In the quest for improved sustainability outcomes in the poultry sector, researchers, industry and producers continue to work together to address challenges and opportunities from new angles. New thinking brings new ideas and research that can be built on to drive ongoing advancement.

This forward-thinking approach is reflected in a University of British Columbia (UBC) study that examines the often-competing tradeoffs laying hen farmers face when considering housing options: animal welfare and environmental impact. Similarly, Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) has updated its lifecycle assessment (LCA), showing the broiler sector is making measurable sustainability gains, largely driven by improvements in feed.

A bold question of balance

Post-doctoral researcher Ian Turner from the Food Systems PRISM Lab at UBC Okanagan set out to determine which housing systems best support laying hens when different welfare and environmental priorities are considered.

His model included five non-organic housing systems: conventional cages, enriched colonies, single-level aviaries, multi-level aviaries and free-range systems.

Turner incorporated eight factors, evenly split between environmental and welfare considerations.

“There’s really no right answer about how you should prioritize things,” Turner says. “It’s completely up to each individual person. This was an attempt to cover as many different viewpoints as possible.”

Environmental factors included global warming potential, cumulative energy demand, acidification potential and eutrophication potential. Welfare factors included mortality rate, bone health, feather cover and the ability to express natural behaviours.

As part of his master’s research, Turner spent the summer of 2019 travelling across Canada interviewing producers. This work produced a dataset of about 110 participants. Combined with an online survey conducted that fall, which drew roughly 100 responses, it formed the foundation of his model.

The model is designed to evolve as more data and variables become available.

“The animal welfare modelling that I did, I’m very happy with,” Turner says. “But at the end of the day, it is very, very rudimentary.”

He hopes future researchers will build on it. “It was very much a first step in the way that I hope sustainability research will go,” he says.

Enriched colony systems consistently perform

Turner expected the model’s recommendation to shift depending on how the eight factors were weighted. Instead, one result remained consistent.

“Basically, no matter how I turned those dials and no matter what parameters I fed into this, 100 per cent of the time it told me that laying hens should be in enriched colony systems,” he says.

Initially, he thought there was an error. After re-running the model multiple times, the result held.

Nathan Pelletier, Egg Farmers of Canada research chair in sustainability and associate professor in biology at UBC Okanagan, says the outcome is logical.

“The free-range and conventional cage systems sit at opposite ends of the spectrum,” Pelletier says. “Enriched colonies represent a middle ground where hens perform well, stay healthy and can express some highly motivated natural behaviours.”

The only exception occurred when space allowance was weighted at 90 per cent, with all other factors making up the remaining 10 per cent. In that case, free-range systems were recommended.

“What this work has done is improve the basis upon which Canadian egg farmers can make decisions, taking into account competing objectives,” Pelletier says. “Measuring animal welfare is not straightforward.”

Big data for future decision-making

Decision-making in poultry production often comes down to balancing tradeoffs. Turner’s model provides a structured way to evaluate those tradeoffs.

With conventional cages set to be phased out in Canada by 2036, the research offers useful insights for farmers transitioning to new housing systems or building new barns.

“For the most part, Canadian egg farms are already very efficient,” Turner says. “Now we’re looking at what specific practices lead to even greater environmental gains.”

He believes “big data” and machine learning will play a key role in identifying those opportunities.

“Every benchmark provides a basis for comparison to the past,” Pelletier says.

Updates to CFC’s lifecycle assessment

While Turner’s work focuses on layers, the broiler sector is also advancing sustainability through updated LCA data from Chicken Farmers of Canada.

Tim Klompmaker, chair of CFC and a poultry farmer with Hanor Poultry in Norwood, Ont., says the results are encouraging.

“We measured from 2015 to 2023, and in that time frame our overall carbon footprint decreased by six per cent,” he says.

Research from UBC’s Food Systems PRISM Lab highlights how housing systems, such as enriched colonies, can support both welfare and environmental outcomes for laying hens.

Feed conversion and system advancements

Improved feed conversion ratios, which also increased by six per cent, are a major contributor to that reduction.

The LCA also found a 10 per cent decrease in the carbon footprint of feed, significant given feed accounts for 45 per cent of total production emissions. Water use remained stable on a per-kilogram basis.

“It’s very significant on the feed side,” Klompmaker says. “But it’s a combination of factors, including genetics and farmers having more tools available.”

Those tools include more efficient heating, lighting and ventilation systems. The LCA indicates many farmers plan upgrades within the next five years.

With 64 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions tied to barn heating, these improvements offer strong potential for further gains.

“When farmers adopt these measures and share results, others follow,” Klompmaker says.

The future of farming

Ongoing improvements are being driven by new technologies and better data.

“The amount of information we can now pull from our systems allows for fine-tuning like never before,” Klompmaker says.

New facilities are incorporating improved insulation, advanced ventilation, precision feeding and water monitoring systems, all aligned with sustainability goals.

Heat exchangers are one example gaining traction.

“In the last 10 years, we’ve seen a big increase in interest,” he says.

Many of these improvements are driven by a focus on bird performance, which often aligns with environmental and economic benefits.

On his own farms, Klompmaker has implemented several upgrades, including solar power.

“Two of our farms now produce all the power they need,” he says. “We’re essentially net-zero with Ontario Power Generation. It’s a long-term investment.”

As tools like Turner’s model and updated LCAs continue to evolve, they are helping guide the poultry sector toward a future where sustainability and productivity go hand in hand.

Canadian Poultry Magazine

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