National Chicken Council updates broiler welfare guidelines, gains PAACO certification
Updated guidelines mark the most detailed revision since the last major update in December 2022.
To support chicken producers and processors in animal welfare efforts, the National Chicken Council (NCC) in 1999 developed the NCC Broiler Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist, which have been widely adopted across the industry to help ensure chickens are properly cared for and treated humanely. Reviewed regularly and updated as new science becomes available, the guidelines cover every phase of a broiler chicken’s life, from hatchery to processing.
The newly updated guidelines mark the most detailed revision since the last major update in December 2022 and were recently certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO), a leading authority on animal welfare auditing who provides high-quality training and certification credentials for auditors and audits.
“NCC, with its welfare committee oversight, has demonstrated continuous improvement, made changes that were topical to the industry and included the most recent information available from the American Association of Avian Pathologists, as well,” said Collette Kaster, executive director of PAACO.
Key updates to the NCC guidelines include:
- A new section on Controlled Atmospheric Stunning (CAS), giving companies that use CAS systems a dedicated set of standards separate from electrical stunning
- Expanded lighting verification checks, adding more rigor to how lighting programs are evaluated in growout houses
- New requirements for both hand and mechanical catching programs, ensuring companies using either method—or both—have clear, written procedures in place
- A required program for routine stunning equipment checks, along with a written emergency plan for if stunning equipment is not functioning properly
- Reorganized and streamlined language throughout the document for clarity and consistency, including replacing “poultry” with “broiler” to more precisely reflect the guidelines’ scope
- Expanded appendices offering more detailed guidance for auditors and companies on measuring litter moisture, evaluating lighting programs, monitoring atmospheric ammonia, and calculating stocking density.
The guidelines continue to place special emphasis on Key Welfare Indicators (KWIs), including mobility, insensibility at slaughter, and wing and leg injuries, reflecting NCC’s continued focus on measurable welfare outcomes.
“These updated guidelines reflect our industry’s ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, grounded in the best available science,” said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., NCC senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs. “Adding a dedicated section for Controlled Atmospheric Stunning gives companies using that technology a clear, fully scored set of standards, while our new requirements for routine stunning equipment checks and emergency response planning help ensure consistent, humane treatment of birds at every stage. We’re grateful to the veterinarians, poultry scientists, and auditors who helped shape this update.”
The full NCC Broiler Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist is available on NCC’s website.
Source: National Chicken Council
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