Chicken Farmers of Canada
All chickens in Canada are grain-fed. But what does grain contain?
In most preparations, chicken feed comes in the form of pellets or crumbles and is made of 88% grains and grain by-products, protein-producing seeds and meal made from these seeds, such as canola or soybean meal. Another 10% is made up of protein, such as meat and bone meal. To bump up the nutritional value and improve taste and texture, vegetable fats are added. To ensure chickens are getting enough minerals and vitamins, 1.5% of chicken feed is made up of these supplements. Chicken feed may also contain minute levels (less than 1 per cent) of additives, such as enzymes and antibiotics to prevent disease and digestive problems. Our farmers follow strict regulations when it comes to additives and practice good management, vaccination and hygiene practices.
There are also preparations available that have no animal by-products. You’ll see labels on chicken raised with these preparations. They read something akin to “vegetable grain fed,” “vegetarian grain fed” or “no animal by-products.” These offer the consumer additional choices and will sometimes offer a choice that is slightly lower in fat.
Despite what you may have heard, there are NO hormones in chicken feed. In Canada, the use of hormones in chicken feed has been banned since the 1960s.
Caring for chickens is as much a science as it is a labour of love. It’s important that farmers deliver you the best quality chicken, but it’s equally important that our chickens are raised in a safe and healthy manner that takes animal care into account.
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