tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46956376898481357302024-03-13T06:03:39.773-04:00Small Flock Poultry Farmers of CanadaA blog to communicate, discuss, and advocate for the civil rights and important role Small Flock Poultry Farmers can play (and should play) in Canadian Society.
Small Flockers are on the side of justice & truth, and against privilege & power. Unfortunately, the more we compromise with privilege and power, the more we reduce the capacity for truth and justice.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.comBlogger453125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-57303201579652303352018-08-29T01:28:00.000-04:002018-08-29T01:28:00.577-04:00SM Lobbyists on SteroidsTimes are tough, no time for sleep. Lobbyists for Supply Management ("SM") must earn their keep. NAFTA and TPP are on the rocks. Canada's SM is being stared down by the hungry wolves around the globe. Can SM survive?<br />
<br />
Maxime Bernier likely lost the PC Leadership race because of his stance against SM; one of the first Canadian politicians to do so. You have to admire this guy's courage and fortitude.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4404306/conservative-supply-management-dairy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alberta's PC members</a> introduced a motion debated at the 2018 PC Policy Convention to end SM:<br />
<br />
<span class="gnca-article-story-txt gn-speakable-description" itemprop="articleBody">“In
order to lower the cost of food for Canadians, strengthen the
agricultural sector and open more markets worldwide for Canadian
exporters, a Conservative government will phase out supply management
while smoothing the market adjustment for Canadian farmers,” reads the <a href="https://cpc18.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Constitution-Amendment-Proposals-2018-EN_Final-1.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank">proposed change</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="gnca-article-story-txt gn-speakable-description" itemprop="articleBody">In one of the many other <a href="https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/columnists/alan-holman-canada-mustnt-cave-on-milk-marketing-236378/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">puff pieces designed to support SM</a>, I chose to respond as follows:</span><br />
<span class="gnca-article-story-txt gn-speakable-description" itemprop="articleBody"><br /></span>
<span class="gnca-article-story-txt gn-speakable-description" itemprop="articleBody">Dear Alan:<br /><br />I saw your article "<b>Canada mustn’t cave on milk marketing</b>" in Charlottetown's <b>The Guardian</b> newspaper on Aug. 26, 2018 (<a href="https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/columnists/alan-holman-canada-mustnt-cave-on-milk-marketing-236378/">https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/columnists/alan-holman-canada-mustnt-cave-on-milk-marketing-236378/</a> ).<br /><br />It appears that you tried to address all of the standard arguments against Supply Management. I would like to reply to each of those arguments, and add a few additional arguments on the other side.<br /><br />Before I begin, I want to make full disclosure of my bias on this hot issue. I am a small flock chicken farmer, one of 60,000 or so non-Supply Management (ie. non-SM) chicken farmers across Canada. There are about 4,000 SM chicken farmers in Canada, which is just 6.6% of all Canadian chicken farmers. Small flock, non-SM chicken farmers have had our rights and freedoms stolen from us so that the SM chicken farmers can rule the roost, and impose tyrannical rules upon the non-SM chicken farmers. I call it *Chicken Apartheid* because SM allows the minority to dominate and persecute the majority. While your article and my response will focus on the SM dairy sector, I believe the other sectors of SM are as bad or worse than dairy.<br /><br />1. You said, "<b>It’s not like there are billions of dollars<br /> involved...</b>". I disagree. Canadians pay a premium (from 38% to<br /> 300% for Supply Management ("SM") commodities (eg. milk, cheese,<br /> butter, chicken, turkey, and eggs) over what citizens in most other<br /> OECD countries pay on the world's free markets. When the annual<br /> tonnes consumed by Canadians are multiplied by the premium SM marked<br /> up prices that Canadian are forced to pay, it's in the Billions of<br /> dollars per year.<br /><br />2. You say, "<b>...these same free-enterprisers are not against farmers<br /> collecting massive government subsidies...</b>". I disagree. In<br /> Canada, there are more lobbyists in the agricultural sector than<br /> pharma, automotive, IT, tech, banking, finance, or any other<br /> business sector. Lobbyists in SM are the largest and best of all<br /> Agriculture Lobbyists. Those Ag. lobbyists are highly paid and very<br /> effective at their job of keeping those subsidies flowing. The SM<br /> system double dips in that governmental feed trough. SM is eligible<br /> for most of those subsidies and governmental programs like most<br /> other farmers, then also get to write their own laws and enforce<br /> them on non-SM farmers and all Canadians as o how SM will control<br /> and gouge Canadians and manipulate the system to their personal SM<br /> advantage. There is a governmental panel that must endorse these SM<br /> decrees, but it is mostly a toothless lap dog who does what it's<br /> told to do, rubber stamping and approving almost everything that is<br /> placed before it by SM lobbyists.<br /><br />3. You say, "<b>If Canada’s poor can’t afford to buy milk, then<br /> increasing the subsidies to the poor would be a better use of tax<br /> money...</b>", rather than changing the SM system. In 2015, the<br /> Ontario SM dairy industry dumped 400,000 litres of skim milk in<br /> sewage lagoons so that they could maximize their SM profits. In a<br /> June 2, 2016 article in the <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/its-not-a-pretty-picture-ontario-dairy-farmers-dumping-skim-milk-into-manure-pits-and-sewer-lagoons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Post</a>, SM is criticized for dumping<br /> tens of millions pounds of perfectly good skim milk as animal feed, <br /> flushing milk down the municipal<br /> sewer, dumping skim milk in pig manure composting pits, or similar<br /> wasteful disposal. Ever since 2015, the skim milk dumping continues<br /> almost every day, but the Main Stream Media have moved on to other<br /> issues. SM says their hands are tied because the Canadian skim milk<br /> manufacturing plants have been operating at capacity since 2015, so<br /> SM claims there is no other solution. What they keep secret is that<br /> SM operates the system so as to maximize profits for their SM farmer<br /> members, not so as to serve the greater good of Canadians. SM lies<br /> to the public by omission when they hide the obvious facts that they<br /> could build additional skim milk manufacturing capacity, or the<br /> liquid skim milk could be shipped to US powder milk producing<br /> plants, or they could sell the skim milk to Canadian consumers at a<br /> low enough discount price so as to clear any surplus, or donate the<br /> skim milk to Food Banks, or run the SM system so that all dairy<br /> products and by-products are balanced and have a ready market at a<br /> fair price. Canadians have consistently wanted more butter than<br /> what Canadian dairies can produce, and drink less and less homo and<br /> skim milk because it's so expensive. SM selfishly obliges these<br /> desires by charging up to 300% more than world prices for Canadian<br /> butter, then imports cheap New Zealand ("NZ") surplus butter by the<br /> tonnes, jacks up the low import price by 300% to sell NZ butter to<br /> desperate Canadians, and uses the "buy low -- sell high" price<br /> gouging profits on NZ butter to pay for the Canada-wide advertising<br /> and lobbying about the goodness of Canadian butter and dairy<br /> products. Sheer and udder [sic] hypocrisy!<br /><br />4. You claim that SM is a "<b>...system that provides high quality dairy<br /> product...</b>". Quality of milk is usually measured by: a)<br /> contamination of milk with bacteria, b) BTSCC (bulk tank somatic<br /> cell count ie. puss); and c) adulterants in the milk. Using data<br /> from the Canadian Dairy Commission and USDA, in 2011-2012 Canadian<br /> milk had an average of 239,556 BTSCC, while US milk was 197,000 so<br /> US milk is 21% better than Canadian milk for BTSCC. When the<br /> Canadian milk quality standards were tightened in Jan. 1992, the<br /> number of incidents of adulterated milk in Canada from improper<br /> antibiotic use significantly increased, likely as Canadian dairy<br /> farmers tried to take the easy way out to meet the tougher quality<br /> standards.<br /><br /> The quality of Canadian milk is mediocre, and variation between<br /> Provinces, and month-to-month are outrageous. For somatic cell<br /> counts (ie. puss) in the milk from Jan. to June 2015, Manitoba had<br /> the worse milk in Canada, <b>17% worse</b> than the Canadian average. BC<br /> had the best milk, which is 14% better than the Canadian average<br /> somatic cell count. The worst month for a Province was <b>45% more<br /> contaminated</b> than the best month. For bacterial contamination in<br /> Canadian milk from Jan. to June 2015, the monthly variability across<br /> all Provinces is 48%, which shows an out of control situation,<br /> indicating poor dairy management. Nova Scotia had the worse milk,<br /> <b>208% worse</b> bacterial count than the Canadian average. New<br /> Brunswick had the best milk, which is 57% lower than the Canadian<br /> average bacterial contamination. The worst month for a Province was<br /> <b>13 times worse</b> than the best month. Again, totally out of<br /> control. This poor quality milk wasn't dumped, it was sold to<br /> unsuspecting consumers. Thank God for pasteurization. When we<br /> compare the 1998 data to the 2015 data, there has been little to no<br /> improvement over this 17 year period of SM mediocrity and/or negligence.<br /><br /> You claim that all milk sold in Canada is "<b>...hormone-free</b>".<br /> However our SM system allows friends of SM to import BST milk from<br /> the USA (a hormone banned in Canada which creates up to 21% more<br /> milk when that hormone is administered to a cow). In addition,<br /> there are credible reports of US drug companies delivering large<br /> shipments of BST to USA farms that are near the US-Canada border,<br /> then some Canadian dairy farmers or their agents cross the border,<br /> pick up their illicit drug supply, and personally import it to<br /> Canada for their dairy cows. SM knows about these chronic<br /> allegations, but has done little to nothing to investigate or stop<br /> it from re-occurring. Therefore claims that all milk sold in Canada<br /> is BST-free are not to be believed.<br /><br />5. The 17,000 or so SM farmers in Canada are just 8% of all Canadian<br /> farmers, and just 0.05% of all Canadians. I agree that SM is<br /> excellent for the 17,000 SM farmers who are the highest paid farmers<br /> in Canada, as SM farmers earn 21% more than non-SM farmers on<br /> average. While SM is excellent for SM farmers, there is is no proof<br /> that SM is good for Canadians, and considerable proof that millions<br /> of Canadian consumers and thousands of non-SM farmers suffer<br /> significantly under SM's tyranny.<br /><br />6. In 2015, US Bureau of Labor Statistics ("BLS", who surveys US retail<br /> prices to calculate US inflation rates) shows "Milk, fresh, whole,<br /> fortified, per US gal. to sell retail Mid-West in June 2015 for<br /> US$2.835 per US Gallon. There are 3.785 litres per US Gal., so the<br /> equivalent price is US$0.749 per litre. Statistics Canada Table<br /> 326-0012, Average retail prices for food and other selected items,<br /> monthly shows June 2015 retail price of milk was CDN$2.49 per litre<br /> (see <a href="http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/access_acces/alternative_alternatif?l=eng&keng=5.66&kfra=5.66&teng=Download%20file%20from%20CANSIM&tfra=Fichier%20extrait%20de%20CANSIM&loc=http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/results/cansim-3260012-eng-7832738147871527138.csv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Statscan</a>). Bank of Canada shows the average <a href="http://www.bankofcanada.ca/rates/exchange/10-year-converter/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">US-CDN exchange rate</a> in June<br /> 2015 was 0.8080 CDN$/US$. The US price converts to CDN$0.927 per litre.</span><br />
<span class="gnca-article-story-txt gn-speakable-description" itemprop="articleBody"> Therefore I conclude that Canadian milk is 268.6% more expensive than US milk in June 2015. <br /> The gouging by Canada's SM system has been consistent, both before<br /> and after this June 2015 example.<br /><br />7. New Zealand let their SM system run amok until there were just 3<br /> dairies left standing in 2001, with a billion dollar corporation<br /> called Fonterra (NZ's biggest dairy conglomerate) producing over 90%<br /> of NZ milk. Does Canada have to destroy family dairy farms in the<br /> same manner as NZ, or can we learn some lessons from NZ? Today,<br /> about 95% of NZ's dairy products get exported. The NZ tail wags the<br /> dog at this elevated level of export market shares. With only 5%<br /> attention span of Fonterra for domestic markets, I suspect some<br /> NZ'ers feel the export markets get the best service, quality, and<br /> quantity, while the citizens of NZ get what's left over. When<br /> Fonterra was formed in Oct. 2001, they processed 96% of NZ's milk<br /> supply, and Fonterrra only had two competitors, Westland Milk<br /> Products on the West Coast and Tatua Cooperative Dairy Company in<br /> Morrinsville, Waikato. From 1990, NZ dairy exports have grown from<br /> NZ$2.1 Billion to NZ$15.5 Billion in 2014. That's an average growth<br /> rate of 8.8% per year, doubling and re-doubling in size every 8<br /> years. In the same time period, Canadian dairy exports went from<br /> CDN$196.5 Million to CDN$281 Million. That's an average Canadian<br /> growth rate of 1.5% per year, doubling and re-doubling in size every<br /> 47 years (mediocre to sickly). Note that Canada and its SM system<br /> had just 17% of the growth that NZ's dairy farmers enjoyed. That's<br /> quite a difference! The other 83% of the potentially available<br /> growth that Canada could have enjoyed was pissed into the wind by<br /> SM's dysfunctional thinking and actions.<br /><br />8. SM was invented so as to save Canadian dairy farms operated by<br /> Canadian farming families. In spite of this lofty goal, the number<br /> of Canadian dairy farms has dropped from 25,825 in 1993, to 12,430<br /> in 2011; a 4% per year average drop, halfing and re-halfing every 18<br /> years. SM has failed miserably on its most important mission. In<br /> 2014, there is only 11,962 dairy farms left in Canada, another 1.3%<br /> drop from 2011. Like the passenger pigeon decimation in the early<br /> 1900's, the death rate continues as Canadian dairy farms become<br /> merger & acquisition targets by Big Ag., or go out of business in<br /> spite of SM's promises and because of their gouging of Canadian<br /> consumers. This isn't good news, it's just how extinctions tend to<br /> occur.<br /><br />9. SM lobbyists are constantly surveying the Canadian consumers, so as<br /> to nip any emerging problems in the bud. Many of these surveys are<br /> quoted as alleged proof that Canadians support SM, but the only<br /> thing these surveys truly prove is that most Canadians don’t<br /> understanding SM. For example, in 1963 steroids & hormones were<br /> banned in Canada, but 64% of BC consumers believe they’re still used<br /> in SM products, and this myth upsets most consumers. In a 2014<br /> survey by Chicken Farmers of Ontario (an SM lobby group), only 3% of<br /> consumers realized that chicken is produced under SM, but thought<br /> apples, beef, honey & wheat were SM products (not true). First we<br /> must educate the public. Consumer opinions are only valid once<br /> comprehension is achieved.<br /><br />10. In Dec. 2015, the Food Institute at the University of Guelph<br /> announced that food inflation in Canada is the highest in the world,<br /> topping 4.1% in 2015. It will be more of the same for the near<br /> future. While all food prices are on the rise, the SM commodities<br /> (ie. chicken, turkey, eggs, and all dairy products) are leading the<br /> inflation parade.<br /><br /> For example, for someone earning Ontario Minimum Wage between 1995<br /> and 2005, the affordability of chicken dropped 31.7%. Since chicken<br /> has historically been the cheapest meat available, if you can't<br /> afford chicken, you are forced to become a vegetarian.<br /><br /> Health Canada reports that 7.6% of Canadians can't afford the food<br /> they need to feed their families. In the North, rural areas, and on<br /> First Nation reserves, 33% to as high as 80% of families have food<br /> insecurity. For example, in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut a whole chicken<br /> sells for $80 to $90, 4 to 5 times the price paid in Toronto ON,<br /> making chicken unaffordable by most families. Many families in<br /> Nunavut are forced to do their "grocery shopping" at the Municipal<br /> Garbage Dump, cutting off the best parts from the rotting garbage,<br /> bringing it home to cook supper for their starving family. The<br /> Canada is the 7th to 11th richest country in the world, depending on<br /> how you measure it. In spite of this, the United Nations Special<br /> Rapporteur stated that Canadian aboriginals are worse off than any<br /> other aboriginal population in the world. Shame on Canada!<br /><br />11. Economists have determined that Canadian dairy farms and dairy<br /> processing plants are the 2nd worst in the world for productivity<br /> (ie. $/litre production cost of milk). SM has caused or contributed<br /> to Canadian dairy farmers losing their way, and falling far behind<br /> their dairy competitors around the world. If the SM life support<br /> system was suddenly unplugged, the weak and frail Canadian dairy<br /> industry would immediately (or slowly) die with little hope of<br /> recovery. Every day that SM remains in place, SM farmers are<br /> getting fatter, weaker, and closer to extinction.<br /><br />12. In the end, you seem to be calling for a Royal Commission to fully<br /> and fairly review the entire SM system that has been in place for 50<br /> years, and make recommendations to improve or replace the system. I<br /> can't agree more. Lets do it. Lets do it now.<br /><br />-- <br />Glenn Black President<br /><b>Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada</b></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-79484996372768155272018-01-04T18:29:00.001-05:002018-09-07T08:44:38.630-04:00Fossilized CFO vs. Used Litter*** 2018-09-07 Update ***<br />
<br />
<a href="https://poultryhealthtoday.com/trace-minerals-used-litter-coccidiosis-control-key-to-managing-enteritis-in-nae-flocks/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Poultry Health Magazine</a> describes the latest research that shows significant benefits of re-using litter to start a new flock so that coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis (NE) for NAE (No Antibiotics Ever) poultry farms.<br />
<br />
More proof that CFO and CFC are fossilized dinosaurs, out of touch with reality, and only operate to protect themselves and the million dollar monopolies of their members. Supply Management is a bad joke, and bullying of trusting Canadians.<br />
<br />
*** End Update 2018-09-07 ***<br />
<br />
Two years ago, I asked for an interpretation & approval on my Small Flock Farm for CFO's Artisanal Chickens to use
recycled litter (ie. composted between flocks), rather than being forced to clean out the brooder and use virgin litter between each flock.<br />
<br />
I believe composted litter is better for bird
health for our young chicks in our brooder. I provided CFO with detailed peer-reviewed research and written reasoning to justify my request.<br />
<br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="47" data-ved="0ahUKEwj6-762ub_YAhUi_4MKHWOhDTsQ4EUILzAA">Coccidiosis</span> and Necrotic Enteritis are Billion $/yr problems that chronically exist in CAFO poultry farms. <br />
<br />
As usual, CFO and CFC refused to consider my request & suggestion.<br />
<br />
CFO's refusal is further proof that CFO is fossilized, frozen in space & time, and unwilling &/or unable to change in significant ways.<br />
<br />
You'd think that profit motive would prick up the Chicken Mafia's ears.
