#smallflock

I got to do a presentation about the Heritage Chicken Program at the Western Poultry Conference in Red Deer, Alberta on February 28th! I’d like to share some of the things I talked about. 

The main audience for the presentation was all four poultry industry producers, table egg (eggs you eat), hatching egg (eggs produced that hatch into meat birds), broiler (meat chickens) and turkeys. There were also many representatives from industry groups, feed companies and processing plants there, in addition to professors and students from the University of Alberta. This is the only scientific/industry conference specific to poultry in Western Canada. There is also the Poultry Service Industry Workshop in October, however that is much more geared towards industry tools and practical techniques.

I was asked to give a presentation that described the heritage program and why it came about, as well as what potential benefits it provides to industry. I’ll summarize below the general presentation and content!

Where the Heritage Chicken Program birds came from: 

The heritage chickens came from multiple sources. Some came from the University of Saskatchewan and Ontario, where a rare poultry conservancy program had been conserving genetics of chickens which were influential in creating the modern laying and meat industries. Other strains which were conserved were broilers (meat chickens) from 1957 and 1978. These birds were what farmers raised as meat birds in 1957 and 1978, respectively. The genetics today are very different, but keeping the original genetic stock allows for a failsafe in case something happened to the industry. Other sources of the birds were from a prominent Canadian poultry breeder named Don Shaver. Keeping the birds here allows us to preserve his work in the field of Canadian heritage breeds.

What the Heritage Chicken Program is and why it started:

The heritage chicken program started as a way to make the flock at the Poultry Research Centre self-sufficient as it costs approximately $65,000/year to keep the 1600 birds at the farm. The program was very successful, and allows people to adopt a chicken and receive their eggs from January through September (one dozen per two weeks). The money received from the adoptions goes back into the flock and has made the flock self-sufficient and allowed the preservation of the genetics.

Why people join the Heritage Chicken Program:

We did a brief survey of the 2017 Heritage Chicken Program participants and asked them: Why did you join the Heritage Chicken Program?

Feedback from participants has shown that they like the connection that they get from the chickens and the program, the information about agriculture they receive, the teaching opportunities it provides their families and learning about poultry in general.

Other initiatives part of the Heritage Chicken Program:

Meat Program: Another way the Heritage Chickens are supported at the Poultry Research Centre is through the sale of stewing hens. Each September, the current Heritage Chicken flock is processed at our facility on South Campus, and the frozen, whole carcasses are sold to participants. It is another means of showing the “farm to fork” idea behind agriculture, of raising and animal, showing it respect, but still using its products.

Chick Program: We hatch chicks each spring and offer them for sale through Peavey Mart. All the money goes back into supporting the flock at the Poultry Research Centre. The chicks are vaccinated for all of the major poultry diseases, Marek’s, Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) and Coccidiosis which helps to prevent any disease outbreaks which could impact other flocks or commercial industry flocks. We also require a premise ID, which helps with traceability of chicken flocks in Alberta.

Small Flock Workshops: Helping to educate small, hobby chicken flock owners about the importance of biosecurity, health, how to look for signs that chickens are sick, what to do and who to contact. Our workshops for this year are taking place on April 12 and 13, and the information can be found on https://www.eventbrite.ca/ .

Benefits to industry from the Heritage Chicken Program:

Increased awareness and education of people about chickens and the poultry industry, as well as education of people getting into raising small flocks. People raising small flocks are more aware of biosecurity, which helps keep everyone (commercial and small flocks) safe and healthy. I currently work at the Alberta Hatching Egg Producers, and have my MSc in Poultry Science and Applied Ethology from the University of Alberta, and am able to answer questions, and redirect to appropriate industry groups which helps to minimize misinformation surrounding the poultry industry too!