When you purchase chicken with the Raised by a Canadian Farmer logo you can be assured it was raised on a farm right here in Canada. But you’d probably be surprised to know how much more this logo stands for.

✅ No added hormones or steroids

Don’t let any labels fool you – all chicken in Canada is raised without added hormones or steroids. These have been illegal in chicken farming in Canada since the 1960s.

✅ Freedom to roam

Chickens raised for meat in Canada are not kept in cages. They are housed in large, well-ventilated barns with room to move about and socialize, often referred to as “free-run.”

✅ Raised by farmers following a national Animal Care Program

The Raised by a Canadian Farmer Animal Care Program is a credible, science-based standard with requirements that come from the Code of Practice developed by the National Farm Animal Care Council. The program includes 80 mandatory and 9 highly recommended elements to help  protect and maintain bird health and welfare such as feed, water, space, temperature, air quality, lighting, back-up systems, bedding, bird handling, health care practices, and record keeping. 

✅ Raised by farmers following a national On-Farm Food Safety Program

The Raised by a Canadian Farmer On-Farm Food Safety Program (OFFSP) is a demonstration of farmers’ commitment to producing safe food for Canadians. The program emphasizes animal health, cleanliness and safety throughout each step of the production cycle and follows strict biosecurity measures to protect animal health and prevent flock infections from outside sources.  The program has full recognition from the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and is subject to review every 20 months to maintain this.

✅ Mandatory, audited, and enforced on-farm programs

Certification on both the Animal Care and On-Farm Food Safety Programs is mandatory for all Canadian chicken farmers. And that’s not just lip service. Not only are farmers audited annually to ensure they meet program requirements, but under our uniquely Canadian system of supply management, provincial boards have the authority to enforce penalties for non-compliance. The entire program itself is also subject to a third-party audit.

✅ Responsible antibiotic use

The Canadian chicken sector has implemented a Responsible Antimicrobial Use Strategy to do their part in tackling the issue of antibiotic resistance. 

• The preventive use of Category I and II antibiotics – the ones most important to human health – have been eliminated
• Any antibiotics of human importance are used only under veterinary prescription
• All antibiotics are approved by Health Canada
• Medication use is reported for every flock and monitored by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Regulated withdrawal times are followed to ensure there are no issues with antibiotic residues in the meat

Canadian chicken farmers are proud to deliver on the expectations of Canadian consumers and proud to be able to demonstrate this commitment through high standards of care and the implementation of on-farm programs.

Shop Canadian and look for the logo. Enjoy fresh, delicious, Canadian chicken raised by farmers you can trust.