However, it appears that power & control are even more important
than higher profits.<br />
<br />
Alternatively, we can explain their refusal by The Chicken Mafia's cup already overflowing with windfall, excessive profits. Even higher profits from better disease control would means even more flowing into their cup and spilling on the floor as waste.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, it escapes CFO's awareness that Billion $ health savings on farm could be shared with Canadian consumers by lower prices flowing back into the grocery stores for SM commodities (ie. chicken, eggs, turkey, dairy).<br />
<br />
Here is additional, latest research from Poultry Health Today that proves the value of used litter.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SS3q0br13xM?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<a href="https://poultryhealthtoday.com/necrotic-enteritis-and-age-of-litter-whats-the-connection-in-broilers/">https://poultryhealthtoday.com/necrotic-enteritis-and-age-of-litter-whats-the-connection-in-broilers/</a><br />
<br />
I believe CFO and CFC needs to be more open to alternative methods,
rather than a dogmatic ultra orthodox, Luddite approach forever &
ever.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-20455931292654049542017-08-17T20:56:00.000-04:002017-08-18T11:49:03.233-04:00Supply Management's Zombie<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlm-srkweSnCMWKm-6Pam9NY3hf923OXr9Tuq8WsmzpkrK7CYXkkMRJ6QJ3D4zeAZXIijTtxUHb2sz0d46MHcdTzz9WxawttjOYMc3rP-Ks6hBABm9aDlBS4V1mfEsuAIdBs5bvO1BMa-/s1600/Zombie_SM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlm-srkweSnCMWKm-6Pam9NY3hf923OXr9Tuq8WsmzpkrK7CYXkkMRJ6QJ3D4zeAZXIijTtxUHb2sz0d46MHcdTzz9WxawttjOYMc3rP-Ks6hBABm9aDlBS4V1mfEsuAIdBs5bvO1BMa-/s320/Zombie_SM.png" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One Zombie who Lived & Died for<br />
Supply Management</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Everybody knows that Zombies are hard to kill.<br />
<br />
The same is true for Canada's system of Supply Management ("SM").<br />
<br />
In spite of this, the times are a changing. President Donald Trump has heard about the unfairness of Canada's dairy sector for American exports. He has forced the pending NAFTA re-negotiation.<br />
<br />
Combine that with the May 2017 loss of Maxime Bernier, Quebec's favorite for the PC Leadership race due to his unwavering plan to kill SM, in spite of Quebec having more SM farmers than any other province.<br />
<br />
Now, the <a href="http://www.iedm.org/e" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montreal Economic Institute</a> has come out against SM. <a href="http://www.iedm.org/sites/default/files/web/pub_files/lepoint1317_en.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MEI's August 2017 report</a> shows the consequences of SM on the rate of growth and GDP produced by SM and non-SM farmers. The MEI Report is a quick read, just 1 page, so well worth your time.<br />
<br />
MEI's graph (see below) shows the impact of SM on domestic production for SM and non-SM<br />
agricultural products. Non-SM farmers who produce Soybeans, Wheat, Canola, and Pork<br />
are good enough to compete on world markets, and are rewarded with significant exports.<br />
Why can't SM farmers (Chicken, Eggs, and Dairy) do the same? <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRQzamq2JFs9ZL3Pwmjw771FfUiv6q9iPe2Vjwsv_HJtDHDh8Y0O_wZjGw-qPLNIy4fdN_eSFqEvWuT4f9On7AjrkcDPnF0srNZOUDYGNhW426UC9C74WUVDToWjRZPvRWcucWq5He6ho/s1600/Figure+1_A02_English.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="654" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRQzamq2JFs9ZL3Pwmjw771FfUiv6q9iPe2Vjwsv_HJtDHDh8Y0O_wZjGw-qPLNIy4fdN_eSFqEvWuT4f9On7AjrkcDPnF0srNZOUDYGNhW426UC9C74WUVDToWjRZPvRWcucWq5He6ho/s640/Figure+1_A02_English.png" width="521" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MEI's graph showing the impact of SM on domestic production for SM and non-SM<br />
agricultural products. Non-SM farmers who produce Soybeans, Wheat, Canola, and Pork<br />
are good enough to compete on world markets, and are rewarded with significant exports.<br />
Why can't SM farmers (Chicken, Eggs, and Dairy) do the same?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2013/03/why-not-export-canadian-chicken.html" target="_blank">March 2013 I posted</a> about Canada's sickly chicken exports that were just 1.42% of the total chicken exported by the top 7 OECD chicken exporters. In other words, Canada's market share for chicken exports was a minuscule 1.42%; close to non-existant. Our domestic chicken industry could be 5 times bigger if we left last place, and took our rightful place as one of the leading OECD chicken exporters.<br />
<br />
In the same post, I outlined how New Zealand's Tegal Poultry has done the hard work to develop a Feed Conversion Ratio ("FCR") 31.9% better than Canadian chicken farmers. Canada's chicken industry used to be a world leader in quality and productivity before SM was invented. Ever since SM arrived, it has been resting on past laurels, slowly sliding into the swamp of mediocrity, where fat, dumb, and happy reign supreme. When the <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2013/08/its-alive.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bogus Canadian FCR</a> which artificially boosted the profit of Canadian chicken farmers was finally exposed and corrected, Canada is only 25% behind NZ's world leading FCR. <br />
<br />
New Zealand ("NZ") used to have Supply Management, but eventually gave it up in Oct. 2011, when economic hard times pushed the NZ nation to the wall. From 1990, NZ dairy exports have grown from NZ$2.1 Billion to NZ$15.5 Billion in 2014. That's up 738%, or an average growth rate of 8.8% per year, doubling and re-doubling in size every 8 years.<br />
<br />
In the same time period, Canadian dairy exports went from CDN$196.5 Million to CDN$281 Million. That's up 43%, or an average growth rate of 1.5% per year, doubling and re-doubling in size every 47 years. <br />
<br />
Note that NZ's non-SM dairy system enjoyed 17 times greater growth than Canada's SM dairy system. Here is the greatest cost to Canada and Canadians; the SM imposed loss of opportunity, prosperity, and jobs; punishing all Canadians so that SM farmers, just 0.05% of all Canadians, can enjoy higher profits and no competition. The potentially available growth that Canada could have had was pissed into the wind by SM's dysfunctional thinking and actions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-43087777208863807652017-08-09T23:08:00.002-04:002017-08-09T23:08:49.213-04:00Supply Management Confusion<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a 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title="https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-confusing-sign-image26789055" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confusion about Supply<br />Management kills any<br />hope of intelligent debate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A survey of Canadian consumers was conducted to help define preferences and trade-offs in NAFTA trade negotiations with USA who again complain about Canada's unfair Supply Management system.<br />
<br />
In a <a href="http://angusreid.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/2017.08.02-Supply-Management.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">survey by Angus Reid of 1,512 Canadians during June and July, 2017</a>
just 4% of Canadians claim to understand a lot about Supply
Management ("SM").<br />
<br />
However, even this handful of self-proclaimed SM experts were
confused about which food commodities are controlled by SM (ie.
incorrectly including beef & pork under SM).<br />
<br />
Worse, 52% of Canadians
believe beef is
supply managed, when it is not; and 51% of Canadians
believe milk is not supply managed when in fact dairy represents about
80% of the entire system. <br />
<br />
Based on this confusion, any survey that
shows support for SM by Canadian consumers is a misleading mirage promoted by SM snake oils salesmen who have a pay cheque to protect.<br />
<br />For detailed results based on knowledge of supply management and support levels, <a href="http://angusreid.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2017.07.27_Supply_mgmt_Knowledge_Support_release-tables.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
<br />For detailed results by age, gender, region, education, and other demographics, <a href="http://angusreid.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2017.07.27_Supply_mgmt-release-tables.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Confusion about Supply Management kills any hope of intelligent debate<br /> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-89783175111296091292017-03-10T22:35:00.000-05:002017-03-10T22:35:00.274-05:00Politicians Against Supply ManagementI wasn't sure if it would happen in my lifetime, but there are a growing number of politicians who are against Supply Management ("SM").<br />
<br />
I suggest all Small Flockers, friends, and SM abolitionists should get a $15 membership in <a href="http://www.conservative.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CPC</a> and vote for <a href="http://www.maximebernier.com/home" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maxime Bernier</a>. Here is why:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.maximebernier.com/home" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maxime Bernier</a> is running for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. He has come out as unequivocally against SM.<br />
<br />
In a <a href="http://business.financialpost.com/fp-comment/maxime-bernier-im-coming-out-against-supply-management-and-i-want-all-conservatives-to-join-me" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Financial Post Op-Ed piece</a>, Maxime explained that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b> "...Article 117 of the Conservative Party Policy Declaration
affirms the party’s official support for supply management. As an MP and
minister in a government that supported supply management, I was not in
a position to question the party’s democratic decision, or cabinet
solidarity. And so I went along with it like all my colleagues, even
though I had grave misgivings about it for all these years."</b></i></blockquote>
He recently told the growing lobby of farmers rising up against him that<a href="http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/tory-leadership-candidate-maxime-bernier-tells-farmers-he-wont-budge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> he won't change his mind</a>.<br />
<br />
The Liberals won't change their mind either, as <a href="http://ipolitics.ca/2017/02/06/ottawa-supports-supply-management-macaulay/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ag. Minister MacAulay said</a> on Feb. 6, 2017 in the House. It was the Liberals who originally saddled Canadian with this SM mess. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">From Confederation to the 1970’s, Canadian
farmers suffered under the unfair predatory business practices of large
agri-food companies, both domestic and international, while opposing lobbyists
fought for the hearts and minds of procrastinating politicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a growing number of unbearable crises, Bill
C-176 was proposed by the Liberal government as a solution, but it became the longest debated piece of
legislation in the history of Canada. In the end, two all-night sessions of
parliament and a last minute amendment finally resulted in passing the bill at
6:40 AM on Dec. 31, 1971, creating Supply Management (“SM”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SM was designed to protect Canadian farmers
from predatory business practices, and end boom & bust cycles. Unfortunately, SM has done the exact opposite.</span> <br />
<br />
Of course, I have tried to lend Max a hand, <a href="http://ottawacitizen.com/life/style/0927-style-whowhatwear" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/tory-leadership-candidate-maxime-bernier-tells-farmers-he-wont-budge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a><br />
<br />
Former Prime Minister <a href="http://ipolitics.ca/2017/02/03/mulroney-calls-for-generous-phase-out-of-supply-management/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brian Mulroney</a> came out 2 years ago against SM, suggesting a generous compensation package for SM farmers when it is abolished. <a href="http://www.edmontonsun.com/2017/02/02/canadians-shouldnt-ignore-trade-danger-from-american-protectionism-brian-mulroney-warns" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mulroney repeated his rally call against SM</a> in a keynote speech on Feb. 2, 2017 in Edmonton AB.<br />
<br />
My comment on Maxime and his anti-SM position was deleted by the censors at the Ottawa Citizen. Here it is:<br />
<blockquote>
Truly, a rare bird; a politician who is against Canada's
Supply Management (SM") System. A few years ago, SM lobbyists
helped arrange an unanimous vote of support in the House of
Commons. A chilling example of the power of the SM minority. <br />
<br />
Canada's Supply Management System for chicken, turkey, eggs, and
dairy is a dysfunctional, inefficient, ineffective, and mediocre
tyranny imposed on 35 million Canadians by just 17,000 farmers,
their paid lobbyists, and political friends. The 17,000 SM
farmers who "own" the Supply Management system are all
multi-millionaires. They became multi-millionaires by stealing
away the rights and freedoms of consumers and all other non-SM
farmers.<br />
<br />
I am a Small Flock Poultry farmer (ie. I'm a non-quota, non-SM
chicken farmer). The 60,000 or so small flock poultry farmers in
Canada is one group that suffers under the despotic control of the
SM system for chicken, so that 2,700 SM chicken farmers (just 4.3%
of all chicken farmers in Canada) can rule the roost. I call it
"Chicken Apartheid". See our Blog
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/">http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca</a> for the scary details.<br />
<br />
Under SM, Chicken Apartheid has been in Canada for more than 4
decades. SM lobbyists and their propaganda press releases say SM
"protects" Canada’s family farms. However, the truth is opposite
of what SM lobbyists claim. For example, from 1966-2011 (the full
reign of SM for chicken), 88% of Canada's chicken farms have
disappeared. The SM chicken farms that are still here are now huge
CAFO chicken factories owned by multi-millionaires. Similarly sad
statistics exist for the other 3 tentacles of the SM beast (ie.
dairy, eggs, and turkey).<br />
<br />
SM farms (dairy, chicken, turkey, eggs) are just 8% of all
Canadian farms, but SM farmers are the best paid of all Canadian
farmers, earning 21% more than non-SM farmers. SM farmers and
their deep pockets unfairly compete against all non-SM farmers for
the same limited resources in farming (eg. farmland, tractors,
animal feeds, Vets, Ag. specialists, etc.).<br />
<br />
SM is bad for all non-SM farmers. SM is also bad for Canadian
consumers.<br />
<br />
In Dec. 2015, the Food Institute at the University of Guelph
announced that food inflation in Canada is the highest in the
world, topping 4.1% in 2015. It will be more of the same for the
near future. While all food prices are on the rise, the SM
commodities (ie. chicken, turkey, eggs, and all dairy products)
are 37% to 300% more expensive in Canada than the prices paid by
most of the Western world. The price gouging of Canadian
consumers is designed into the SM system.<br />
<br />
For example, for someone earning Ontario Minimum Wage between 1995
and 2005, the affordability of chicken dropped 31.7%. Since
chicken has historically been the cheapest meat available, if you
can't afford chicken, you are forced to become a vegetarian.<br />
<br />
Health Canada reports that 7.6% of Canadians can't afford the food
they need to feed their families. In the North, rural areas, and
on First Nation reserves, as many as 63% of families have food
insecurity. For example, in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut a whole chicken
sells for $80 to $90, 4 to 5 times the price paid in Toronto ON,
making chicken unaffordable by most families.<br />
<br />
Two thirds of Canadian deaths are caused or contributed to by poor
diets or poor nutrition. Getting rid of SM will help make better,
more nutritious foods more affordable for all Canadians. <br />
<br />
Now is the time to get rid of SM, before we have food riots, mass
starvation, or rising epidemics of sickness.<br />
<br />
Glenn Black, President<br />
Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada<br />
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/">http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca</a><br />
</blockquote>
We will see in time if the censors at the Montreal Gazette are just as ruthless.<br />
<br />
Our local newspaper was also concerned about the growing controversy on SM, and wrote an <a href="http://www.manitoulin.ca/2017/03/01/dont-throw-baby-milk-quota/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">editorial in support of SM</a>. I countered with a <a href="http://www.manitoulin.ca/2017/03/08/island-supply-management-foe-rebutts-expositor-position-favour/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Letter to the Editor</a><br />
<br />
Max has SM farmers organizing against him by buying up memberships in all PC ridings across Canada so as to ensure Maxime doesn't win the CPC nomination.<br />
<br />
If Canadians stay asleep throughout this leadership race, the organized SM farmers will exert an overwhelming influence, far more than they should, crushing Maxime. All politicians of all stripes will learns an infamous lesson that going against the SM lobby is suicide. If the SM farmers are allowed to buy the continuation of their multi-billion dollar SM boondoggle at $15 per membership, it is Canada and all Canadians who will lose. Nobody will make that same mistake for many more decades.<br />
<br />
You have until 5:00 PM EDST on March 28, 2017 to spend $15.00 to become a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. The ranked ballot secret vote will be held on May 27, 2017 for all party members.<br />
<br />
Today, <b>SFPFC</b> has endorsed Maxime. Personally, I have become a member of CPC. I intend to vote as a 1-issue candidate for Maxime. I ask all Small Flockers and their friends to do likewise. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-16345979960425485492017-02-09T11:54:00.000-05:002017-02-09T11:54:10.171-05:00New Chicken Hatchery & New Technology for OntarioThe <a href="http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2017/02/07/trillium-hatchery-to-build-20-million-chick-hatchery-in-stratfords-wright-business-park" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stratford Beacon Herald</a> reports that a new chicken hatchery is scheduled to be constructed in Stratford Ontario, starting in May 2017, producing up to 16 millions chicks per year, starting some time in 2018.<br />
<br />
This farmer-led partnership will use the latest technology from Europe, <a href="http://hatchtechgroup.com/our_solutions/hatchcare?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HatchCare</a> providing the chicks a light, feeding and watering as soon as they hatch. It is hoped that this will reduce the industries dependency on antibiotics.<br />
<br />
Prior "technology" (more like Witch Doctor's Voodoo) relied upon injecting antibiotics and/or vaccinations into the eggs before they hatched, vaccinating and/or continual dosing of the parents with antibiotics and other drugs while they layed eggs for incubation. This pseudo-science worked OK for the hatchery and the chicken factory farmer, but had significant consequences on the environment and human health; See:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2014/11/antibiotic-disclosure-by-cfo-cfc.html" target="_blank">Disclosure of Chicken Factory Antibiotic Use</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2016/01/mcr-1-tragedy-of-commons-for-antibiotics.html" target="_blank">MCR-1: Tragedy of the Commons for Antibioics in Agriculture</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/06/organic-chicken-fraud.html" target="_blank">Organic Chicken Fraud</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2014/04/finally-cfc-bans-ceftiofur-injections.html" target="_blank">After Thousand of People Made Sick and many deaths, CFC finally bans use of human antibiotics in Chicken Eggs</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/04/b12-and-antibiotics-for-chickens.html" target="_blank">B12 and Antibiotics for Chickens</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2013/08/black-death-from-your-friendly.html" target="_blank">Risk of 'Black Death' (Beubonic Plague) from Chicken Factory Antibiotic Use</a><br />
<br />
and our most popular posting: <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2013/04/choose-frankenstein-chicken-or.html" target="_blank">Frankenstein Chicken from Factory Farms</a><br />
<br />
There are a total of 40 or so postings on his issue. You can find them all by typing "antibiotic" in the search box in the top of the right hand column of this Blog. If you dare read some of these posting, you may never be able to stand the revulsion of buying factory chicken again.<br />
<br />
Dr. Blaser's best selling book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Microbes-Overuse-Antibiotics-Fueling/dp/0805098100" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Missing Microbes</a> notes how humans are now subjected to various epidemics from the over-use of antibiotics. He notes that this is being fought against for Caesarean births by the inoculation of the child with the mother's flora and fauna that the child misses by skipping the trip through the birth canal.<br />
<br />
What about the baby chicks that are stolen from their parents and hatched in a sterile incubator? Can we not avoid the majority of the disease and early death of chicks by prudent inoculation of the baby chicks with farm specific starter mix? This would be the same as being naturally hatched under Mom and living in close proximity to her in the chick's early days.<br />
<br />
HatchCare share some<a href="http://hatchtechgroup.com/media/documenten/flooreggsarenothatchingeggs.pdf?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> research</a> that floor eggs (found on the barn floor instead of the nesting boxes) are more contaminated, tend to explode during incubation, and of lower average weight upon hatch. Attempts to wash the eggs, or fog them with disinfectants don't make it much better. If that contaminated mucous dries quickly, and the humidity is kept in he proper range, there is some (but not too much) inoculation of the egg shell, absorption through the shell and membrane, and to the chicks that eventually crawl all over the cracked shells when they hatch. I agree that they need some of this natural inoculation, but not too much.<br />
<br />
Note that the chicken's vent is the single opening that discharges the
chickens' feces and its eggs. The eggs are naturally coated by the feces
contaminated mucous that quickly dries on the exterior of the egg. This mucous tends to seal the pores in the egg shell, limiting the microbes that pass through the shell. Chickens naturally share the
flock's shared biome by consuming small amounts of their own feces
(recycling), as well as the manure of their flock mates
(cross-inoculation). This helps ensure a homogeneous biome shared by
all members of the flock. <br />
<br />
However, the hatchery barn inoculation doesn't get them inoculated to the very different biome that exists on the farm to which those chicks are eventually sold. <br />
<br />
A flock naturally develops a symbiotic biome of bacteria, protozoa, virii, and other microbes that is unique to its micro environment. Inoculation with a different biome will not adequately acclimatize them for the specific destination for those chicks.<br />
<br />
That means each farm would have to develop its own unique blend of microbes to which their chicks are inoculated.<br />
<br />
I tried to do this for my chicks in my on-farm brooder by starting with well composted litter that was re-used from the previous flock. <a href="http://ontariochicken.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CFO</a> quoted the <a href="https://www.chicken.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CFC</a> rule book to me that assume all farmers will use antibiotics, and I soon received a non-conformance from CFO in my on-farm audit. Presenting these theories and supporting research to CFO and CFC did no good, the rules are the rules, no exceptions, no discussion.<br />
<br />
I was forced to remove all used litter from my brooder, immediately clean and sanitize between flocks.<br />
<br />
Starting with clean litter, there is nothing in the CFC rule book that says I can't inoculate that new litter with some of the composted prior litter. So that is what I now do. As soon as the previous flock has left for the green grass pastures at 3 weeks of age, I crank up the heat to maximum, composting the old litter for 24 hours. I save a 45 gallon drum of this composted litter, taking the rest to the compost pile. I clean sweep and sanitize the brooder, and fill it with clean shavings. I then sprinkle some of the old composted litter into the clean shavings, inoculating them with my farm's natural biome (approximately 0.01% old, 99.9%+ new). I hope that this adequately inoculates the chicks with what they will eventually be exposed to when they go out to pasture.<br />
<br />
To improve on this method (I have not yet done this step, but think I will in 2017), I suggest adding to your compost inoculant a garden rake full of green grass clippings and a shovel full of topsoil taken from your pastures (each pasture if you have more than one, or multiple samples randomly distributed over your one pasture). Mix that with the old brooder shavings to create a hybrid biome, incubate it with the right moisture and C:N balance, and use this to inoculate your brooder.<br />
<br />
You don't need much inoculant, as the brooder temperature and humidity will rapidly grow any microbes that are inoculated. As the chicks grow, the concentration of the biome microbes in their liter can also grow. You do not want to overwhelm the chick's immune system or its gut bacteria by a high concentrated dose. <br />
<br />
With this combined biome inoculate and apple cider vinegar (with mother of vinegar if possible) in the drinking water supply, I believe you can operate without antibiotics or coccidiostats.<br />
<br />
Please let me know what you think, your alternative methods, or ideas to further improve our small flock technology.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-43330123857819932062017-02-06T15:45:00.000-05:002017-02-06T20:10:14.869-05:00Selling Your ChickensDear Small Flockers:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<pre wrap="">We are an artisanal farmer who grew chicken last year. We still have quite a bit of chicken left that we processed in November. They were grown free range and on a vegetable based feed. They average 4.5 lbs dressed and they are frozen and whole in vacuum packaging.
