It is a huge responsibility to provide chicken to help feed the world and at the same time ensure that we take proper care of our animals. Keeping them free of fear, pain, stress, and suffering— is plain and simple, the right thing to do. It is why the National Chicken Council developed its Animal Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklists certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) which provides science-based recommendations for proper treatment at every phase of a chicken’s life. Moreover, it is why House of Raeford Farms follows the guidelines— and then goes beyond. These practices include:
- Animal Well-Being Advisory Board, with four highly respected, independent experts evaluating our animal welfare programs and advising us on best practices.
- Welfare guidelines in place for all broilers, hatcheries, farms, and processing plants.
- Annual training for all employees in contact with live birds.
- Grown cage-free in spacious chicken houses with constant access to food and water, periods of light and dark, and room to move freely.
- Protected from the elements. Our chickens live in a comfortable, automated climate-controlled setting with fresh air ventilation, energy efficient heating systems, LED lighting, and backup generators.
- Safe environment, protected from predators and limits exposure to diseases from wildlife, such as the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza.
- Healthy practices. Flocks are cared for daily by family farmers. Company flock supervisors who consult with our corporate veterinarians on health issues conduct weekly inspections. Strict biosecurity procedures are in place at all chicken houses to protect against disease.
- Nutritious diet of wholesome grains, along with vitamins and minerals. Supplementing with probiotics maintains intestinal health in the chickens. Our own feed mills ensure the quality we insist upon, with feed formulas controlled by our nutritionists.
- No growth hormones. No steroids. No way.
- Antibiotic use. Our approach is simple: No Antibiotics Ever (NAE). We have reduced the need of antibiotic use through modern management practices, good nutrition, and the use of vaccines. If our chickens get sick, our corporate veterinarians determine if antibiotic use is required and supervise all administration.
- Animal welfare audits conducted annually in our live production areas and processing plants by independent outside firms. The audit covers everything in the life of the bird, from hatchery to farms to processing. In addition, our House of Raeford PAACO certified animal welfare specialists at each location perform internal farm audits a minimum of twice annually and monthly in the hatcheries, live haul operations, and processing plants.
In order to sustain these procedures, it is critical to collaborate with farmers who share our commitment to humane treatment. A large number of our family farm partners are multi-generational operators. From grandparents to their children and grandchildren there is great interest in maintaining high standards of animal care, and at the same time solidifying their relationship with House of Raeford.
As previously noted, one other very important part of animal welfare is feeding the birds a healthy, highly nutritious diet. Our corporate nutritionists are constantly refining feed formulas to improve performance efficiency and the health of the chicken. The improvement in performance efficiency means less feed needed per chicken and therefore less acreage needed to grow corn and soybeans resulting in more sustainable land management. In addition, balancing essential nutrients like amino acids, calories, vitamins and minerals and the use of high quality and highly digestible ingredients can actually provide the additional environmental benefits of reducing the amount of moisture in the litter and the amount of ammonia in the chicken house.
House of Raeford remains on the cutting edge of modern animal well-being practices. Our philosophy of “doing the right thing in all things that we do” is the benchmark we use to measure all aspects of our live production management. As a family-owned and -operated company, we will accept nothing less.
