The U.S. broiler industry faces a sizeable challenge in a potential widescale transition to slower growing broiler genetics by 2026.
Coming deadlines
The Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), a pledge signed by more than 200 food companies, requires its signatories to only source chicken certified by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP) and includes progressive deadlines for additional enhanced welfare measures.
Major companies like Nestle S.A., Restaurant Brands International Inc., Unilever PLC, Sodexo, Compass Group PLC, Subway and Starbucks Corp. already signed onto the pledge.
There are two versions of the pledge. The first version requires, by 2024, to only source GAP certified chicken processed using controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS).
The second requires, by 2024, all chicken suppliers to conform to elevated welfare standards – maximum stocking density of six pounds per square foot and environmental enrichments – and prove it via third party auditing.
The second version also requires, by 2026, to adopt breeds it says demonstrate higher welfare outcomes. Specifically, Hubbard’s Black, JA757, JA787, JA957, JA987, JACY87, REDBRO or Redbro M; Aviagen’s Rambler Ranger, Ranger Classic, Ranger Gold, Ranger Premium or Rowan Ranger; Cobb-Sasso 200 (CS200); Cooks Venture Pioneer or others that meet the criteria of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Broiler Breed Welfare Assessment Protocol or GAP.
Behind the commitment
The BCC sent its initial pledge letter in November 2019. The pledge, signed by the Humane Society of the United States and nine other animal activist organizations, said the commitment addresses “the most pressing welfare concerns related to broiler production … and how to best mitigate those concerns.”
An undated white paper published by the group said, “by transitioning away from the most commonly used commercial breeds, which we define as typically faster growing and intensively raised with enlarged breast muscle (e.g., Ross 308, Ross 708, and Cobb 500), common welfare problems including reduced walking ability and activity, high mortality, and the presence of skin lesions can be greatly improved.”
GAP
At the end of 2021, GAP announced its approved breeds list. It contained birds bred by Aviagen (Ranger Classic, Ranger Gold, Ranger Premium and Rowan Ranger), Cobb-Vantress (Cobb-Sasso 200), Cooks Venture (Pioneer) and Hubbard (JA757, JA787, JACY87, REDBRO, Redbro M).
The list is based on the results of a University of Guelph study which said these birds exhibit superior animal welfare due to their slower growth characteristics. GAP Executive Director Anne Malleau said an additional study in a commercial setting is unlikely because its purpose wasn’t to determine commercial viability but rather assess animal welfare. Breeding companies did submit breeds to the study they believed would be interesting for the U.S. market, she said.
GAP is a third-party welfare certification organization founded in 2008 by Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey. All meat sold at the high-end grocer must be GAP certified. It is likely that in 2026, the organization will require birds to come from a slower-growing breed to grant certification.
In an interview, Malleau said GAP understands a transition will be difficult due to the varying demands of each committed company. She did not say how many birds may be needed to satisfy the purchasing needs of the companies currently signed onto the BCC in 2026.
Potential impacts
The authors of the Guelph study, as well as other observers, conclude a slower growing broiler bird is not as efficient as a conventional bird. This will likely challenge the infrastructure of the U.S. broiler industry if it is adopted on a wide scale.
It’s difficult to say exactly how many birds will be needed in 2026. The picture is likely to become clearer as the deadlines near.
A 2017 study conducted by Anthony Pescatore, associate department chair and extension professor at the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, compared the performance of a slower-growing bird and a conventional bird. Based on the results, it estimated producing one million pounds of whole carcass without giblets, the slower-growing breed would require 9% more birds and resources than the conventional bird to produce the same amount of meat.
The study noted American consumers prefer breast meat, so using a slower-growing breed – that likely does not yield as much breast meat as a conventional bird – would need 68% more birds than a conventional breed to produce the same amount of breast meat. It also estimated raising a slower-growing bird will result in a net loss for producers and will require a 29% price premium to maintain the same profitability as a conventional bird.
The environmental impact is potentially large, too. All accompanying resources on the live, processing and transportation sides of the industry will need to increase along with the number of birds.
Breeders look ahead
The breeds on GAP’s list are not commonly raised in the U.S. today. Nevertheless, breeders appreciate clarity on the issue and hope a definitive list of approved breeds will give their clients guidance going forward.
Billy Hufford, Aviagen’s business manager for its Rowan Range bird line, said less than 1% of the U.S. market currently uses all breeds on the list. For now, there is not a massive uptick in demand for slower-growing products in the U.S., Hufford said.
Whatever the case, Hufford said primary breeders will face logistical challenges if demand for slower-growing birds rises significantly in a short time. There is a three-to-five-year gap between selections made at the pedigree level and bird placement.
Hubbard General Manager Mark Barnes and Marketing Manager Paul van Boekholt said this means its crucial that food companies committed to BCC, GAP or another program make their plans clear soon for the actual implementation of the pledge to their suppliers, including the type of breed to use, how many to raise and when to transition. Right now, 2026 is looking close to the entire supply chain.
Van Boekholt and Barnes said Hubbard is the leading breeder in this category, dating back to its introduction of Label Rouge birds in France 55 years ago. It saw the selection of multiple Hubbard lines as an endorsement of its place in the market. Its REDBRO, for instance, was developed with conforming to the BCC while still delivering performance.
In Europe, where the issue of breed is more advanced than in the U.S., the Hubbard JA757, JA787 and Redbro are the main breeds used for the BCC market, Van Boekholt and Barnes said. That would make it easier for Hubbard to scale up its production.
For live production, Hufford, van Boekholt and Barnes said there are behavioral differences, which may be an adjustment for growers initially, but will fade with experience.
A revival
Cooks Venture was buoyed by its selection to the BCC and GAP approved breeds list and sees an opportunity to grow in the future along with demand for the slower-growing bird.
CEO Matt Wadiak, formerly a Chief Operating Officer at Blue Apron Holdings Inc., said the company could transition into a sizeable breeding operation capable of supplying the U.S. chicken industry. It is currently working as a direct-to-consumer and direct-to-business online retailer selling meat produced from its own genetic stock.
Wadiak, who founded the company along with Cooks Venture Executive Vice President Blake Evans, said the genetic base of the birds comes from Evans’ now-shuttered family genetics business Peterson Farms. Using the facilities from the former Peterson operation, as well as refurbished poultry processing facilities located in Arkansas and Oklahoma, Wadiak said Cooks Venture could quickly scale up to meet the demand for slower growing birds.
In research and reality slower-growing birds costs more www.WATTAgNet.com/articles/38001
