Do Chicken Farmers Actually Take Care of their Product?
- Alessia M
- Sep 22, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 20, 2021
Everyone always asks the same question whenever we set foot into a grocery store or a butcher; “Do chickens have any trace of GMOs and are they free ranged?" I'm here to put these questions to rest. I have recently spoken with a chicken farmer who had a lot to discuss.
Jay Edworthy, a proud chicken farmer located in Barry’s Bay, Cambridge, Ontario. He raises chickens to sell to both Maple Leaf poultry and mainly to Swiss Chalet. He shares the property with his parents who have been in the farming industry for 30+ years, and Jay for 14 years. He started when he was about 20 years old. The chicken business is owned by him and only him. His routine consists of waking up at 5 am, to provide food and water daily. Sometimes he will end his day as late as midnight and then do it all over again. He really loves what he does, he loves the farm and the chicken industry because it will never go out of business.
He raises and sells about 350,000 chickens a year. However; he does have deadlines to meet; a maximum of 40 days.
Jay receives a coop of chickens from Canada and also the U.S.A. He will never coop all 350,000 chickens into one barn, he divides them into two separate barns. It's easier because of the amount of space and comfort for the chickens. He also makes sure the chickens are provided with the right amount of nutrition; however, they are not free ranged and he does provide the chickens about 10% of GMO.
Now, I know this is a bad thing; but his statement is logical, “If you have to sell 300,000 chickens within the deadline of 40 days without any GMO’s, would you be able to make the deadline?”
Now for other people, this statement can be highly argued. However, it does make sense given our increase in productivity. In addition, I think that adding GMOs to any product is completely unacceptable for human consumption.
If you look at it this way, it’s a business and there are deadlines in selling a high level of chickens. Without GMOs, the chickens will take more than 40 days to grow for people to buy and feed their families.
In conclusion, Jay is the perfect guy to ask about chickens, he will answer every question you have about the industry. In addition, without GMOs in our chickens, we wouldn't have enough to sell and we would have a shortage of poultry.
I myself only eat organic meat, but I do understand the stress that these chicken farmers are under in order to produce. That being said I do believe there is always more we can do to make it more humane for these chickens by making it free range.
I understood the theme of your article but feel it lacked certain points and arguments, as an author are your for or against the treatment of the chickens even with the deadlines, or is this an unbiased view. As well I would have loved to see the quote or two from the farmer, and how much of the overall industry is like him, and maybe people who have changed.