Everything starts with a broiler hatching egg. It's called a broiler hatching egg because it will hatch into a chick that will be raised for meat (called a broiler or meat chicken). This type of chicken is specially bred for meat and looks quite different from the chickens who lay the eggs we buy at the store. The chickens that lay broiler hatching eggs are called broiler breeders. These hens lay fertilized eggs (about 150-155 in a year) at the breeder farms. The breeder hens are about 24 weeks old when they start laying eggs and they'll produce eggs for about 38 weeks.

Once or twice a week all the eggs are picked up and taken to hatcheries.

The eggs are put into incubators and kept warm at 37.5°C. After 21 days, the eggs begin to hatch.

Right after hatching, the chicks are sorted by size and they may be vaccinated to prevent illness. Within 6-12 hours of hatching, the chicks are put into heated trucks and taken to the chicken farms.

The credibility and future of Manitoba's hatching egg and chicken farmers depends on delivering safe, high quality chicken. All farmers follow a national "Code of Practice" which sets standards for raising broiler breeders and meat chickens. These standards were developed with the help of the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies, veterinarians, farmers, and animal scientists.

Both hatching egg and chicken farmers follow strict on-food safety programs. A farm auditor visits each farm to inspect the facilities and the farm records, and to certify the farmer is following the program. Manitoba chicken farmers work hard to ensure that local chicken is top quality.

Meat chickens are raised in large, specially designed barns. These barns are heated and ventilated to provide the proper temperature, humidity and air circulation. Farmers continually monitor feed systems, waterlines, heating, ventilation, humidity and other environmental levels to ensure the birds are comfortable and stress-free. Raising chickens indoors keeps them safe from predators and helps prevent illness. It also means farmers can raise chickens year-round, even during Manitoba's cold winters.

Meat chickens are free-run birds. This means they are not kept in cages. They roam freely throughout the barn on a floor covered by soft, dry straw. Fresh, clean water and feed are always available and the chickens are free to eat whenever they are hungry.

After each flock, the barn and equipment are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Barns are then left empty a week before a new flock arrives. Clean barns help keep the chickens healthy.

Manitoba farmers try to prevent illness in their flocks whenever possible. Clean barns, healthy chicks, good feed and clean water are important for preventing illness. If medication is needed, chicken farmers must follow very strict guidelines. Only the safest and most effective medications are used and they are used only when necessary.

The use of hormones in Canadian chicken was banned in the early 70s. Chickens are not given any hormones or steroids. Progress in raising chickens is the result of better breeding, good nutrition, improved farm management, and the prevention of illness.

Chickens are omnivores, meaning they eat foods of both vegetable and animal origin. Creating a feed that best meets the nutritional needs of a chicken is a science.

All chickens are grain fed!

One kilogram of chicken feed contains about 880 grams of grains, oilseeds and the meal made from these seeds. The remaining ingredients include fats and oils, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. These ingredients are essential for a balanced diet, and give the feed a taste and texture that is acceptable to the chickens. No hormones or steroids are ever given to the chickens.

As the chickens grow, their nutritional needs change so the amount of each feed ingredient is adjusted to maintain optimal health. The average chicken eats almost 4 kilograms of feed to reach a body weight of 2 kilograms.

The colour of the chicken fat and skin changes with the type of grain chickens eat. Manitoba chicken farmers use a feed that is high in wheat and barley. These grains are responsible for white chicken skin and fat. Feed containing a high percentage of corn results in chicken skin and fat that is yellow. Manitoba shoppers prefer wheat-fed chickens.

Most chickens stay in the barns for 32 to 36 days and weigh around 2 kg before going to the processing company. They are shipped to the processing companies in trucks designed for carrying poultry. At the processing company, every chicken is checked by an inspector. The inspector makes sure the chickens are healthy and safe to eat. Manitoba has two large processing companies (Granny's Poultry Co-operative and Dunn-Rite Food Products) and one smaller company (Waldner Meats).

Almost all the chicken raised in Manitoba is sold in stores and restaurants in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. About 4% is exported to other countries.

Manitoba hatching egg and chicken farmers are part of an agricultural system called supply management. This system is unique to Canada. Hatching egg farmers have a quota that tells them how many breeder hens they can have each year. Chicken farmers have a quota that tells them how many kilograms of chicken they can raise in each flock.

Ontario Farm Animal Council offers excellent virtual tours of many kinds of livestock farms, including a chicken farm. The featured chicken farm is in Ontario but it looks and operates like our farms here in Manitoba. Take a trip to the farm.