Alberta chicken – the inside story

The average Albertan eats more than a pound of chicken per week. The province’s chicken producers want you to know what’s on your plate.

When you care about your food, you naturally want to know all about it. Take chicken, for example. It’s worth knowing that in 2001, Alberta’s 305 chicken farmers produced more than 84 million kilograms of fresh chicken.

According to Lloyd Johnston, those farmers are keen for Albertans to understand exactly how chickens are fed, housed and handled in our province. “We communicate with consumers every day – through our Web site, our publications and our involvement in the Growing Alberta program,” says Johnston, general manager of the Edmontonbased Alberta Chicken Producers. “Our producers take great pride in growing safe, nutritious, high-quality chicken for Albertans to enjoy.”

Free to move, free to eat grain

Johnston explains that raising chickens is a complex process. It takes experience, a high level of management skill and the latest in technology. At its core, however, the process comes down to this.

Alberta Hatching Egg producers raise about 60 million chicks that are placed with Alberta chicken producers. It takes between 39 and 42 days to grow a freshly hatched chick into a market-ready chicken, with an average-sized operation raising a new flock of 20,000 birds every eight weeks.

Chickens are housed in clean, well-ventilated, climate-controlled barns where they are free to wander, drink readily available fresh water and eat at will. Most barns are one storey, while some are two. The floor is covered with straw or soft, dry wood shavings or paper. Between flocks, barns are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Why are chickens raised in barns? According to Aaron Falkenberg, Past Chair of Alberta Chicken, there’s a bunch of reasons. “Chickens are raised in barns for their safety and to ensure a safe, quality product,” he says. “In barns, we can control temperature and climate, stop the introduction of disease, and prevent natural predators from attacking the birds. It means safe, healthy birds that produce premium quality meat.”

Another important feature of raising birds inside is the ability to control the quality of feed.

“We find there’s a lot of confusion among consumers about exactly what chickens are fed,” says Falkenberg. “In fact, it’s very simple. All Alberta chickens are fed grain, which is usually a combination of wheat, vitamins and minerals.

“Just as important as what they are fed, is what they are not fed. Alberta chickens are not fed or injected with any hormones. This is done in some countries but it is illegal in Canada.”

More nutritious than ever

“A roasted chicken breast has 42% less fat today than in 1981, and a leg has 36% less fat,” says Johnston. “Alberta chicken is an excellent source of protein, with no carbohydrates and many vitamins and minerals.

“As producers, we want Albertans to enjoy our product, with the full knowledge that it is nutritious, safe and was raised according to the highest standards. We care about our product, and we’re delighted to stand behind it.”