Document type: Report of the National Chicken Council
Author: National Chicken Council
Preview: The National Chicken Council (NCC) is the national trade association representing vertically integrated broiler producer-processors. NCC recommends the following guidelines to its members to assure the humane treatment of broilers and to promote the production of quality products.
Preface
[...] Animals' physical needs are relatively easily discussed, described, and studied, but their mental states and needs can be more difficult to characterize. We recognize this understanding is an ongoing discussion and evolving science. With that in mind, the NCC Broiler Welfare Guidelines are updated every two years to include new science-based parameters.
The NCC Broiler Welfare Guidelines have been developed to evaluate the current commercial strains of broiler chicken by auditing how these birds are raised, housed, managed, and processed. It is important to note that such standards may not be appropriate for other types of poultry as management practices may differ.
The following principles (which apply to all types of housing and strains of chickens) were considered in the development of this document:
1). Poultry raised for food should be cared for in ways that minimize fear, pain, stress, and suffering while promoting measurable positive welfare outcomes.
2). Guidelines for welfare should balance scientific knowledge, practical application, and professional judgment with consideration of ethical and societal values.
3). It is the welfare of the chickens themselves that is foremost, not how humans might perceive a practice or an environment.
4). Poultry should be treated with respect throughout their lives and provided a humane death when processed for food or when they are euthanized for any other reason.
5). These guidelines are focused on true indicators of broiler welfare and are not focused on prescriptive requirements that may have little to no impact on broiler welfare. As a result, these guidelines place special emphases on several key welfare indicators (KWI), including, but not limited to wing, leg, and foot pad health, mobility, insensibility, and other like parameters. It is the intent of the guidelines to provide for optimum broiler 3 welfare. Allowances have been set with an emphasis on continuous improvement. Companies must have robust, well-documented, and accurately implemented broiler welfare programs for hatchery, growout, catching and transportation, and processing.
6). The NCC Broiler Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist are formally reviewed every two years alternating between a review conducted by a group of scientific advisors and a review conducted by the NCC Broiler Welfare Committee. The intent of these formal reviews is to focus on continuous improvement with increased emphasis on KWIs. Allowances for these KWIs may become more stringent in subsequent versions. All recommended changes are approved by NCC's Board of Directors.
7). The NCC Broiler Welfare Guidelines and Audit Checklist are reviewed and certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO) on an annual basis.
Paper published in Feedstuff on January 11, 2023: Most comprehensive broiler welfare guidelines released