Do you know of anyone looking for free range chicken?
We are just deciding how much to grow this year. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></pre>
<pre wrap=""><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Artisanal Chicken Farmer:</span></pre>
<pre wrap=""> </pre>
Thanks for contacting me.<br />
<br />
When CFO announced the Artisanal Chicken program, I had a tough
decision to make: stay Small Flock, or become an Artisanal
Chicken farmer. Everybody told me the customers would beat a path
to my door, so I applied for and was authorized to raise 3,000
chickens last year, the max. available.<br />
<br />
I decided to do grass pastured, free range chickens as I feel
this is the best opportunity, the type of chickens people want the
most, people are willing to pay a premium price, and have much
less competition with the commercial, factory farm chickens that
are sometimes sold as a "lost leader" in grocery stores (as low as
$1.49 per lb). <a href="http://aimis-simia.agr.gc.ca/rp/index-eng.cfm?action=pR&pdctc=&r=116" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Statistics Canada</a> reports the average fresh whole
chicken retail price in Ontario in 2015 is $6.69/kg ($3.04/lb). The average price for 2016 was $6.59/kg ($3.00 per lb.), down an average of 4.03% per year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7stnMPjHcJ9x4GkwmZJYIigrFquCgzLwLKnVCx5O_xflHODplQlCzjYCe2m6o6eFkBef1U_0pYgkOBHXhr-VBLgndzgOG9-p8Au2pO7owtUg-UDeyhHNFIA34ZAD9jX9RnDpkwcO2aqb/s1600/2016-ON-ChickenPrices.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu7stnMPjHcJ9x4GkwmZJYIigrFquCgzLwLKnVCx5O_xflHODplQlCzjYCe2m6o6eFkBef1U_0pYgkOBHXhr-VBLgndzgOG9-p8Au2pO7owtUg-UDeyhHNFIA34ZAD9jX9RnDpkwcO2aqb/s400/2016-ON-ChickenPrices.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In my home town market, the historic market leader for commercial, locally grown barn raised chickens are raised and sold at $3.85/lb in
2016. I decided to sell our chickens at $4.50/lb, then backed off to $3.85/lb for fresh, never frozen (only
available the 2 days after we go to the abattoir). I now sell frozen
chickens at $4.50/lb due to the higher cost to freeze and store them
long term. In Ottawa, they sell grass pastured whole chickens at
$6.00/lb. in retail stores.<br />
<br />
When I ask other Artisanal Chicken farmers: "Is it tougher to
grow them, or sell them?", everybody agrees selling is the tougher
nut to crack.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I too have many chickens raised in 2016 that I still need to
sell. When I calculate that my first flock was available to sell
in June 2016, and the last was November 2016, and my next flock thereafter
will only be ready in June 2017, so there is a 7 month
hibernation when frozen chicken must supply the local demand. At the
rate of sale from June to Nov. 2016, if I project that same rate for
the 7 months of winter 2016-2017, I come very close to 3,000 chickens total that will be sold. That calculation suggest that my freezers will run empty just as the first flock of 2017 is ready to go to the abattoir.
Therefore, maybe I shouldn't worry.<br />
<br />
However, projections to the future are very inaccurate. Rather
than trust in this bare hope for the future, I suggest a proactive
approach.<br />
<br />
Here are some ideas to get your Artisanal chickens sold (* marks the ones I have personally done or tried to do for my farm):<br />
<ol>
<li>* Local radio station spot ads</li>
<li>* Google Adwords ads</li>
<li>* Internet website</li>
<li>* Internet Blog postings (daily or weekly) </li>
<li>* Facebook</li>
<li>* Twitter</li>
<li>* Local newspaper ads</li>
<li>* Letters to Editor for local newspaper</li>
<li>Op-Ed article in local newspaper </li>
<li>* Year-round "farmers markets".</li>
<li>* Local seasonal Farmer's Markets and other rural markets<br />
</li>
<li>* Local butcher shops</li>
<li>* Convenience stores</li>
<li>* Local restaurants</li>
<li>* Local hotel restaurants & conference centres</li>
<li>Banquet halls<br />
</li>
<li>* Catering companies</li>
<li>* Grocery Stores </li>
<li>Wedding planners and their clients</li>
<li>* Abattoirs that have retail/wholesale meat shops attached
thereto</li>
<li>* Meat wholesalers</li>
<li>* Halal community (must be decided before abattoir, and killed
in conformity thereto)</li>
<li>* Kosher community (must be decided before abattoir, and killed
in conformity thereto; much more demanding than Halal, needs
Kosher certification by COR or equivalent)</li>
<li>* On-line Internet Marketing</li>
<li>* CSA (Community Support Agriculture)</li>
<li>* Food Hubs</li>
<li>* Organic food stores</li>
<li>* Local food stores</li>
<li>Farmer Co-ops</li>
<li>Community presentations at local halls where you invite the
public to learn about sustainable farming, then sample your
roasted chicken, and can place an order</li>
<li>* Partner with a local appliance store for a 10%+ discount for
your customers to buy a freezer to store their own food, then
fill it with your produce.</li>
<li>Home food delivery route</li>
<li>Buy a used propane fired convection oven, put it in an enclosed utility trailer,
find a grid of sites (every compass point) around your farm
where you can go to sell roast chicken (whole roasted chicken to take home, or 1/4 chicken dinners for one person), advertise that you will be at that site on a
regular basis arranged in a sequence that doesn't rob customers
today from where you will be next time. Start small so you are
sure to sell out, or you can eat your unsold product excess (or
sell it as frozen cubed chicken pieces for chicken Caesar salads
or stir frys). Record the time of each sale. As soon as you
sell out, leave a sign that late arriving customers know they
missed out, call this # to reserve a chicken for next week, and
head home with your cash. Based on your sale rate, estimate how
many chickens you can sell in a reasonable time on location.</li>
<li>Food truck selling quarter chicken dinners at local fairs,
hockey tournaments, and other events.</li>
<li>* Canada Post flyer advertising a chicken sale with the coupon
flyer</li>
<li>* Enter your info for free into SFPFC's chicken farmer database, so customers can easily find you (see <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/p/small-flockers-database.html" target="_blank">http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/p/small-flockers-database.html</a> )</li>
<li>Other</li>
</ol>
Perhaps Arisanal Chicken Farmers (and/or Small Flock Chicken Farmers) can work co-operatively on solving this marketing challenge.<br />
<br />
I ask everybody, Small Flockers and Artisanal Chicken Farmers, to use the comments section below to share their favorite sales & marketing method, or comment on the above.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-54398515375173334492017-01-13T14:40:00.001-05:002017-01-13T14:40:33.124-05:00Arsenic in Canadian Chicken, Round 2It has been 4.5 years since Canada banned farmers from adding poisonous arsenic to their chicken feed. Arsenic addition was primarily done by <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_84.html" target="_blank">CAFO</a> factory farms of the Supply Management Overlords (ie. The Chicken Mafia) to artificially increase their profits and reduce their personal risk..<br />
<br />
I have previously made many posts and inquiries of government authorities about this barbaric practice of adding a known carcinogen and acute poison to feed animals that will eventually become human food (see <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2013/11/arsenic-in-canadas-chicken.html" target="_blank">Arsenic In Canada's Chicken</a> ).<br />
<br />
On Nov. 8, 2013 I emailed a number of questions to Health Canada about their surveillance of CAFO chicken to ensure that CAFO chicken farmers actually implemented the arsenic ban, versus ignored it and continued with their evil practice as if the ban didn't exist.<br />
<br />
I never got a response from Health Canada, in spite of a few reminders.<br />
<br />
I received a comment a while ago on my previous Blog postings about arsenic, asking if there has been any update. I decided to try once more to get some straight answers out of Health Canada. Perhaps with the new Liberal Government under Justin, Health Canada would be more inclined to answer.<br />
<br />
Therefore, I copied the <span id="goog_573672780"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/">Nov. 8, 2013 email<span id="goog_573672781"></span></a> and sent it off again to Health Canada's Veterinarian Drug Directorate ("VDD") who is in charge of these things.<br />
<br />
So far, I have received VDD's apology for their tardiness in answering the 2013 email. Good first step. I was told the answering of the email has been assigned to one or more of VDD's "experts".<br />
<br />
<a href="http://agri007.blogspot.ca/2017/01/black-poses-questions-about-arsenic.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Agri007</a> picked up on my renewed effort to get arsenic answers. This cross posting prompted some additional questions about the arcane historic practice of arsenic additions to chicken feed:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Has there been any anecdotal evidence, or formal
scientific study that Canadians arsenic loading (ie. food,
air, dermal, or water born arsenic intake) has
been affected because of the arsenic ban? Is a study of
this issue planned in the future? If not, why not?<br />
<br />
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span>Has there been any anecdotal evidence, or
formal scientific study that Canadian human health has
been affected (pro or con) because of the arsenic ban? Is a
study of this issue planned in the future? If not, why not?<br />
<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Has there been any anecdotal evidence, or formal
study of </span>the health
status of CAFO chicken flocks (ie. farms that previously used
arsenic in the feed) has been affected by the arsenic ban? </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is a
study </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;">of
this issue </span>planned in the future? If not, why
not?</span></span></li>
</ol>
<br />
Stay tuned. It will be interesting to see if there is a "Trudeau II" effect on openness, transparency, and accountability by the Federal Government.<br />
<br />
Any bets?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-35205316394197858892016-09-26T09:51:00.001-04:002016-09-26T11:30:28.760-04:00Customers Seek Artisanal ChickenIf you are an Artisanal Chicken Farmer, or a Small Flocker, I have waiting customers for your live chickens. Call or email me, and I will put you in touch with these eager customers.<br />
<br />
Enter your info for free into SFPFC's <b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_26.html" target="_blank">Artisanal Chicken Farm Database</a></span></b> so your prospective customers can more easily find you. <br />
<br />
Sometimes it takes a while for the rain to soak in. That's why we have things called puddles and wetlands, to hold the excess water until it can be handled. Puddles and wetlands form when there is too much rain, or it rains too quickly.<br />
<br />
Similar to rain and puddles, in the chicken business, we use on-farm inventory of live birds, delaying the trip to the abattoir, and large freezer capacity all help absorb and hold any imbalances in supply and demand.<br />
<br />
The prospective chicken customers who contacted me say they want to buy all of my live chickens currently on farm, and all of my production for 2017. I am licensed for 3,000 Artisanal birds, but they need more than that.<br />
<br />
You may have already received an email from me about this opportunity. Either way, I await your response if you have chicken for sale. <br />
<br />
These prospective chicken buyers asked me to notify all other prospective Artisanal chicken farmers in Ontario, asking them to put their hand up if they would like to sell some or all of their current & future production.<br />
<br />
Most of these eager customers tell me they have special slaughter and further processing requirements, so they want live birds that they can get processed to their exacting specifications. Therefore, most of these customers are not interested in fresh never frozen meat, nor are they interested in your frozen birds awaiting sale. However, other customers may come along who want already frozen birds, so everybody can put their name forward.<br />
<br />
These prospective customers do not have any CFO quota for buying/marketing chicken, or do not have sufficient quota, but have a need for more chicken for their hungry customers.<br />
<br />
In case you didn't realize, Canada has a quota system on growing chicken, and a separate quota system for buying chicken. You need a license, and must pay a fee to buy chicken in Canada. Some think this is extortion when you have to pay to enter a business. Others realize this is Canada's crazy Supply Management system. The buyers who want Artisanal Chicken are willing to pay the $/kg to the farmer, but don't want to pay the supply management quota fee for buying chicken.<br />
<br />
In this case, these prospective customers would rather buy from Artisanal Chicken Farmers, where no chicken buying quota is required, rather than purchasing quota so they can buy chicken from the CAFO chicken factory Supply Management system.<br />
<br />
If you are Artisanal or Small Flocker, feel free to place all your info and particulars in the comments below, so everybody can find you, or send it to me by phone, fax, or email.<br />
<br />
If you'd like, I will create a free database of Ontario's Artisanal Chicken Farmers, with all their particulars, so prospective customers can find their nearest or best supplier of this non-SM chickenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-31045021241674813272016-09-23T08:07:00.001-04:002016-09-23T12:46:50.273-04:00Artisanal Chicken: Is it Working?I have been contacted by a number of people, curious to know my experiences with raising chickens under the Artisanal Chicken program of Chicken Farmers of Ontario ("CFO").<br />
<br />
Application deadline for new entrants for chicken farmers to join the Artisanal Chicken program for January 2017 closed as of 2016/09/09. However, true to form, CFO has changed the rules at the last minute, and has <a href="https://forms.ontariochicken.ca/ArtisanalChickenProgram/Home2017.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">extended the CFO Artisanal Chicken deadline to 2016/09/30</a>.<br />
<br />
Therefore if you are an Ontario chicken farmer (or wanna be), there is still time to join the Artisanal Chicken pioneers. CFO doesn't share all of the details, but I will. Here is the info you need to make a great decision.<br />
<br />
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<ol>
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<li>In short, as an Artisanal Chicken farmer, CFO has treated me in a friendly, respectful, and reasonable manner. Lord knows they had reasons to do otherwise to me due to this Blog. More or less, CFO has left me alone to grow my chickens. If they have treated me well, they will likely do the same for you and other Artisanal Chicken applicants. Of course, all that can rapidly change whenever CFO unilaterally decides. Trust takes along time.</li>
