Animal welfare is under increasing scrutiny as consumers demand more information about how their food is raised and activist groups ratchet up the pressure on food retailers.
Things are changing rapidly with both integrators and retailers committing to practices they believe will lead to better animal welfare for broiler chickens. To meet these pledges every stage of the animal’s life – from the hatchery, to the grow-out barn, to the transport truck, to the processing plant – is being scrutinized and changed.
In this sometimes-confusing landscape, everyone involved in the poultry industry might want to ask some questions about what benefits these changes will provide for the birds and what challenges they may present for the producer. To help answer those questions, WATT PoultryUSA hosted a panel discussion at the 2018 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta. The February 1 panel discussion included: Jim Shepard, senior director live operations for Wayne Farms; Dr. Stephanie Torrey, senior research scientist for animal biosciences at the University of Guelph; Dr. Joy Mench, professor emeritus for animal science department at the University of California at Davis and Dr. Suzanne Dougherty, executive vice president of the American Association of Avian Pathologists and a consulting veterinarian with Pecking Around Consulting.
