos. The deal will see Alberta producers get more quota and rejoin the Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC). “The reason we stepped out was because our population was growing […] Read more
Penny rules the roost at Red Deer poultry show
Reading Time: < 1 minute There was lots to squawk about at the recent Canadian National Poultry Show in Red Deer. With more than 60 exhibitors from across Canada showing over 800 birds, it was the largest poultry show in Alberta history, said show supervisor Kyle Lawrence. The Nov. 22-23 event, held in conjunction with the Urban Farm Show, attracted […] Read more
Premises ID now more user-friendly
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Premises Identification (PID) online registration system has been updated to provide a more user-friendly way to register or update information. The mandatory PID program is the first step in the traceability system linking livestock and poultry to land locations. This allows industry and government to locate animals more quickly and accurately to confine a disease […] Read more