Animal Welfare

 

Wayne Farms - Antibiotic UseCARING FOR OUR ANIMALS AT EVERY STEP.

From hatcheries to processing plants, all of our facilities — both conventional and GAP-rated — are audited twice a year by a third-party animal welfare firm. Each facility is also internally audited twice a year by our Quality Assurance Managers, who are PACCO-certified auditors.

 

 

 

 

OUR ANTIBIOTIC USAGE POLICY

Wayne Farms fully supports the use of FDA-approved antimicrobial compounds when necessary to prevent animal suffering and mortality, and all antibiotic usage is supported by an evaluation of poultry health conditions, including the use of diagnostic tests.

100% of our processed chicken products are free of residual antibiotics through extensive oversight and adherence to FDA-approved withdrawal times — and as of 2019, Wayne Farms no longer routinely uses shared-class antibiotics that are considered important to human medicine.

We believe it’s more important than ever to provide a variety of choices. That’s why we offer the following high-quality product lines to meet the needs of today’s discerning consumers:

Conventional

All medications given to our chickens are approved and recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). All birds are tested to ensure they are antibiotic free when processed, in accordance with federal law.

No Antibiotics Ever (NAE), Vegetable & Grain Diet with No Animal By-Products

This designation means that no antibiotics, including medically important antibiotics, have ever been used at any point of the process — from hatching and raising to harvesting, transporting and processing chickens. Essential nutrients are provided in chickens’ diets through the inclusion of vegetable sources versus animal by-products.

No Antibiotics Ever (NAE), Global Animal Partnership (GAP) Step 2-rated

This designation is given by an independent third-party certifier, Where Food Comes From®, Inc., and all chicken products eligible for this program have met GAP Step 2-rated standards. These include, but are not limited to: reduced stocking density; increased light intensity; at least 6 continuous hours of darkness for rest; and added enrichments in chicken houses to promote natural behavior.

Read this guide to different ways of raising chicken

starburst iconCONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STUNNING

Wayne Farms - Controlled Atmosphere Stunning

As of May 2019, Wayne Farms has introduced Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) at our facility in Enterprise, AL — one of many animal welfare enhancements designed to reduce animal stress. We believe that CAS provides a calmer environment for the birds and line employees since the birds are rendered unconscious before being handled by employees at the facility.

And with the Marel Atlas Smooth Flow CAS system in place, we are able to eliminate dumping because the birds remain in the stacked/destacked baskets in which they were transported to the facility as they go through the conveyor at the plant.

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