<li>CFO reserves the right to terminate the program any time they feel like it. Of course, if CFO did that (or some other big player in the Supply Management system forces CFO's hand for their self-serving monopolistic, crony capitalism reasons), that would leave me and most other Artisanal Chicken farmers financially stranded with no recourse. I doubt I could scream "Unfair" loud enough to make a difference within a reasonable time. If you borrow money to do Artisanal Chicken, you will be at suicidal (or significant) risk until you get the loan paid off, likely losing everything if CFO harpoons you, you become a beached whale, and the bank come to collect its pound of flesh. Knowing (or fearing) CFO, I would recommend against borrowing money to enter the Artisanal Chicken system.</li>
<li>After you apply, CFO will come to your farm to interview you and view your farm, barn(s), and infrastructure (eg. water supply, barn yards, pasture, etc.). My audit was very low key and accepting of where I was staring from. CFO currently seems to accept you where you are currently at, and makes allowances for you to learn and grow into the program. You are not expected to be perfect, nor to have everything already in place (eg. your barn doesn't have to be already built before applying). Of course, CFO could change that approach tomorrow, so be ready. You should have a reasonable plan for each step that you will have to achieve for your entire first year as an Artisanal Chicken farmer. I would suggest it would be frowned upon to tell CFO "If approved, I will buy 500 day-old chicks, and once they arrive, I'll figure out what I'll do next", and you likely won't be approved by CFO with this half-baked plan.</li>
<li>CFO will likely approve your reasonable plan and application, as there is more quota available than farmers available to fill it. I base that upon CFO extending the application deadline.</li>
<li>CFO has a tendency to notify tour acceptance at the last minute, which put me at great disadvantage, requiring me to start construction on January 1st. It wasn't easy. Be prepared for that.</li>
<li>Once approved, CFO will send you a bill for immediate payment of CFO's fees & levy & license for the entire 2017 year. Your cash flow for capital purchases will be stretched even thinner by this, but that is CFO's desire to make sure they get their pound of flesh.</li>
<li>You may not be able to get the chicks you want, when you want them. Call your hatchery before you apply to find out the details and get a tentative commitment (eg. if you get approved by CFO, the hatchery will guarantee to supply you the chicks you need). You may have to order chicks 6 to 8 weeks in advance.<br /><br /> </li>
<li>Once you start, be prepared to continue along your plan, assuming all goes according to plan. If you hesitate at each step, awaiting proof that each step works as you hoped before you move forward to the next step, you will be lost before you get once through. Plan well, think about all of the things that could go wrong, what is the earliest point you can detect plan failure, and have remedial plans ready for each of those major risks. Once you have your plan perfected, put the accelerator to the floor and go for it full speed. You can re-assess further at the end of your first year.</li>
<li>Abattoir capacity is likely even more constrained than hatchery supply. <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2015/02/distractions-or-consultations-by-cfo.html" target="_blank">OMAFRA has admitted</a> that they nearly killed all of Ontario's small local abattoirs 5 to 10 years ago, and we're still recovering from their bureaucratic mistakes. I suggest you have a primary abattoir who will process 66% to 90% of all your chickens, and a backup abattoir who will do 10% to 33% of your chickens. That way, you have a foot in the door if your primary abattoir has a problem and can't serve you as you need.</li>
<li>Due to the long trip to the nearest abattoir, economics said I must raise flocks of 500 birds to keep costs down. Therefore, I needed a brooder that could handle 500 day-old chicks, and maybe some turkeys and ducks. I chose a 40 ft. decommissioned sea container. I made the necessary customizations to create a state-of-the-art brooder. A<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgjCZZ4Sh6q9DUJBatFT0q_YhHe5HYYe2v2-FoWHHk9kHbHxG2hsQuSQWAySank4Hcp0jLbLsv9BukbUseLB46mX9zMGn3U7yrnu4F844RLZWepCsI2F99K7raE6vrcRU4AqQBREO6-Sa/s1600/20160923_104147A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgjCZZ4Sh6q9DUJBatFT0q_YhHe5HYYe2v2-FoWHHk9kHbHxG2hsQuSQWAySank4Hcp0jLbLsv9BukbUseLB46mX9zMGn3U7yrnu4F844RLZWepCsI2F99K7raE6vrcRU4AqQBREO6-Sa/s320/20160923_104147A.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside a brooder compartment with 100<br />chick who are 2 days old, maintained<br />at 35 deg C, 2 drinkers and feed trough.<br />An electric radiant heater is shown at<br />the bottom of the photo, added to <br />each compartment for the first 48 hrs.<br />for those chicks who need extra heat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzO-ioXlrTAbhPmvO-kfAKxGid0qcm6oh94gDQxFVfAbRfXnhrjtzmJmvycSety5kUc0O7oXmPXcAWtnyR_gjhz0uiQJi1TUvI8eHSvDz2NnUgUC44uxel7b7AJXEupMuC8XIbRvIumNg/s1600/20160923_104211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzO-ioXlrTAbhPmvO-kfAKxGid0qcm6oh94gDQxFVfAbRfXnhrjtzmJmvycSety5kUc0O7oXmPXcAWtnyR_gjhz0uiQJi1TUvI8eHSvDz2NnUgUC44uxel7b7AJXEupMuC8XIbRvIumNg/s320/20160923_104211.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roof vent cut into steel roof of sea container</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtw2EPAY4PPDd3uH_hWZTv-7JR6pMnkH0frEKMw7Uq_CUOiw1wJXjfVYa0WHYoV463sS0cg8UWnLzoYMIYwofsd68PI-985fcuNZCVOhJxrCJxCJWt0lpUJ1BWD8ydu41-35UPmN8Uc1X/s1600/20160923_104118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtw2EPAY4PPDd3uH_hWZTv-7JR6pMnkH0frEKMw7Uq_CUOiw1wJXjfVYa0WHYoV463sS0cg8UWnLzoYMIYwofsd68PI-985fcuNZCVOhJxrCJxCJWt0lpUJ1BWD8ydu41-35UPmN8Uc1X/s320/20160923_104118.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the brooder, showing the 6 compartments (4' x 6' each),<br />
with a 2' wide aisle on the right, and sheets of Silverboard<br />
foam wall insulation as lids, 3 LED lights in each <br />
compartment, and fresh air makeup distributed to each<br />
compartment via a 4" diameter pipe (5 compartments<br />
currently in use @ 100 chicks per compartment)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzU1VRgabXuOpSCFb6OZyAruD6zz5tfHuv9cuYrjI7uG4Rq2ctI6DMZjgJcVABK_uUl932v-P0W247R4C6fnj97P0wFlUGYVFHMyUYgVmNNwT0iTStXiM-e1cm0GHAbt6mH-3bryXjdazW/s1600/20160923_104319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzU1VRgabXuOpSCFb6OZyAruD6zz5tfHuv9cuYrjI7uG4Rq2ctI6DMZjgJcVABK_uUl932v-P0W247R4C6fnj97P0wFlUGYVFHMyUYgVmNNwT0iTStXiM-e1cm0GHAbt6mH-3bryXjdazW/s320/20160923_104319.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Propane fired hot water heater (from travel trailer), <br />
and hydronic heating system for brooder. Each brooder <br />
compartment has a separate radiant floor heating zone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25ygUo1yqKSDDGN77aNzgBm1QTv6TW3rJWbw5a9FOy60deZH5-wlkb0Mm_50PQrTTLNeCsiyQnKhqGA2avPu-Z6tW7DktzdmzONwSai2G7URiBQCou0mna-vpd8d5fRfSQF1Z5MTOdO8t/s1600/20160923_104348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25ygUo1yqKSDDGN77aNzgBm1QTv6TW3rJWbw5a9FOy60deZH5-wlkb0Mm_50PQrTTLNeCsiyQnKhqGA2avPu-Z6tW7DktzdmzONwSai2G7URiBQCou0mna-vpd8d5fRfSQF1Z5MTOdO8t/s320/20160923_104348.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh air inlet to brooder, with hot water heating coil to<br />
pre-heat air to 35 degC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<br />
</li>
<li>You will need to do some CFO training via watching 1 or more video. While this is a mandatory requirement, CFO still doesn't have this set up so it can be accomplished, so I have not yet been able to accomplish this step 10 months after CFO approval.</li>
<li>You will need to prepare a written farm manual saying how you will meet all of the mandatory requirements of the CFO and Chicken Farmers of Canada ("CFC"). Fortunately, CFO has a template manual as a Adobe Acrobat pdf form. You can fill in the form on your computer and print it off, or print the blank form and fill it in via pen & ink. The CFO form is a little flakey (ie. the form has limited space in the fields, and won't print properly if you have a long answer).</li>
<li>CFO will do an on-farm audit to see if you are in compliance with your stated methods described in your farm manual. For example, your manual says what you plan to do, the on-farm audit ensures you are doing what you said you would be doing.<br /><br /> </li>
<li>You will need to keep documentation on a daily basis to support and prove that you are following your plan (eg. brooder temperatures, mortality, treatments, chicken feed retention samples or Lot Code numbers, etc.).</li>
<li>I have a 17 to 23 hr day when I go to the abattoir, starting at midnight to catch and crate the birds. You will likely need some help.</li>
<li>Your vehicle will likely be contaminated by the live birds on their way to the abattoir, and want a clean vehicle before loading your eviscerated meat so it doesn't get cross contaminated. I have limited vehicle space, and can't afford to make 2 trips to the abattoir (ie. one trip to take live birds to the abattoir, a second trip to pick up the cold, eviscerated meat). To solve this problem, I had to design a insulated 4' x 8' x 4' cooler box that is stored in pieces in the back of my pickup truck while I travel to the abattoir with my live birds in crates in my trailer. Once I have offloaded the birds at the abattoir, I go to a truck wash to clean the empty crates and trailer, offload the crates, build the cooler box in the trailer, reload the crates in the pickup truck box, then await the cooled meat from the abattoir. I load the cold, eviscerated meat in the insulated cooler box, throw a temperature recorder in with the chicken so that I can prove I kept the chicken at the proper temperatures, throw on the ice to keep the chicken cool for twice the expected travel time (in case of a flat tire or other travel emergency), close up the cooler box, and head home. A long, hard day! If you have other animals on farm, you still have to do farm chores before you go, and after you get back. Think about that and get the help you need. Don't plan on being Superman.</li>
<li>I haven't figured out how to get 500 customers to rendezvous with my trailer full of cold fresh never frozen meat when I return home. I sell some of it fresh, but am forced to freeze most of it. Freezing isn't as simple as throwing 300 chickens into a standard home chest freezer. The typical chest freezer has a limited freezing capacity, and will take up to 2 weeks to freeze the chickens in the middle of the freezer if you load it full of cold chicken. The chicken in the middle of the freezer will be cold but spoiled (ie. rotten smellly meat unfit for human consumption) by the time it starts to freeze. To solve this problem, I tightly pack about 30 chickens into the bottom of a large chest freezer. I then spread 25 kg. of dry ice (-90 deg C) on top of those chickens, then place another layer of 30 or so chickens on top of the dry ice layer. I continue to add layers of chicken and dry ice until the freezer is full. I close the lid, and the cold CO2 gas comes blowing out of the freezer as the chickens are rapidly frozen (you need adequate ventilation of the CO2 gas escaping). Within 12 to 24 hours, the 300 chickens are frozen solid, and the chest freezer's compressor can take over the job to keep the frozen chicken at -18 deg C. Dry ice is expensive, so I charge 16.9% more for frozen chickens vs. fresh never frozen chickens to help pay for the dry ice.</li>
<li>Growing your chickens is probably the easy part. The hard part will be marketing. You will have long days at Farmer's Markets, and costs for advertising and marketing. Be sure to keep those $/hr labor and marketing costs allowances in your planned selling prices.</li>
<li>Artisanal chicken can sell at a premium price over the crap CAFO chicken that is sold in the grocery store. I raise grass pastured, free range, no drug, no antibiotic, no chemicals, no hormone, all natural chicken and sell it at $3.85 per pound fresh never frozen, and $4.50 per lb frozen. I make more profit when the birds are heavy (eg. 7 lb chickens at $31.50 per bird), but most consumers get sticker shock when the birds are too heavy. You may find it an easier sell at 4 lb birds at $18 per bird.</li>
<li>I will be applying to do Artisanal Chickens for 2017.</li>
<li>There will be some people who need the high quality Artisanal Chickens, but can't afford them. Please consider:<br /><br /><ul>
<li> A discount price to sell some of your chickens to your local Foodbank; or<br /> </li>
<li>Donating some of your chickens to your local Foodbank; or<br /> </li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNB5qw_5j8oSFpKkx3kdsbn6RYTaVDtp9gSED3CPBpeSKe8NWfpLIHJLp0RbQi55f_xjzov8gGJAaX618mvNIMZCs1EJrpBEz2LRrMjNcYKRaG-3is-dDyaSN59_a0-QNegpQTs6Z4yn8L/s1600/20160923_101340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNB5qw_5j8oSFpKkx3kdsbn6RYTaVDtp9gSED3CPBpeSKe8NWfpLIHJLp0RbQi55f_xjzov8gGJAaX618mvNIMZCs1EJrpBEz2LRrMjNcYKRaG-3is-dDyaSN59_a0-QNegpQTs6Z4yn8L/s320/20160923_101340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My insulated wood box, 4' x 8' x 4', disassembled, awaiting<br />
my next trip to the abattoir. One person can pick up each<br />
piece, and assemble the box. Add eviscerated chicken and<br />
ice, and off you go. The box is re-assembled with about<br />
20 screws and a 25' long cargo web strapping around the<br />
middle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<li>Donate a part of your gross sales or profits to the Foodbank so that those who can afford your chickens help subsidize affordable food for those who can't.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
I hope this helps you decide if CFO's Artisanal Chicken is for you. Please add your comments and experiences, tips, and questions to the Comments section below. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-65815697295144568992016-06-05T22:27:00.000-04:002016-06-05T22:27:13.712-04:00Free Training: Poultry Farming in Northern Ontario<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Attention Poultry Producers:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Interested
in learning about the challenges and opportunities of growing poultry
in the North? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Join OMAFRA Specialists (including our Provincial Poultry
Specialist, Al Dam),
as we discuss the F.L.A.W.S. principles of poultry management.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Other
topics will include: poultry production and nutrition, husbandry,
disease and biosecurity, rodent and predation control, barn structure
and ventilation, loading and transport and more. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">These
workshops are aimed at the small flock and Artisanal and Niche Market
farmers. Come with your questions and be prepared to take home plenty
of material. These are free workshops, so don’t miss out on this unique
learning opportunity!
