Farms.com Home   Ag Industry News

Conventional housing to become a thing of the past: Egg Farmers of Canada

Industry overhaul could be completed by 2036

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Egg Farmers of Canada (EFC) announced an industry-wide initiative to end egg production in conventional housing.

According to EFC, currently about 90 percent of egg production is done in conventional housing. Under its new initiative, egg production would be split 50/50 between conventional housing and enriched housing in eight years and 85 percent of production done in enriched housing in 15 years.

EFC estimates if current market conditions are sustained, all production could be done in an enriched, free-run, aviary or free-range environment by 2036.

Eggs

Peter Clarke, Chairman of EFC, said scientific research and consumer preferences were among the reasons for the industry-wide change, adding that it can help reduce environmental impacts and improve food affordability.

Abraham Frey, an egg farmer from the Township of Sables-Spanish River, about 70km from Sudbury, told northernlife.ca that if the chicken is healthy the eggs will reflect it.

Poultry Housing Methods

Free range – chickens are free to roam in a barn and have outdoor access in the summer

Free run – chickens are free to roam in a barn but don’t go outside

Aviary – almost identical to a free run operation, but there are perches for birds. It allows for more chickens and makes use of the vertical space

Enriched – chickens are in cages, but in smaller groups with more room to move

Conventional – multiple chickens are in cages with limited mobility and no access to any nests or perches

Earlier in the month, Tim Hortons and Burger King announced that by 2025, they will begin serving cage free eggs.

In September 2015, McDonald’s announced that by 2025, all of its 16,000 North American restaurants will be using cage-free eggs.


Trending Video

Cow-Calf Corner

Video: Cow-Calf Corner

Mark Johnson, OSU Extension beef cattle specialist, says cow culling rates are lower than normal this year, and he predicts high cull-cow prices are expected to continue.