As part of this dedication, Chicken Farmers of Canada created an auditable Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program designed to demonstrate and maintain the high animal care standards of Canadian chicken farms.

The program has credible, science-based foundations in that it is based on the Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Hatching Eggs, Breeders, Chickens and Turkeys. Chicken Farmers of Canada worked with the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) to update the Code, and the new version was released in June 2016. For more on the Code of Practice, click here.

The 2016 Code of Practice was incorporated into the Animal Care Program through NFACC’s Animal Care Assessment Framework, resulting in a revised manual being released in 2018.

The content of the Animal Care Program has been independently reviewed by NFACC and found to have met all requirements outlined in Canada’s Animal Care Assessment Framework.

The Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program emphasizes proper animal care throughout each step of the production cycle. The revised program requirements are summarized in this  List of Amendments and detailed in the 2018 Animal Care Program Producer Manual , also available in the Resources section of our website.

Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program

Canadian chicken farmers work hard each day to provide the best possible care for their birds, and to ensure their health and welfare. Chicken Farmers of Canada’s Animal Care Program is a clear demonstration of their commitment to animal care. Chicken Farmers of Canada has implemented a strong program and certification process and it is the only program capable of ensuring that animal care standards are implemented and audited on all chicken farms in Canada. Further to that, the program is a way to provide continuing education to farmers about best practices and to drive innovation and improvement. There are many factors that go into making these programs work to ensure credibility and compliance.

Annual Audits, Third Party Audits and Enforcement

Farmers are audited annually to assess the implementation of the program and determine if the mandatory requirements of the program are being maintained; certification has reached 100%. Both the animal care and food safety programs have strict enforcement measures for additional assurance. For example, monetary penalties, reductions in allocation, or license suspensions can be used for any issues of non-compliance. The need for the use of enforcement measures varies by province and has decreased over time.

The implementation of the program by farmers and the effectiveness of Chicken Farmers of Canada’s audit team are subject to an annual third-party audit. NSF International performs the third-party audits using PAACO (Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization) certified auditors to ensure the effective and consistent implementation of the Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program .

To learn more about Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program , check out our latest pamphlet: Canadian Chicken Farmers Proud to Raise the Chicken that Canadians Trust.