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Schedule and location of Workshops:</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Manitoulin</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Spring Bay Hall, 9298 Hwy #542, Spring Bay, 7:00 PM-10:00 PM, Wednesday June 8
</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sudbury
</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Massey Arena, 455 Government Rd, Massey, 10:00 AM-1:00 PM, Thursday, June 9
</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Algoma</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Johnson
Township Community Centre, 1 Cameron Road, (upstairs in the Desbarats
Arena), Desbarats, 7:30 PM-10:00 PM, Thursday June 9</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nipissing</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Caldwell Township Hall, 11790 Hwy #64, Verner, 7:00 PM-10:00 PM, Friday June 10</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nipissing/Parry Sound
</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Chisholm United Church Hall, 1469 Chiswick Line, Powassan, 10:00 AM- 1:00 PM, <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Saturday, June 11. </span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">For
questions regarding these upcoming workshops please contact Brian Bell,
ADA, OMAFRA at 705-282-1638 or Mobile 705-690-5020 or email
<a href="mailto:brian.bell2@ontario.ca">brian.bell2@ontario.ca</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Brian Bell, Agriculture Development Advisor<br />
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">35 Meredith Street, P.O Box 328<br />
Gore Bay, Ont. P0P 1H0<br />
<a href="mailto:brian.bell2@ontario.ca">brian.bell2@ontario.ca</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="http://www.ontario.ca/omafra">www.ontario.ca/omafra</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">1-877-424-1300/1-705-282-1638<br />
Fax: 1-705-282-2792</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Cell:1-705-690-5020<br />
For information on upcoming meetings and events, go to OMAFRA Dateline at: <a href="http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/rural/edr/events-training.htm">
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/rural/edr/events-training.htm</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-60191891544497771082016-06-05T21:36:00.001-04:002016-06-05T22:21:13.355-04:00Death by Sea Container<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTEnZ4rpyGSNkfpY-oWSS_9-IQOlzpu0W442EBGVXgjnY5GwHW9_hHcf9c9iNH5f5QG27twtea9WwGBRbJP9_VPW4FpXOq8hzZJ6LLrYF11ybBk5l-byPQwFYu_lXXWa2-P7Zs80JILnD/s1600/BBaySeaContainer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTEnZ4rpyGSNkfpY-oWSS_9-IQOlzpu0W442EBGVXgjnY5GwHW9_hHcf9c9iNH5f5QG27twtea9WwGBRbJP9_VPW4FpXOq8hzZJ6LLrYF11ybBk5l-byPQwFYu_lXXWa2-P7Zs80JILnD/s320/BBaySeaContainer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 20 ft. de-commissioned sea container, used to store <br />
animal feed and farm equipment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I built a state-of-the art brooder inside a 40 ft. sea container that handles up to 600 day-old chicks for the first 3 weeks of their life. It works great. However, that sea container-brooder could now be the death of my farm, and my dream of supplying safe, nutritious, locally grown chicken for my small community.<br />
<br />
For the forth time, my municipality wants to pass a By-law to ban sea containers. After the first 3 attempts to pass a banning By-law were all failures, I thought the municipality had finally given up due to their repeated problems with the By-law's wording, and the public backlash.<br />
<br />
Not so.<br />
<br />
In baseball, three strikes you're out. Apparently, that doesn't count for municipalities.<br />
<br />
Attacking sea containers for the forth time, the Municipality certainly demonstrates their perseverance, bordering on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.<br />
<br />
Maybe I do too, as I continue to defend these de-commissioned steel boxes that are both affordable and useful on my farm (and elsewhere).<br />
<br />
So why is the Municipality so insistent to get rid of sea containers?<br />
<br />
We don't really know for sure, except for the cryptic statement in the draft By-law, claiming it’s “<i><b>in the public’s best interest to control the placement and use of sea containers</b></i>”.<br />
<br />
I don't believe that window dressing explanation of the municipality's motivations. <br />
<br />
Excellent municipalities deliver sustainable services at minimum cost. This challenging goal is aided by sea containers.<br />
<br />
If a sea container isn’t on concrete foundations, it’s neither a permanent structure, nor a building, nor MPAC assessed, nor property taxed. <br />
<br />
Mediocre municipalities think sea containers are a loophole in their quest for maximum tax revenue and maximum spending.<br />
<br />
The Roman orator and statesman <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Tullius_Cicero">Marcus Tullius Cicero</a> frequently asked "Cui bono" [latin phrase meaning "Who benefits?"].<br />
<br />
<i><b>Special Interest Groups</b></i> (ie. home & apartment builders, U-store developers, and others) sometime conspire with mediocre municipalities to ban sea containers. If banned, the next best alternative will likely benefit a <i><b>Special Interest Group</b></i>.<br />
<br />
So if sea containers are banned, mediocre municipalities and their Special Interest Groups both likely benefit. A devil's pact against the citizens. Fascism at its worst.<br />
<br />
It is unknown if these motivations are the root causes of the 4th attempt at a sea container banning By-law in my case, but it may be true in your case.<br />
<br />
Has your municipality banned sea containers? If so, let everybody know what happened & how you coped by posting a comment below. <br />
<br />
My newly minted family farm uses sea containers in an extensive way:<br />
<ul>
<li>to
store animal feed and seeds,</li>
<li>on-farm storage;</li>
<li>as a brooder for our day-old baby
chicks, and</li>
<li>for storing the fresh and frozen meats produced by our farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We customized a 40 ft. sea container to be a
world-class brooder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without that
brooder, we can no longer raise pastured poultry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the income from our poultry operations,
our farm cannot survive.<br />
<br />
After a sea container has had 5 to 10 years of strenuous use on the high seas, it is forced to retire to its second career. The environmental 6R Rule (Refuse, Reduce, Re-use, Repair, Re-purpose, Recycle) tells us to re-purpose sea containers, rather than recycle them as scrap steel.<br />
<br />
By acting in a sustainable, environmentally sound manner, I have backed my farm into a dangerous corner with my municipality.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The proposed By-law
specifically prohibits using a sea container to house animals (<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif";">or people, also eliminating sea containers as a source of affordable housing for all)</span>.</span><br />
<br />
Besides my farm, I am also concerned about current farms that have no sea
container but could soon realize a need for one, or future farms
that might need sea containers if they are to be a viable farm
startup. What do they do after this By-law is passed?<br />
<br />
While I might get "grandfathered in" (ie. become legal non-conforming), others likely will not be entitled to grandfathering.<br />
<br />
I am aware of the Ontario law "<b><span lang="EN-GB">Farming and Food Production Protection
Act, 1998</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">, S.O. 1998,
CHAPTER 1 (see <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/98f01">https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/98f01</a> ) which
states:</span><b><span lang="EN-GB"></span></b>
<br />
<blockquote>
<i><b>Normal farm practice preserved</b></i><i><b><br />
</b></i><i><b>6. (1) No municipal by-law applies to restrict a
normal farm practice carried on as part of an agricultural
operation. 1998,</b></i><i><b><br />
</b></i><i><b>c. 1, s. 6 (1).</b></i><br />
<br /></blockquote>
My brooder-sea container is quite innovative, so it likely meets the definition of innovative farm practices that are protected by the Act. The other sea containers have pretty standard farm uses, so I assume they would meet the definition of "<i><b>normal farm practices</b></i>".<br />
<br />
So why isn't my farm, and all other farms excempt from this encroaching By-law?<br />
<br />
I have proposed the following amendment to the Municipality's draft By-law:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>"All farm lands, farms, farmers, farming
operations, and farm processes are expressly exempted from
this Bylaw, irregardless of what Zone they happen to be
located in, and notwithstanding anything else in this
By-law, and notwithstanding anything else in the latest
amendment of By-law 2002-07 Zoning."</b></i></blockquote>
So far, no comment from them on my "reasonable" suggestion..<br />
<br />
I told the Municipality that if the municipality proceeds with this draft By-law as it is
currently written, I plan to apply to the <a href="http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/nfppb/nfppb.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Normal Farm Practices Protection Board</b></a> under this law to strike down the
Bylaw as ultra vires the Municipality's authority under this Act
so as to better protect my farm and all other farms in Central
Manitoulin from this ill advised By-law.<br />
<br />
When a Municipality does a frontal assault onto a small, local, family farm, it truly is:<br />
<br />
"<i><b>biting the hand that feeds you</b></i>"<br />
<br />
My farm's LGD's (Livestock Guardian Dogs) know better, and have better manners than this.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-43821139652969220372016-02-22T00:07:00.000-05:002016-02-22T00:16:35.787-05:00Artisanal Chicken BrooderIn the spirit of <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2016/02/shifting-gears-blog-30.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blog 3.0</a>, this post will share my ideas and plans for a low cost, effective brooder for use under CFO's Artisanal Chicken program to produce 3,0000 birds per year.<br />
<br />
I have previously posted numerous descriptions about the evils of the <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_84.html#CAFO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CAFO</a> chicken factory. I believe in pastured poultry. However, that's kind of tough to do when the grass is under 3 feet of snow. Even in the short Canadian summers, the chicks can't be tossed out into the pasture on they day they are hatched; they must spend time under Mama's wing, or in a brooder. After 2 weeks, they will be ready for the great outdoors.<br />
<br />
It's 17 hours round trip to the nearest abattoir that slaughters poultry. It's 2 years in jail if I try to do it on-farm. That regulation isn't for any particular health or safety reason, as it has been repeatedly shown that a farmer with a sharp knife can produce eviscerated chicken with 97% less bacterial contamination that the government approved Chicken Mafia system. The mandatory abattoir visit is due to regulatory capture by the <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_84.html#ChickenMafia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicken Mafia</a>, helping to enforce their monopoly.<br />
<br />
Due to the high travel costs, I must max. out the abattoir on every trip. My nearest abattoir can process 500 birds in one day, so my Artisanal Chicken system must learn how to produce flocks of 500 birds.<br />
<br />
Joel Salatin says the poults are ready to go to pasture on the first nice day after they are 2 weeks old. CFO sets a maximum density of 2.88 kg/sq. ft of barn space. Using the curve in Figure 1 below, we can design the brooder.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfgnFY4Sl3xp549nMJ-A8oLY-b98MYIlN8JD2jWplegUmxGR-zr9jQptUt_ENppXhRXgFX4yhlfq0K-qyfclnZphjxWXchnKX253UuhfRLUKNkqRdkwpvrej953zSz1Zc8QXD0DXPojlG/s1600/WhiteRockGrowth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfgnFY4Sl3xp549nMJ-A8oLY-b98MYIlN8JD2jWplegUmxGR-zr9jQptUt_ENppXhRXgFX4yhlfq0K-qyfclnZphjxWXchnKX253UuhfRLUKNkqRdkwpvrej953zSz1Zc8QXD0DXPojlG/s400/WhiteRockGrowth.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Chick growth curve for Frey's Whiterock meat birds. I assumed the<br />
chick was 40 grams when hatched, then used <a href="http://www.freyshatchery.com/Chickens.shtml#HeavyMeatBreed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frey's data</a>, fitted by<br />
<a href="http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/2/290.abstract" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard's (1959)</a> generic chicken growth equation using 4 parameters (A, b, k, and n),<br />
showing the birds have an ultimate weight of 3.233 kg.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.poultrysupply.com/gqf/0540.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.poultrysupply.com/gqf/0540.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2: GFQ's 5 tier brooder<br />
can do 500 chicks for about a<br />
week or less, requires a warm<br />
draft free room, electricity, and a<br />
fat wallet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
GFQ makes a 5 tier stacking brooder at a cost of US$1,130.00 plus shipping, exchange, and taxes, which equates to about CDN$1,850.00 for Canada.<br />
<br />
With GFQ's system, I still have to do something different after the first week. GFQ takes 15 amps to run the 5 electric heaters (one on each level). That much electricity on a 34/7 basis is close to impossible for my off-grid solar-wind power system to power. In addition, I have to supply a warm, draft free building. The living room of our house won't go over well every 8 weeks with my patient spouse.<br />
<br />
After scratching my head for a while, and a few back of the envelope calculations, I decided the only available solution was a 40 ft. used sea container. You can do it in a 20 ft. sea container (about $2,500 delivered, about $15.60 per sq. ft. vs. $75 per sq. ft. to build your own barn, or $150/sq. ft. to have a contractor build it.<br />
<br />
I decided to buy a 40 ft. can, as I have other plans for the rest of the space, and a 40 ft can is cheaper than two 20 ft. cans. I got my 40 ft. can for about $4,000 delivered to the farm and put in place. Under Ontario Building Code, a sea container sitting on the ground (or 6" x 6" sleepers) is not a building and doesn't require a building permit, and doesn't add to your assessed property value. Sweet!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5dPwK5DU55nsZYTcatM_prq7lm4qFsJhnlS1rrmPJ5F8ikVIp45fTZzVheGoMDB3yxi1Jt0NsUSaAgUFlciAHOc4JE-K4URHims32SH-AIo1C0BSmxcsH271waGGXeUqFcUEHgnoA7xA/s1600/BBayBrooder_A01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5dPwK5DU55nsZYTcatM_prq7lm4qFsJhnlS1rrmPJ5F8ikVIp45fTZzVheGoMDB3yxi1Jt0NsUSaAgUFlciAHOc4JE-K4URHims32SH-AIo1C0BSmxcsH271waGGXeUqFcUEHgnoA7xA/s640/BBayBrooder_A01.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 3: Interior plan view of sea container brooder for 500 chicks. There are 5 brooders, and a central hallway<br />
for wheelbarrow access. If you have terrible weather and can't go to pasture after 2 weeks of age, you can throw<br />
a few bales of wood shavings onto the hallway floor, and legally extend the brooder time to a maximum of 3 weeks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The central hallway has to be 3 ft. wide to accommodate my wheelbarrow. Double door keep out drafts, and open fully for easy loading, unloading, and cleaning. Each brooder is designed to hold 100 chicks, from day old to 2 weeks of age, then its out to the pasture for them. At 2 weeks old, the poults should be 0.412 kg, so at a stocking density of 2.88 kg/sq.ft., we need 14.30 sq. ft. which is exactly what we have in Brooders 2 -->5 (#1 is slightly larger).<br />
<br />
Sometimes bad weather, or a delay at the abattoir could cause a backup, where the poults can't go to pasture on the planned date. In that case, you can throw a few bales of wood shavings or hay down on the central hallway, and depopulate each brooder by 67 birds each, and place 338 poults in the hallway for an additional week, or the emergency has resolved.<br />
<br />
At 75 birds per pasture pen (10' wide x 12' long x 2' high), the birds start at a density of 9.6% of CFO's maximum, and grow to 70% of CFO's maximum density; thereby ensuring no overcrowding.<br />
<br />
To protect the brooding birds from winter cold, 1.5" of thermal insulation, covered by 1/2" plywood is between the sea container's cold steel wall and the warm birds. The floor will have 1" of thermal insulation, then 1/2" PEX tubing carrying 50/50 mixture of heated propylene glycol-water. When a brooder is cold, the thermostat turns on the small DC recirculation pump for that zone, and sends hot fluid through the PEX to warm the chicks. I tried getting a used propane fired water heater from a travel trailer for $100, but my supplier was out of supply, so I had to buy a new one for $600<br />
<br />
The 2 ft. high 2x4 walls between each brooder keep the chicks isolated, carry the PEX lines to and from each brooder, are internally insulated to conserve heat, then skinned with plywood.. Hockey puck LED or halogen lights will light each brooder. A sheet of 2" insulation board will be used for a roof.<br />
<br />
Ventilation of the individual brooders is by propping up the brooder's insulation board as needed. Overall, the sea container interior is ventilated by grated air inlets cut into the floor (predator proof), and multiple roof vents. <br />
<br />
Minimal cost, maximum energy efficiency, and maximum comfort for the birds. With Small Flockers, everybody wins.<br />
<br />
SFPFC has made arrangements with the owner of this design as an aid to our members. Anybody who is a member of SFPFC is hereby welcomed and automatically licensed to use this design. All others must refrain from using our registered design. The design owner is not vengeful, but can be provoked to attack mis-use or unauthorized use of this design.<br />
<br />
Any questions, or suggestions to further improve the design, please comment below or by private email.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-62955314318798391062016-02-07T13:05:00.000-05:002016-02-07T13:46:20.094-05:00Shifting Gears: Blog 3.0I believe it's time to shift gears on the Blog for Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada ("SFPFC"), moving toward Blog 3.0<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SSfJsSFthyphenhyphenZMO7L4H_WvZ20usavz-NIY72jBNvvudrJRrsUjeXMfoQakwqxPauIKVBmf0TPW00A53k3Qta-bG5f0GHpmLs3hVEBa87R5gPmsIIzv8uQC5-UpujoaH93dZKW7-ZSJUFlJ/s1600/BlogReadersMap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SSfJsSFthyphenhyphenZMO7L4H_WvZ20usavz-NIY72jBNvvudrJRrsUjeXMfoQakwqxPauIKVBmf0TPW00A53k3Qta-bG5f0GHpmLs3hVEBa87R5gPmsIIzv8uQC5-UpujoaH93dZKW7-ZSJUFlJ/s1600/BlogReadersMap.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Readers of SFPFC's Blog are now from 161<br />
countries, including Antarctica.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This Blog was started on Feb.28, 2013 (coming up on 3 years old), has posted 444 entries, and attracted a total of 187,723 visits from people in 161 countries around the world. (USA, Canada, Russia, France, Ukraine, Germany, China, and UK leading the way in visitors).<br />
<br />
We shifted gears in May 2015 to a non-daily posting, as <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2015/05/last-post-or-close-thereto.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blog 2.0</a><br />
<br />
Today, we shift gears to <i><b>Blog 3.0,</b></i> where our primary focus will now be to help non-quota poultry farmers, cheerleading their successes, and providing helpful hints to do sustainable, worthy poultry farming that can produce safe, nutritious, affordable, locally produced poultry for our local communities. This will include non-CAFO poultry farming, small flock, Artisanal Chicken, Family Food exemption, and all similar non-quota poultry farming.<br />
<br />
Up until now, our primary focus has been on investigating and describing the plight of non-quota chicken farmers in Ontario Canada, as a proxy and worst case scenario for all Small Flockers across Canada.<br />
<br />
Small Flockers in Ontario have historically been the most abused, mistreated, and persecuted of all Small Flockers across Canada. Our theory was that if we cannot make our case for relief and respect for Small Flockers in Ontario, we would not be able to do any good for anybody else across Canada.<br />
<br />
Since starting our crusade 3 years ago, Ontario's<span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"> <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_84.html#ChickenMafia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicken Mafia</a></span></span></span></span></span></span>, as embodied and lead by the <a href="http://www.ontariochicken.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicken Farmers of Ontario</a>, has introduced "<a href="http://cfoprograms.ontariochicken.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Artisanal Chicken</a>", where a Small Flocker can raise up to 3,000 birds per year; 10 times more than the previous draconian rules by CFO against both Small Flockers and Canadians.<br />
<br />
For those who shout "<i><b>Too little, too late</b></i>", I agree.<br />
<br />
However, these changes forced upon the Chicken Mafia by public opinion and their government masters are a good start.<br />
<br />
As the Canadian and world economies continues to tailspin down, out of control, the unfairness and unacceptable cost of Supply Management ("SM") will become more and more apparent to the public. Soon the public will start shouting for urgent changes for more affordable food that isn't contaminated or depleted of nutrition. Those additional changes to SM will suddenly start to appear. We need to be patient.<br />
<br />
The Chicken Mafia will think that each concession granted will be sufficient to satisfy the complaints against them and their wicked, dysfunctional system. The Chicken Mafia think that throwing one last bone to the wolves at the Chicken Mafia's door, they will escape the bite of the ravenous wolves. The Chicken Mafia think they can then resume their raping, pillaging, and abuse of Canadians and Small Flockers.<br />
<br />
However, each changed forced upon the Chicken Mafia will be too little, too late. It will quench the thirst for change only momentarily. The grudgingly created concession will help show that change for the better is possible, and show the chronic unfairness that has been imposed for decades by the Chicken Mafia. Each change will fuel and spread the need for more change.<br />
<br />
That doesn't mean that the Chicken Mafia can escape by refusing all change, sending forth their lobbyists with more money and propaganda to quell the growing disturbance. The Chicken Mafia can no longer <span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"></span>delay, deny, destroy, defend,</span></span></span></span><span class="st"> distract, deride, and deflect. Refusing to change for the better will quickly end their tinpot monopoly.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">For those who are interested, the evidence of the Chicken Mafia's dirty deeds is collected together and fully explained here. For those interested, the Internet will spread the message. For those who wish to stay dumb and blind, nothing written here will change anything for them.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">Also, there is little to be gained from re-hashing the same crimes and misdemeanors of the Chicken Mafia over and over again. It's now time to move on. However, if the Chicken Mafia commit another unique and grisly offense against Small Flockers or the Canadian public, you will likely hear about it here first.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">Now we will build our own Small Flocker community. We will share and support each other. We will build the policies and best practices of Small Flockers, so that this becomes the nexus of sharing and celebrating everything Small Flocker.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">I therefore call upon all our readers around the world for what they have done to improve their flocks and better serve their local communities. You are all requested and invited to share your stories, pictures, and other successes here. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">The dysfunctional CAFO chicken factories and their quota monopolies, lies, cheating, and incest are hereby abandoned, out of the spotlight, and can wallow in their own filth as long as they want, slowly rotting, rusting and inbreeding to their heart's content. We are done with them. Good-bye.</span><span class="st"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-62195736661456186642016-02-05T01:11:00.000-05:002016-02-17T08:43:52.867-05:00Your Chicken Choice Is ClearWe now have scientific evidence that pastured chicken is more nutritious than the CAFO chicken factory meat sold in the typical grocery store. Your choice in chicken is now clear.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uwWFpkd8-FmIISuDmCVwj88T0GGWd_Ox-JxTW6Cz1BZgwl19Ww8_SzCq8vZJ-cXFvMHmW6ES14chESLtusTiYt3o6kluBTalO6xeg4lxjnlBguYk9B7ap5Jgls8aiIbzEqC8oogmeIVi/s1600/ChickenChoice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uwWFpkd8-FmIISuDmCVwj88T0GGWd_Ox-JxTW6Cz1BZgwl19Ww8_SzCq8vZJ-cXFvMHmW6ES14chESLtusTiYt3o6kluBTalO6xeg4lxjnlBguYk9B7ap5Jgls8aiIbzEqC8oogmeIVi/s400/ChickenChoice.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Choice in Chicken is Now Clear</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I have previously posted comments made by a number of sources that free range and/or pastured chicken was better, but I was never able to find hard scientific numbers to back it up. Fortunately, courtesy of our American neighbours, we now have those science-based data to support the former anecdotal testimonies.<br />
<br />
