THE NATIONAL PROVISIONER PODCAST

Supporting welfare practices in duck production

Joe Jurgielewicz & Son and Culver Duck Farm sit down with The National Provisioner to share how animal welfare is centralized within each company.

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Joey Jurgielewicz from Joe Jurgielewicz & Son and Heidi Parnin, corporate vet services manager for JJS and Culver Duck Farm, discuss how animal welfare is key to both companies' operations and how these practices can benefit producers and consumers alike. These two companies have a long-standing commitment to animal welfare. JJS has always prioritized humane handling, and Culver Duck remains consistently focused on bird welfare, driven by consumer standards and industry evolution.

JJS is the only veterinarian-owned and operated poultry farm. The company employs a “Happy Duck is a Tasty Duck” philosophy, linking animal welfare to product quality and the consumer experience. This philosophy focuses on air quality, water and barn management.

Culver Duck Farm is the only American Humane Certified duck meat producer in North America. Culver Duck pursued this certification in an effort to improve bird welfare practices beyond existing third-party audits. The American Humane Certification fit what Culver Duck was looking for--a strong understanding of duck farming, and openness to feedback. Culver Duck employs similar animal welfare processes and procedures to JJS, despite different certifications. 

Both companies emphasize continuous learning, worker collaboration and consumer-driven improvements in duck welfare. JJS and Culver Duck utilize a team-based approach to bird welfare, founded on shared core values, standards and accountability. This includes empowerment of all employees to ensure proper care of the birds, as well as continuous adaptation to consumer demands and purchasing preferences. JJS and Culver Duck both emphasize open communication and a feedback loop between management and farm workers.