I have previous posted about the good fats and other benefits of pastured and free-range chicken (see Blog postings <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2013/12/animal-fat-in-our-diets.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Animal Fat in our Diets</a>, <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2014/01/vegetable-oils.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vegetable Oils</a>, <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2014/08/food-quality-nutrition-factory-chicken.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Food Quality & Nutrition: Factory Chicken Vs. Alternatives</a>, <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2014/10/pastured-poultry-and-mental-health.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pastured Poultry and Mental Health</a>).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbBHe3jkPVQARX6THEaCJDrN1TF6wFurfGp4WjzkSeq6sB1txghsZJ-jBzR0kdpgoEt8-iw1LEnXIkY3QtSXpnTp-VSUgkldoYOaHvKQEAqlV4ziWJVq6JMu7AXQfNRqldXFTl63YX208/s1600/PasturedPoultryNutrition.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbBHe3jkPVQARX6THEaCJDrN1TF6wFurfGp4WjzkSeq6sB1txghsZJ-jBzR0kdpgoEt8-iw1LEnXIkY3QtSXpnTp-VSUgkldoYOaHvKQEAqlV4ziWJVq6JMu7AXQfNRqldXFTl63YX208/s400/PasturedPoultryNutrition.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Comparison of chicken fats from CAFO chicken factories Vs.<br />
Pastured Poultry. As can be easily seen here, pastured poultry is better<br />
in at least 10 out of 12 categories. Recent research shows dietary<br />
cholesterol is no longer seen as a problem, and is essential for building<br />
healthy membranes within all cells, so that would make pastured chicken<br />
better in 11 out of 12 categories (no data exists in the 12th category, so no<br />
comparison can be made in the final category. Source: <a href="http://goo.gl/Wyy5dR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">APPPA</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.apppa.org/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">American
Pastured Poultry Producers Association</b></a> ("APPPA") conducted the research "<a href="http://goo.gl/Wyy5dR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pasture and Feed Affect Broiler Carcass Nutrition</a>", on the nutritional difference between pastured chicken and the CAFO factory chicken that is ubiquitously available in all Canadian grocery stores. The <a href="http://goo.gl/Wyy5dR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">APPPA's summary report</a> was written by Mike Badger, revised 4/22/2015.<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
As compared to CAFO factory farm chicken, pastured chicken has been found to have:</div>
<ul>
<li>33% less of the bad Omega-6 fat;</li>
<li>91% more of the good Omega-3 fat,</li>
<li>47% to 80% better Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio (depending on the supplemental feed used);</li>
<li>407%
more Vitamin E;</li>
<li>52% less Saturated Fat</li>
<li>53% less Monosaturated fat;</li>
<li>32% less
polyunsaturated fat;</li>
<li>50% less fat (all types).<br /></li>
</ul>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> <br />
<h3>
<u><b>All About Fats</b></u></h3>
Trans fats are the worst, often created by the chemical factory processing of vegetable oils via high temperature oil extraction (often using petroleum based solvents such as hexane), deodorization, or hydrogenation. Because they have been deodorized, we can no longer detect when the oil has gone rancid, enabling us to unwittingly consume rancid oils. Deodorizing these oils is the same as a car manufacturer purposefully not installing the LOW OIL PRESSURE switch on your car's engine, perhaps with the purpose that you will destroy your engine, and they can sell you a new car sooner.<br />
<br />
Next worst after trans fats are PUFA's (Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids). PUFA's are an essential fat (ie. we need it but our bodies can't produce our own, so we must consume it from our food), but we only need a tiny bit that is naturally occurring in many foods. PUFA's are unstable due their unsaturated double bond, are easily oxidized, and quickly go rancid. When eaten in excess, PUFA's have a terrible effect on our liver, pancreas, thyroid, and obesity. Eating PUFA's at the same time as fructose maximizes the harm, as these interact to form AGE's (Advanced Glycation Endproducts). Omega-6 (eg. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleic_acid" title="Linoleic acid">Linoleic acid</a> such as corn oil, canola oil, and most other liquid oils, salad dressings, margarines, etc.) is a PUFA which is one of the worst, clearly shown to cause or contribute to coronary heart disease. Omega-6 fats also tend to cause or contribute to systemic inflammation in our bodies (eg. irritable bowel, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.). In North America, we consume way too much Omega-6 PUFA fat; 8 times more than historically. The rest of the world has followed us down this swampy path to PUFA hell, hurting their health too.<br />
<br />
Omega-3 ( <a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91-linolenic_acid" title="Α-linolenic acid">α-linolenic acid (ALA)</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eicosapentaenoic_acid" title="Eicosapentaenoic acid">eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docosahexaenoic_acid" title="Docosahexaenoic acid">docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)</a> obtained from foods such as flax seed, cold water fish, etc.) is also a PUFA. Omega-3 tends to counteract many of the negative consequences of Omega-6. Omega-3 is best consumed as food rather than as a pill or other supplements (eg. fish oil), as too much Omega-3 is not good for you, and pills are of questionable quality and freshness (ie. likely they are contaminated or denatured by the extraction process, and likely oxidized or rancid due to sitting too long on the shelf). The ALA type of Omega-3, primarily from flax seeds and other vegetable sources, can't be metabolized directly, so the body has to convert ALA to EPA &/or DHA for it to be used, and that conversion process is long and inefficient, so animal sources of Omega-3 are the best.<br />
<br />
PUFA's are in most foods, so it is very difficult to avoid them. In meats, the PUFA's aren't as bad as the vegetable oils, usually
because the meat isn't rancid, and if it is rancid, it's easily
detected, and rancid meat likely won't be eaten due to the terrible
taste.<br />
<br />
First and foremost, PUFA's
should be severely limited in our diets. For the small amounts of PUFA's that are permitted to remain in our diet, the next important factor is the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio.<br />
<br />
Before humans got their first chemistry set for Christmas, it is
believed that human diets had an Omega6:Omega3 ratio of 1:1. A ratio of
4 or below is generally considered excellent (ie. 4 parts Omega-6, 1 part Omega-3). Unfortunately, mainly due to our modern foods made by Mad Scientists and their chemistry sets, or processed foods, and/or CAFO factory
farming, our typical diet in North America has way too much Omega-6, and
our N. American diet ratio of Omega-6:Omega-3 is often as high as 20:1<br />
<br />
Ouch!<br />
<br />
To understand the healthier choices in meat, most science-based
nutritionists suggest looking at minimizing the amount of Omega-6, then minimize the ratio between Omega-6 to Omega-3
fats in the meat. <br />
<br />
Looking at the table above, we can see that soy-free pastured chicken
has 32.9% less Omega-6 fat, and as low as a 3:1 ratio, both of which
are excellent for a healthy diet.<br />
<br />
This research also shows that when chicken feed is made with soybean
meal as the primary protein source, the chickens tend to add
significantly more body fat. However, when peas are used as the primary
source of protein, the chickens tend to be significantly less fatty.
Of course CAFO chicken factories tend to be highly reliant on soybean
meal as a cheap source of protein. Non-soy fed pastured chicken has a ratio as low as 3:1 (ie.
excellent), while USDA tests of CAFO chicken factory meats have a 15:1
ratio (ie. not so healthy). On this basis, pastured chicken is up to 5
times better than meat from CAFO chicken factories.<br />
<br />
Omega-9 (eg. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleic_acid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oleic</a> fats, such as olive oil) are mono-unsaturated fats ("MUFA") that are generally considered as excellent dietary fats, better than PUFA's. However if a MUFA is used in a high heat cooking process (eg. grilling, frying, roasting, etc.), it will denature and form bad oxidation products.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GT7-nayiSY8xVwnpE5SkK6LU3eJmtD_3sGagldc6XQ5lVUr0fnVjWI4wbtQLE7j2ysxypKvAlwHvaefWMfKl0bNch_wfK9IPYsON_oGMbtNqwyUmnEk2dNa0fr9CbfoM_TOzv01u-vyg/s1600/20160210_182834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GT7-nayiSY8xVwnpE5SkK6LU3eJmtD_3sGagldc6XQ5lVUr0fnVjWI4wbtQLE7j2ysxypKvAlwHvaefWMfKl0bNch_wfK9IPYsON_oGMbtNqwyUmnEk2dNa0fr9CbfoM_TOzv01u-vyg/s320/20160210_182834.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 Chicken legs (2.23 kg raw) were roasted,<br />
producing 150 ml (144 grams) of excess fat in<br />
the bottom of the roasting pan. This excess<br />
CAFO factory farming fat is $0.5 Billion<br />
per year of waste to Canadians.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<u><b>Practical Test of CAFO Chicken</b></u></h3>
To put this information to a practical test, I purchased two packages of whole chicken legs (4 drumstick & thighs per package, 8 legs in total, with skin), for a total raw weight of 2.23 kg. I paid the standard Chicken Mafia gouging prices Canadians must pay due to this unholy Chicken Mafia monopoly.<br />
<br />
I roasted the chicken and collected the grease left in the pan. After cooking, I had 150 ml of rendered chicken fat in the bottom of the pan. I'm sure there was still some additional fat in the skin and on the legs that didn't liquefy. That excess chicken fat weighed 144 grams, so we had 6.41% (ie. 144/2230*100%= 6.41%) of the raw purchased weight ended up as unusable fat in the bottom of the roasting pan.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>The Hidden Costs of Soybean based Chicken Feeds</b></u></h3>
According to <a href="http://www.chickenfarmers.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2014-Annual-Report.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CFC's Annual Report for 2014</a>
(see page 18), Canada's Chicken Mafia raised a total of 1,067,291,000
kg of eviscerated chicken in 2014. Assuming my home kitchen test applies to all
of that Chicken Mafia chicken, that 6.41% excess fat converts to a total loss to Canadians of 68.41 million kg
of wasted fat. <a href="http://statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Statistics Canada Table 326-0012</a>
reported the Canadian average cost of whole chicken in 2014 was
$7.23/kg., so that excess CAFO fat is a total loss caused by excess, unhealthy fat of $494.6
million per year; forced upon Canadians with no knowledge, disclosure, nor choice.<br />
<br />
As calculated above, the CAFO chicken fat isn't healthy for us to eat, and overly fattened CAFO chickens wastes about $0.5 Billion per year from Canada's wallets.<br />
<br />
In addition, soybeans are well known for their isoflavones (such as <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/getting-to-know-nutraceut">genistein</a> and others, plant compounds that mimic human estrogen). Soybean is the leading suspect in causing 9 yr. old girls to grow breasts and start early menstruation. See this<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soybean-fertility-hormone-isoflavones-genistein/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Scientific American article</a>.<br />
<br />
While the soybean is a relatively cheap source of protein, perhaps there are reasons for it being cheap, and we need to be wary of the hidden consequences of that cheap protein source.<br />
<br />
No doubt, soybean-based feeds for chickens will maximize the Chicken Mafia's profits. However, perhaps it would be far better for Canada and Canadians if there was a different feed formulation and/or better CAFO growing methods so as to avoid adding this excessive and wasteful fat to their chickens.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Epilogue</b></u></h3>
There ought to be a law against the dysfunctional and questionable practices of the Chicken Mafia and their CAFO chicken factory methods.<br />
<br />
Let this be a
lesson to all of us. This is what happens when we are provided no
choice. This is what happens when the Chicken Mafia is expected to make
all the choices on our behalf, and we end up with no choice, and the
final product presented to us happens<br />
to be better for the Chicken Mafia, than for us.<br />
<br />
In short, buy pastured, free range chicken, especially if it is fed a non-soy ration to supplement its natural diet of grass & bugs. That's the best for both you and the planet.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-58661064234010398032016-01-28T10:42:00.000-05:002016-01-28T10:46:35.726-05:00Chicken Consumer Due DiligenceIf the Chicken Mafia are surviving and prospering by spewing their propaganda far and wide, what can a consumer do to overcome the lies, half truths, and misleading omissions by the CAFO chicken factory owners and their henchmen?<br />
<br />
Consumers must fight back with due diligence.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ErRHJlE4PGI?rel=0" width="600"></iframe>
<br />
The above clip from the TV show Portlandia satirizes what well informed restaurant staff must go through to make a sale to overly conscientious guests who must know the provenance of the chicken on the menu.<br />
<br />
It's funny because it went to an extreme. It's sad, because that is what consumers are being forced to do more and more so as to overcome the Big Food propaganda machine. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-22383543641836349852016-01-18T20:40:00.002-05:002016-01-19T19:26:14.141-05:00C4: Canadian Campylobacter Contaminated Chicken About half of Canada's chicken on retail store shelves is contaminated with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campylobacter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><b>campylobacter jejuni</b></i></a>.<br />
<br />
FoodNet Canada collects food safety surveillance samples at 3 different sentinal sites (<span style="font-size: medium;">Ontario, British Columbia and
Alberta)</span> on behalf
of Public Health Agency of Canada. In the <a href="http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/foodnetcanada/report-rapport-2014-eng.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2014 Short Report of FoodNet Canada</a>, they reported:<br />
<ul>
<li>"In 2014, Campylobacter and Salmonella remained the most common
causes of human enteric illness in the [three] sentinel sites",</li>
<li>"Campylobacter was the most prevalent pathogen found on skinless
chicken breast in all sites with close to one-half of all samples
testing positive.";</li>
<li>"In turkey [farms] in the BC [sentinal] site, Campylobacter was again the most common
pathogen found in 2014, as in 2013. Campylobacter was also commonly
found in beef and dairy manure samples in the ON [sentinal] site, as in previous
years. Campylobacter prevalence in broiler chickens was variable across
the [3 sentinal] sites, ranging from 8.7% - 22%.";</li>
<li>"...the 2014 FoodNet Canada sampling year have demonstrated that
retail meat products, particularly chicken products, remain an important
source of human enteric pathogens."</li>
</ul>
Perhaps Canada's <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_84.html#ChickenMafia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicken Mafia</a> thinks this level of chicken contamination is OK, because UK's CAFO chicken is 73% contaminated and US CAFO chicken is about 40% contaminated, so Canada's CAFO chicken is in the middle of the pack.<br />
<br />
The common denominator across Canada, UK, and USA is their use of dysfunctional CAFO technologies, which causes serious problems in all countries that use CAFO. Most unfortunately, those CAFO risks spill over to all countries who don't use CAFO. Everybody on the planet gets impacted by CAFO, whether their country has used CAFO, or not. <br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Who Cares?</b></u></h3>
OK, so Canada's chicken is contaminated. So what's the big deal? Can't I just wash it off? If I cook it properly, won't it kill the bugs?<br />
<br />
Good questions. Perhaps you don't have to worry. On the other hand...<br />
<br />
In the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campylobacter#Epidemiology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2014-2015 year long study for the UK study</a> of chicken in UK grocery stores , they found that 7% of the chicken packaging was contaminated with deadly bacteria on the exterior surface of the packaging. I think it's reasonable to assume the same packaging contamination exists in Canada and USA. Therefore:<br />
<ul>
<li>When you pick up the package from the meat counter, those deadly bacteria are now all over your hands. If you touch your mouth or eyes, you will likely be infected, and can get very sick. If you touch your child, or your fresh vegetables, now they are contaminated too.<br /> </li>
<li>If your package of CAFO chicken brushes up against your fresh vegetables while they're in your shopping cart, you may die from this invisible mistake.<br /> </li>
<li>Somebody used your shopping cart before you arrived at the grocery store. What will happen to you if that prior cart user handled or purchased CAFO contaminated chicken? In that case, the inside of your grocery cart may be contaminated with deadly bacteria before you begin your shopping. It isn't enough to sanitize just the handle of your shopping cart.<br /><br /></li>
<li>If you put your CAFO chicken into your reusable shopping bag to take it home, the contamination on the packaging exterior (plus any meat juice that oozes out of the package) has now contaminated your shopping bag. How often do you sanitize the interior of your shopping bags? Do you keep just one specially marked shopping bag for just CAFO chicken? If you don't, the next time you go shopping, you may cross-contaminate your fresh produce and kill a family member.<br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ07ktAskvFDqxFb7U7F3b18mSu8K4uHgK5AuNsKtj2DnBImX95" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ07ktAskvFDqxFb7U7F3b18mSu8K4uHgK5AuNsKtj2DnBImX95" width="142" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A HAZMAT suit, optional<br />
equipment for buying,<br />
storing, or cooking CAFO<br />
chicken in Canada</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</li>
</ul>
Have I got you scared yet?<br />
<br />
Here are <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2013/09/contaminated-chicken.html" target="_blank">our recommendations</a> on how to buy, store and cook CAFO chicken factory meat. So far, a HAZMAT suit is optional.<br />
<br />
If you try to wash the bugs off your chicken, you will likely splash those bugs all over your kitchen counters and anything sitting on them within a 10 ft. radius from the sink. Each micro drop splashing off the chicken can have enough bacteria to make a person seriously ill.<br />
<br />
A <a href="http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/284550002.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">scientific study</a> has shown that the 50% probability of an infective dose of campylobacter for humans is approximately 900 cells; thus, the potential for human exposure to the bacteria through cross contamination, poor hygiene, or undercooking in the
kitchen is high.<br />
<br />
That is why public health officials recommend against washing the chicken before cooking.<br />
<br />
Why don't they tell the public that a <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2014/02/hope-for-mega-meat-manufacturers.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">farmer with a sharp knife</a> can kill and process a chicken with 96% less bacterial contamination than the <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/p/blog-page_84.html#CAFO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CAFO</a> chicken factories and their high speed processing lines? <br />
<br />
Beyond the health risks, there is nutrition and taste.<br />
<br />
Why
don't they tell people there are alternatives to CAFO, such as
pastured poultry, where no antibiotics are required, the birds are
healthier and happier, the resulting meat is better tasting, and the
nutrition levels in that pastured chicken is far superior to that
produced by a CAFO system? <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>How Sick Will You Get?</b></u></h3>
How sick you get will depend upon your prior health, how big of a dose of bacteria you get, the state of your immune system, and how quickly you get the right medical help. <br />
<br />
<i>Campylobacter jejuni,</i> has been recognized as a major cause of
acute bacterial gastroenteritis in humans since the late 1970s and <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2691575/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it is estimated</a> that <i>Campylobacter</i> sp. are responsible for 400–500 million cases of diarrhea each year on a worldwide basis.<br />
<br />
Prior to 1992, fluoroquinolone (FQ) antimicrobials (e.g., ciprofloxacin) resistance in <i>Campylobacter</i> was rarely observed in the USA and Canada, but several recent reports have indicated that approximately 19–47% of <i>Campylobacter</i> strains isolated from humans were resistant to ciprofloxacin.<br />
<br />
That means it isn't a sure thing that a hospital can cure you of a campylobacter infection by using antibiotics. If it gets bad, you could die, or have a few feet length of your bowl removed during emergency surgery. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2013/08/bugs-drugs.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Blog has previously reported</a> on the mis-use of ciprofloxin by the Chicken Mafia. All CAFO chicken factories are supposed to be monitored by the supreme <a href="http://www.chickenfarmers.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chicken Farmers of Canada ("CFC")</a>, as well as their respective provincial Chicken Mafia boss. In spite of this alleged monitoring and supervision, more than one CAFO chicken factory was caught using illegal feed laced with this antibiotic; a ploy to maximize that CAFO farmer's profit and minimize their risk, in spite of the added risks to the public from their bad behaviour. Fortunately, Public Health Canada discovered their plot, found them, and stopped them from continuing to feed this illegal antibiotic to chickens that produce eggs for hatching into meat birds.<br />
<br />
The circle closes. Campylobacter resistance to ciprofloxin is rapidly growing, likely caused or contributed to by the mis-use of this drug by the Chicken Mafia. Unfortunately, it isn't just ciprofloxin where the mis-use of antibiotics occur.<br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/fpd.2015.1966" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Public Health Agency of Canada has reported</a> that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b> "each year there are 4000 hospitalizations (range 3200–4800) and 105 (range 75–139) deaths associated with domestically acquired foodborne illness related to 30 known pathogens and 7600 (range 5900–9650) hospitalizations and 133 (range 77–192) deaths associated with unspecified agents, for atotal estimate of 11,600 (range 9250–14,150) hospitalizations and 238 (range 155–323) deaths associated with domestically acquired foodborne illness in Canada."</b></i></blockquote>
and<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>"Key pathogens associated with these hospitalizations or deaths include norovirus, nontyphoidal Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., VTEC O157 and Listeria monocytogenes"</b></i></blockquote>
and<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>"These estimates of hospitalizations and deaths capture only a part of the burden for all pathogens as they only account for acute illness and do not include hospitalizations or deaths related to chronic sequelae associated with the original infection (e.g., Guillain-Barre´ syndrome associated with Campylobacter spp.). Additional work to better understand the burden of chronic sequelae associated with foodborne pathogens in Canada is needed to inform Disability-Adjusted Life Years and cost estimates and facilitate international comparisons."</b></i> </blockquote>
<br />
Those who become infected by campylobacter sometimes develop <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain%E2%80%93Barr%C3%A9_syndrome" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guillain–Barré syndrome</a>, an autoimmune disease where, instigated by the campylobacter infection, the body attacks the nerves, dissolving the myelin sheath on the nerves, resulting in numbness, nerve tingling, paralysis, and other serious symptoms. In the worst case, you can no longer breath, just like in polio, so you get placed on a respirator. Since the widespread vaccination for polio, Guillain–Barré syndrome has become the #1 cause of flaccid paralysis which puts people onto respirators. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11257070" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">One study found</a> that campylobacter infections caused 30 cases of Guillain–Barré syndrome per 100,000 persons infected with campylobacter. The risk of developing Guillain–Barré syndrome is 100 times greater due to campylobacter than all other causes of this disease.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/detail_gbs.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Institute of Health</a> says:<br />
<ul>
<li>"there is no known cure for Guillain-Barré syndrome."<br /> </li>
<li>"Guillain-Barré syndrome can be a devastating disorder because of its
sudden and unexpected onset. In addition, recovery is not necessarily
quick. As noted above, patients usually reach the point of greatest
weakness or paralysis days or weeks after the first symptoms occur.
Symptoms then stabilize at this level for a period of days, weeks, or,
sometimes, months. The recovery period may be as little as a few weeks
or as long as a few years. About 30 percent of those with Guillain-Barré
still have a residual weakness after 3 years. About 3 percent may
suffer a relapse of muscle weakness and tingling sensations many years
after the initial attack. Guillain-Barré syndrome patients face
not only physical difficulties, but emotionally painful periods as well.
It is often extremely difficult for patients to adjust to sudden
paralysis and dependence on others for help with routine daily
activities. Patients sometimes need psychological counseling to help
them adapt." </li>
</ul>
In short, if the government allows CAFO chicken factories to continue causing campylobacter outbreaks, the Chicken Mafia are being allowed to play with fire, and it's you and me who get tossed into that fire.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Mis-Use of Antibiotics</b></u></h3>
<br />
As mentioned in yesterday's Blog posting about the <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2016/01/mcr-1-tragedy-of-commons-for-antibiotics.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MCR-1 fiasco</a>, this mis-use of important antibiotics by CAFO factories has been going on for more than 46 years.<br />
<br />
It's about time the government brought it to a full and complete stop.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the government's current plan is to coast into the next exit ramp, then take a different antibiotic highway (ie. the back roads), so that it isn't so obvious that the Chicken Mafia will continue doing what they do best, screwing and endangering the public so they can maximize their profits.<br />
<br />
The Chicken Mafia are already multi-millionaires. Why do the Chicken Mafia have to put the whole planet at risk so they can earn an artificially higher income?<br />
<br />
I guess they feel being a multi-millionaire isn't enough, they want to be a billionaire. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-81521462286304668712015-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:002015-12-26T12:37:19.074-05:00Chicken TraceabilityTraceability for our food is terrible to non-existant. There is better traceability for auto parts than food. Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada ("SFPFC") leads the way to a new world standard for poultry traceability. We challenge all other food suppliers to duplicate our solution and follow us, if they dare.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXERT4p0c_F-wLFCGccbClP4Uj9UmWN8xOvbeVZTh2MetEkV9uoLxcbVloxGhCAk7PVAnZX6NtDruYJwuN-j7DFF8Ktw9vJpN0GGPmfMo0RHewD9nHj6htMJ1CxtZ8ZQKf6fdasJ1aJBSE/s1600/ChickenLabel_A01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXERT4p0c_F-wLFCGccbClP4Uj9UmWN8xOvbeVZTh2MetEkV9uoLxcbVloxGhCAk7PVAnZX6NtDruYJwuN-j7DFF8Ktw9vJpN0GGPmfMo0RHewD9nHj6htMJ1CxtZ8ZQKf6fdasJ1aJBSE/s400/ChickenLabel_A01.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Label on the chicken sold Farm Gate from my farm.<br />Click on the image for a full size version. This label provides consumers full<br /> disclosure on their chicken, from hatching to consumer's fork. The Internet<br /> link (in this case <a href="http://blacksbay.com/farm/flocks/BBF201510002.pdf"><span lang="en-CA" style="font-size: 8.0pt; language: en-CA; mso-ansi-language: en-CA;">http://blacksbay.com/farm/flocks/BBF201510002.pdf</span></a> ) and<br /> the scannable QR Code both give the URL containing all the farmer's info<br /> on these chickens. Scan the QR code with your Smart Phone, or click<br />on the link and see how it works; instant disclosure at your fingertips.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you have a QR code on a food label like that shown in Figure 1 for my farm, you can:<br />
<ul>
<li>Scan the QR code using the camera on your Smart phone using a free App on your phone (eg. a Barcode Scanner from <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GooglePlay</a> or equivalent), or<br /><br /> </li>
<li>Use <a href="http://www.webqr.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WebQR</a> (using your desktop or laptop webcam); or<br /><br /> </li>
<li><a href="https://zxing.org/w/decode.jspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ZXing</a> (crawls a web page looking for an on-line QR code)</li>
</ul>
Farmers can also hand out hard copies of the document. However consumers get to the traceability & disclosure document, they can now get full disclosure on the chicken they are thinking of buying. If done by the Chicken Mafia, that freedom to choose well can be done right at the grocery store meat counter.<br />
<br />
Eventually, consumer advocacy groups may pour over the detailed disclosure documents and rank chicken suppliers (eg. Green, Yellow, Red), or the Top Ten for a region, Province, or Canada overall. This can help consumers quickly decide if they should buy, or keep walking along the grocery store aisle.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Too Much Information? </b></u></h3>
Some consumers don't want to know the squishy details of what happens to chickens as they grow, and especially when they go to slaughter. For their sensitivities, too much info makes the meat impossible to eat. For them, the funny QR code on the label can be safely ignored and put out of mind. All they have to do is follow the herd (ie. the rest of their family and neighbours) who have done the detailed research and discovered the best chicken to buy. The sensibilities of the sensitive are protected.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Farmer's Overhead & Paperwork</b></u></h3>
Will this proposed system add unfair burdens to small farmers. I've done it, and believe it is easily managed by all. The steps are as follows:<br />
<br />
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<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Expenses, $</b></div>
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1</div>
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Become a member of SFPFC, and obtain a free copy of SFPFC's disclosure &
traceability form, and the MS Publisher meat label template.</div>
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0.25</div>
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1.00</div>
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3.50</div>
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2</div>
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Fill in the form &/or customize the form for your farm</div>
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1.5</div>
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0.00</div>
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15.00</div>
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3</div>
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Upload the disclosure document to your farm’s website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t have your own website, obtain
a free <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Dropbox.com">Dropbox.com</a> account (or equivalent) and
upload completed disclosure form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get the
link to your document to share with the world.</div>
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0.5</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.0in;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
0.00</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="73"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
5.00</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.9pt;" valign="top" width="61"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
4</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 247.5pt;" valign="top" width="330"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Use <a href="http://goog.le/">http://goog.le</a> to create short URL,
then a QR code image to that shortened URL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Copy the QR code image to your computer.</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.5pt;" valign="top" width="78"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
0.25</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.0in;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
0.00</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="73"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2.50</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 45.9pt;" valign="top" width="61"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
5</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 247.5pt;" valign="top" width="330"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Place the QR code on the label you will apply to your chickens for
sale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paste the original URL link into
the label.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Print enough labels to
apply to all your chickens.</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.5pt;" valign="top" width="78"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
0.5</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.0in;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
0.00</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="73"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
5.00</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td colspan="2" style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 293.4pt;" valign="top" width="391"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">TOTALS</b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 58.5pt;" valign="top" width="78"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
3.0</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 1.0in;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1.00</div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 54.9pt;" valign="top" width="73"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
31.00</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The above costs and steps are in addition to the current chicken labeling system of today. Assuming $10/hr labor rate, if a farmer is producing 300 chickens per year as a Small Flocker, assuming 2.2 kg birds, this traceability system adds $0.047 per kg to the cost of your chicken. If you are an Artisanal Chicken farmer under CFO's new program, this disclosure form adds $0.0047 per kg. to your costs. If a chicken factory farmer is producing 200,000 birds per year, the farm gate price must rise by $0.00007 per kg.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once a farmer has done this for their first flock, it becomes much
faster & easier for all subsequent flocks to copy & paste the info. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I am all for reducing overhead as much as possible, to me, this seems to be a reasonable and affordable cost, with huge benefits for consumers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Canada's Chicken Mafia </b></u></h3>
Due to a marketing opportunity, CFC and CFO have adopted a "Canadian grown chicken" trademark, but refuse to provide any additional information. By carefully reading the package, you can find where the chicken was slaughtered, but that the end of the info consumers are permitted to know. Big national brands market the chicken, but hide which farms were contracted to grow that chicken. They pretend that all farms, all farmers, and all chicken are identical; a fungible commodity like salt, sugar, and wheat.<br />
<br />
Of course, the fossilized multi-millionaire chicken factory owners currently enjoy their secrecy and information vacuum, and don't want educated consumers. They buy media time to spew their marketing propaganda. Generalities and platitudes work well when consumers are sleeping and unduly trust their food suppliers. That is why they have done nothing ever since I originally proposed improved chicken traceability way back in April 2013 (see Blog Posting <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2013/04/trace-your-chicken.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trace Your Chicken</a> ).<br />
<br />
While propaganda as summarized by <a href="http://www.whale.to/b/bernays.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Edward Bernays in 1928</a> was a powerful tool used by the Nazi's Minister of Propaganda Goebbels, and for other evil purposes, it isn't all powerful. When given a voice, the truth can expose and destroy any propaganda. I doubt that the Chicken Mafia is more powerful and devious than the Nazis regime.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>False Documents</b></u></h3>
Just because a document happens to state something, it doesn't make it so. Fraudsters well understand the power of false documents. However any document is better for consumers than an information vacuum. Once a document exists, that document can be checked for ambiguities, comprehensiveness, supporting and collaborating evidence from trusted sources, and other evidence or verification. If a document is found to be silent, ambiguous, or lack comprehensiveness, consumers can complain or refuse to buy. The complaints and lost sales can continue increasing until the supplier responds by improving the traceability and disclosure document. Once started, the document can be improved, and then improved some more as customers compare between their current supplier and a better supplier.<br />
<br />
If a supplier dares to issue a false or misleading document, the document (and its issuer) will eventually be found out. At that point, we have a criminal and/or civil offense that can be prosecuted, initiated by a complaint by a government official, a competitor of the fraudster, or a consumer. A documented traceability and disclosure system can be self policing.<br />
<br />
The current vacuum of information can never self police.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Small Flockers Lead The Way</b></u></h3>
I now have about 400 lbs of chicken, duck, and goose meat for sale to interested persons in my small Northern Ontario community using this traceability system. With time, I hope other chicken farmers come join me. If you are a member of SFPFC, you can get a free copy of the form to customize it to your farm. SFPFC membership has its privileges and advantages!<br />
<br />
I believe this proposed traceability is in the best interest of consumers, and is therefore in the long term best interest of chicken producers.<br />
<br />
How long will the CFO chicken fossils resist and fight against this trend? <br />
<ul>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-45988008974068442692015-12-11T22:15:00.000-05:002015-12-11T22:17:03.656-05:00TPP Vs. SMThe TPP deal has been signed, but the new Liberal government is still considering if it's a booby trap left behind by the former conservative government.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.producer.com/2015/12/dairys-milky-future/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Western Producer</a> wrote a good article about the milky future of Canada's Supply Management ("SM") system for dairy. Many economists and Canadian farm leaders (including the Canadian Federation of Agriculture) question the sustainability of SM, and the sanity of continuing in its present form.<br />
<br />
Our response to these issues is as follows:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Already, Canadians pay 38% to 300% more than what most of world pays for Supply Management foods (chicken, turkey, eggs, and dairy).<br /><br />It will soon get worse.<br /><br />This week, the Food Institute at the University of Guelph announced that food inflation in Canada is the highest in the world, topping 4.1% in 2015. It will be more of the same for the near future (see <a href="http://agri007.blogspot.ca/2015/12/canadas-food-inflation-tops-in-world.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Agri007's Blog</a> ).<br /><br />The household savings rate of Canadians has dropped from 30% in 1980 to virtually zero for the last 10 years. In BC. they run at a -7% savings rate.<br /><br />More and more Canadians have to make the tough choice of starve or freeze, as they can't afford to solve both problems simultaneously.<br /><br />The 17,000 SM farmers have stolen the rights and freedoms of consumers and all other farmers so that their SM special interest group can become millionaires.<br /><br />For example, the 60,000 or so small flock poultry farmers in Canada is one group that suffers under the despotic control of the SM system, so that 2,700 SM chicken farmers (just 4.3% of all chicken farmers) can rule the roost. See our Blog for the scary details.<br /><br />As Canadians are squeezed more and more, do the SM farmers think they will find continued support for their ridiculous price gouging, or the arcane rules of SM?<br /><br />Between 1990 and 2014, NZ’s non-SM dairy system enjoyed 17 times greater growth than Canada’s SM dairy system, primarily due to the export restrictions attached to our dysfunctional SM system by trade treaties. That has cost Canada and Canadians thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in lost tax revenue.<br /><br />If Canada's SM system was efficient and effective, it might be worth all these excessive costs. However, SM chronically runs from mediocre to dangerous.<br /><br />For example, 40% to 80% of Canada's chicken sold at retail stores is contaminated with deadly bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens. Canadian chicken farmers have a feed efficiency 25% behind the world leaders. Somatic cell counts and bacteria in Canadian milk swing wildly from acceptable to terrible, but on average Canadian milk is 21% worse than US milk for somatic cell counts (ie. puss in the milk).<br /><br />Fortunately for SM farmers (and unfortunate for consumers), few Canadians understand the propaganda and trickery used to keep them asleep and in support of SM.<br /><br />When some crisis finally wakes them up, Canadians will be shocked at first, then upset that this cheating, corrupt, and dysfunctional SM system was allowed to continue as long as it has.<br /><br />Glenn Black, President<br />Small Flock Poultry Farmers of Canada<br />http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/</b></i></blockquote>
<br />
Will anybody listen before it's too late? Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-71131475983238948652015-12-03T09:58:00.000-05:002015-12-04T01:06:13.557-05:00Excessive Use of Farm Antibiotics<a href="http://www.who.int/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World Health Organization</a> ("WHO") operated by the United Nations, has surveyed 12 countries about the opinions of the general population on farm use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance.<br />
<br />
As a Small Flocker, I rarely use antibiotics to treat any of my animals, mainly because they aren't getting sick and therefore have no need for these dangerous drugs.<br />
<br />
Animals, like humans, have all they need to naturally thrive. If animals (or humans) get chronically sick, this would indicate that the farming system is flawed, and must be improved so that the animals (and farmers) can naturally thrive within that farming system. <br />
<br />
It is not sufficient reason to avoid fixing the root cause of the problem (ie. dysfunctional CAFO farming methods), by the use of powerful drugs that force the problem onto everybody else downstream, thereby creating problems which are orders of magnitude larger and more dangerous.<br />
<br />
Witness that experts estimate that 75% of all human diseases are caused or contributed to by poor diet or nutrition. It is today's farming that produces that food raw material. For the most part, it is multi-national huge corporations that process those farmed foods into processed foods that are distributed throughout the world at great profit for a few special interest groups. If these systems are causing or contributing to 75% of human disease &/or death, is that not reason enough to force change of this dysfunctional system? <br />
<br />
<a href="http://agri007.blogspot.ca/2015/12/public-opposes-antibiotic-use-in-farming.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Agri007</a> has provided an excellent review of the survey findings:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">"Sixty-four per cent said antibiotic resistance is an issue
and 73 per cent said farmers should reduce their use of antibiotics.</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BBc6NRJ5h2N74tccBQjrLdLDA0MbsMkdEHbIwDJRyTqkruxCQYormT-CErcWhVytlogYLL4aHvPhilmqb4HBEobZMs9xKgabSLd9cR1TbFYU2m4bOPk-PpPw6Hp5BKumFZJyD1P_uPr6/s1600/images.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BBc6NRJ5h2N74tccBQjrLdLDA0MbsMkdEHbIwDJRyTqkruxCQYormT-CErcWhVytlogYLL4aHvPhilmqb4HBEobZMs9xKgabSLd9cR1TbFYU2m4bOPk-PpPw6Hp5BKumFZJyD1P_uPr6/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“The rise of antibiotic resistance is a global health
crisis, and governments now recognize it as one of the greatest challenges for
public health today,” says Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health
Organization (WHO).</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">“It is reaching dangerously high levels in all parts of the
world,” she said. “Antibiotic resistance is compromising our ability to treat
infectious diseases and undermining many advances in medicine.”</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The survey asked 14 questions on the use of antibiotics,
knowledge of antibiotics and of antibiotic resistance, and used a mix of online
and face-to-face interviews.</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">It was conducted in Barbados, China, Egypt, India,
Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Russian Federation, Serbia, South Africa, Sudan
and Viet Nam. </span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">While not claiming to be exhaustive, this and other surveys
will help WHO and partners to determine the key gaps in public understanding of
the problem and misconceptions about how to use antibiotics to be addressed
through the campaign.</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some common misconceptions revealed by the survey include:</span></span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Three quarters (76 percent) of respondents think that
antibiotic resistance happens when the body becomes resistant to antibiotics.
In fact bacteria — not humans or animals — become resistant to antibiotics and
their spread causes hard-to-treat infections.</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
</b></i>
<br />
<i><b>
</b></i><i><b>
</b></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Two thirds (66 percent) of respondents believe that
individuals are not at risk of a drug-resistant infection if they personally
take their antibiotics as prescribed. Nearly half (44 percent) of people
surveyed think antibiotic resistance is only a problem for people who take
antibiotics regularly. In fact, anyone, of any age, in any country can get an
antibiotic-resistant infection.</span></b></i></div>
<i><b>
<span style="font-size: medium;">More than half (57 percent) of respondents feel there is not
much they can do to stop antibiotic resistance, while nearly two thirds (64
percent) believe medical experts will solve the problem before it becomes too
serious."</span></b></i></blockquote>
Based on these survey results, it is clear that the WHO and governments have some urgent priorities.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/11/what-uou-need-know-about-superbug-now-breeding-chinas-hog-farms" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mother Jones</a> suggests that antibiotic resistance and Superbugs kill 700,000 people per year globally, on pace to <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2015/01/antibiotic-failure-will-cost-10-million-lives-annualy-2050" target="_blank">expand to 10 million deaths per year by 2050</a>.<br />
<br />
Don't look to Big Pharma to come to the rescue. <a href="http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/2/11-030211/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WHO reminded us in 2011</a> that:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b> "Antibiotics…have a poor return on investment because they are taken for
a short period of time and cure their target disease. In contrast, drugs that treat chronic illness, such as high blood
pressure, are taken daily for the rest of a patient’s life."</b></i></blockquote>
As usual, Big Pharma cares more about their precious profits, not the lives lost. Since government sides with corporations, not the people, don't expect any help their either.<br />
<br />
However, Small Flockers will help. Here is what SFPFC suggests: <br />
<ol>
<li>Each government must educate their populations on the scientifically known facts (not speculations, not farm propaganda, nor half baked theories) about farm antibiotics and all forms of antibiotic resistance.<br /><br /> </li>
<li>Governments must re-survey their populations to verify and validate their knowledge and opinions on these important issues.<br /><br /> </li>
<li>Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until the populations are well informed, and a consensus has developed. Since 73% are already against excessive use of farm antibiotics, it is doubtful that this sea change will disappear.<br /><br /></li>
<li>Using the newly gained expertise of the public, develop sustainable plans to rapidly improve the situation, ensuring that social, environmental, and financial interests are balanced.</li>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTO4AwHNeHg7iQ70qNKW7MgLMDeC5gnXEjv6wJcUhvjzDpvsT4sOhfiiSnofioSiYpOcmwayjEqPq-CC57FyqkWAAms7pLUWjJWYRQfqRxaGzDrhNhjYSG9AB8NNRDEH57shbCqiNvJzN7/s1600/SustainableDevelopment.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTO4AwHNeHg7iQ70qNKW7MgLMDeC5gnXEjv6wJcUhvjzDpvsT4sOhfiiSnofioSiYpOcmwayjEqPq-CC57FyqkWAAms7pLUWjJWYRQfqRxaGzDrhNhjYSG9AB8NNRDEH57shbCqiNvJzN7/s1600/SustainableDevelopment.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: To be sustainable, all systems must balance the economic,
environmental, and social issues. Of course, that is exactly opposite
to what the lobbyists and the special interest groups want to occur, so
they spray their propaganda everywhere, and whisper into the ears of the
politicians and bureaucrats so they obtain or retain their monopolies
and advantages against the best interest of the people and the planet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
</ol>
.Here is a quote from 1970 that seems like it was said yesterday:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>"A society that blindly accepts the decisions of experts is a sick society on its way to death. The time has come when we must produce, alongside specialists, another class of scholars and citizens who have broad familiarity with the facts, methods, and objectives of science and thus are capable of making judgements about scientific policies. Persons who work at the interface of science and society have become essential simply because almost everything that happens in society is influenced by science." </b></i></blockquote>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Scientist-Philosopher Rene DeBos,<br /> Rockerfeller University "<a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=ewkYUQp_KvkC&lpg=PA227&ots=8Lxy2XmuEl&dq=A%20society%20that%20blindly%20accepts%20the%20decisions%20of%20experts%20is%20a%20sick%20society&pg=PA227#v=onepage&q=A%20society%20that%20blindly%20accepts%20the%20decisions%20of%20experts%20is%20a%20sick%20society&f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Reason Awake: Science for Man</b></a>",<br /> Columbia University Institute for the Study of Science in Human Affairs, 1970, 280 pages, P. 227</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-45208211530557354382015-11-09T10:11:00.000-05:002015-11-09T14:37:36.805-05:00Flawed CAFO ChickenThe Chicken Mafia promote and use flawed CAFO (Cincentrated Animal Feeding Facilities) as the one and only system for raising chickens.<br />
<br />
For example, CAFO methods require or strongly recommend "All In, All Out" methods. This means than the chicken barns are cleaned, scrubbed, washed, and sanitized so as to remove all microbes from the barn. The empty barn is then filled with day old chicks. People coming in are required to wear sterile boot covers and coveralls, some CAFO farms mandate that workers wear surgical masks, ensuring minimal or no chance of introducing microbes (both helpful and pathogenic) to the chicks. The chicks in this "sterile" environment are raised to full age, then all of the birds are harvested and taken to slaughter. All the birds move together as one flock.<br />
<br />
This concept prohibits the separation of a flock into separate sub-flocks, prohibiting the harvesting of part flocks at separate timing.<br />
<br />
The "All in-All Out" concept proposes that biosecurity is optimized under the following scenarios: <br />
<ul>
<li>Preventing new chicks from introducing infections to an existing flock;<br /> </li>
<li>Existing older flocks likely have disease pathogens, for which the older birds have developed immunity or adequate defenses. These potential diseases from older birds are prevented from being passed to new day-old chicks who have little or no immunity.</li>
<li>Catching a flock introduces pre-used cages into a "sterile" barn; cages that may be disease laden. Many sub-contractor persons who have just finished catching a flock at another farm and may be carrying pathogens are introduced into a "sterile" barn. For those birds caught and immediately slaughtered, there is insufficient time for those caught birds to become ill from the catching process, but the stress does taint the resulting meat. There is also extreme stress to the birds not caught (they see and hear the screams and flapping of the birds that are caught). They are also exposed to the crates and the catching crew, and have time for those exposures to start incubation. When stressed, most digestive and other hormonal systems are dramatically changed and disrupted. Prior medical conditions and pathogens that had been dormant or in remission suddenly come alive with a vengeance (eg. you tend to develop a cold sore on your lip after being emotionally stressed, lack of sleep, or other illness, even though we usually have adaptive immunity and the virus usually lays dormant within our bodies). The catching process significantly exposes the remaining uncaught birds, and they are left to deal with the consequences, often deadly.</li>
</ul>
If you drink of the CAFO Kool-Aid offered by the Chicken Mafia, all of the above might seem reasonable at first blush. However, as you dig deeper, the dysfunction and wrong-headed assumptions in the Chicken Mafia's CAFO fairy tale become more and more evident.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Alternatives to CAFO Dysfunction</b></u></h3>
The alternative viewpoints against "All-In All Out" are as follows:<br />
<br />
Chicken eggs are sterile, free from disease, bacteria, or viruses by definition. If that wasn't true, the eggs would rot and turn bad long before they hatch during a 30 day incubation at warm and moist conditions.<br />
<br />
When the fertile & sterile egg eventually hatches, the chick is also free from any microbes.<br />
<br />
A "biome" is defined as the complex family of digestive system microbes that live on the feather or skin of the chicken, and/or inside the gut of every member of the flock. There are more cells within the biome than the cells that make up the chicken (eg. feathers, brain, kidney, skin, etc.). If it was majority rule, the biome would win, and the chicken would lose.<br />
<br />
In natural chicken life, chickens normally eat chicken poo; their own, their parent's poo, or that of siblings or neighbours. This especially occurs is CAFO chicken factory barns, as the chickens live on top of the poo for their entire life. You may feel that is gross, but that is the life of chickens, and exists for good reasons. It's not only chickens. Dogs will naturally eat horse manure, and sometimes chicken manure. Pigs will eat chicken manure, or cow dung. On feedlots of today, 25% to 75% of a steer's diet is chicken manure or litter (manure and wood shavings scraped from a chicken coop).<br />
<br />
On the first pass through the digestive system, only about 33% of the nutrients from the food have been extracted by a chicken's digestive system. The first pass frees up and makes more nutrients bioavailable. Re-eating chicken manure ensures a flock extracts maximum value from the available food.<br />
<br />
When a chicken eats chicken poo, this also inoculates every bird's digestive systems, helping share and re-invigorate their digestive systems (ie. thing probiotic, similar to eating yogurt with an active bacterial culture),keeping all members of the flock "normalized". If anybody is exposed to a new microbe, they are all soon exposed to it, so they all develop a shared biome of gut bacteria.<br />
<br />
By chicks living under the wing of Mom, they are exposed to the biome on Mom's feathers.<br />
<br />
By a chick eating a little of Mom's poo soon after birth (a natural and "planned" occurrence), the chick's digestive system is welcomed to the flock, sharing in the wealth of microbes that the flock has developed over the years.<br />
<br />
Flocks with bad or inefficient digestive biomes tend to die off, and are replaced by other flocks with better biomes. Darwin's Law of Natural Selection.<br />
<br />
When fertilized eggs are snatched from Mom, and incubated in "sterile" environments, there is no biome available to these chicks. When the day-old chicks are placed in "sterile" barns, they are again denied a natural biome.<br />
<br />
The more perfect the hatchery and the CAFO system enforces their biohazard prevention protocols, the more severe and longer in duration is the chick's denial of their biome birthright.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wjyy.nh1media.com/assets/images/BubbleBoy-Still8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://wjyy.nh1media.com/assets/images/BubbleBoy-Still8.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Image from the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0258470/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">movie</a> based upon the life of <br />
David Vetter, the "Boy In A Bubble". David suffered<br />
from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_combined_immunodeficiency" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Severe combined immunodeficiency">severe combined immunodeficiency</a> (SCID), and had<br />
no viable alternative to his bubble. Unfortunately, CAFO<br />
chicken farmers choose this type of "biohazard bubble<br />
technology", a questionable approach when many<br />
better alternatives exist for biohazard risks. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Do you remember David Vetter (1971-1984), better known as the "Boy In The Bubble". David had a congenital disease (SCID) where he had to be protected from every microbe, or die; for David had no immune system.<br />
<br />
Why does CAFO chicken technology try to raise millions of chickens inside a biohazard bubble suit?<br />
<br />
Would it not be better for all chicks to be allowed to spend some time with their parents, enabling them to receive their birthright biome system from their parents and relatives?<br />
<br />
Alternatively, that birthright biome could be cultivated and standardized in the same way that yeast is developed and grown for the bread, beer, yogurt, cheese, and other fermented foods, which is then fed to the chicks soon after they hatch.<br />
<br />
Another alternative is the free range or pastured poultry system where the biome is naturally accepted, and shared from one generation to the next by shunning the misguided and dysfunctional systems proposed by CAFO chicken factories.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://martinblaser.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Martin Blaser</a> wrote the book <a href="https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/missing-microbes-how-the-overuse/9781443420235-item.html?&mkwid=sKLDla4Wd_dc&pcrid=69659149142&pkw=missing%20microbes&pmt=e&s_campaign=goo-Books+By+Title&gclid=CjwKEAiApYGyBRC-g_jIstuduV8SJABCEzhZSiqsXx5TcIbLeIBJhWSTdkRTj5LYg-9XCA3RLBo2IhoC80nw_wcB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Missing Microbes</a> which discusses the growing evidence that modern food and medicine have destroyed the human biome for millions of people, causing or contributing to the growing epidemics of auto-immune diseases (eg. such as Addison's Celiac, Dermatomyositis, Graves', Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Multiple sclerosis, Myasthenia gravis, Pernicious anemia, Reactive arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren syndrome, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Type I diabetes, etc.), obesity, asthma, cancer, allergies, and possibly many others.<br />
<br />
Dr. Blaser discusses the questionable practice of agricultural antibiotic use, and the terrible consequences for humans. It isn't difficult to extrapolate from biome deprived human diseases in his book, to the CAFO chickens who suffer similar fates in CAFO factory barns.<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">biome depletion theory</a> (a.k.a. The Hygiene Hypothesis) for humans has been around since 1989 formally, but has been anecdotally discussed for decades before that. The <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15167035" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hygiene Hypothesis</a> has been independently studied and judged to be statistically credible based on known evidence of allergies and morbidity in humans. It is suggested a similar effect can be demonstrated in chickens. <br />
<br />
I am not suggesting that farmers should be lazy and leave their animals ankle deep in manure. If the pads on the chicken's feet are ulcerated from standing in manure all day, that is not what I'm suggesting, and is unacceptable conditions that should not occur.<br />
<br />
For example, <a href="http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/poultry/coccidiosis/overview_of_coccidiosis_in_poultry.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Merck Vererinary Manual</a> states:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b> "True age-immunity does not occur, but older birds are usually more
resistant than young birds because of earlier exposure to infection."</b></i> </blockquote>
and<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>"A species-specific immunity develops after natural infection, the degree
of which largely depends on the extent of infection and the number of
reinfections. Protective immunity is primarily a T-cell response."</b></i></blockquote>
However, if CAFO "Bubble Boy" biohazardous isolation techniques are done in a half baked, slipshod, lackadaisical manner, it might achieve acceptable results; as this would approach what I am suggesting is natural. The more a farmer perfects and is in full compliance with CAFO "Bubble Boy" biohazardous techniques, the greater the risk to humans, and the greater the risk of catastrophic death rates to the chickens if there is one slip-up by the farmer. Hence we see HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) that kills one third of the US layers flock across hundreds of CAFO farms.<br />
<br />
Doesn't seem like CAFO "Bubble Boy" biohazardous isolation techniques can work too well in the real world.<br />
<br />
While the chickens are raised inside their biohazard isolation bubble, they must be fed massive doses of antibiotics on a regular basis to help ensure the profits of the CAFO farmer and better "seal" the biohazard isolation bubble around the chicken factories. Those antibiotics often create Superbugs, and infect people, often fatally; for the retail customers cannot and will not live in a bubble. Sooner or later, consumers pay the price for this CAFO Craziness. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/05/30/cafo-chicken-hidden-health-hazards.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dr. Mercola seems to agree</a>, recommending against CAFO chicken.<br />
<br />
Why does CAFO chicken factories insist this flawed approach must be used and further perfected?<br />
<br />
Like Canada's Supply Management system, CAFO chicken factories are based on flawed, dysfunctional, and dangerous technologies.<br />
<br />
Most small flock farms do not attempt to put chicks into biohazard bubbles. Our chicks get the biome inheritance of their ancestors. Small flocks live clean and healthy lives. There is rarely a need to medicate any individual. There is never a need for massive, continuous dosing with antibiotics. There is no need for a sterile biohazard bubble around free range or pastured poultry.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-66600181826674604462015-11-06T14:47:00.000-05:002015-11-07T02:03:14.145-05:00HPAI Ban Impact on Broiler Chicken<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fsRE4NzUY8mfXuB-QSbvVmQLhSPGw4IMbMVDZo08McLBE1TdcJBYcfeMqruoAEvNI-XyGtH8VEPhmORpnj9TCoAXXAB86sYXH3iwsK2xCzC3_U2GFbLq8nstRfRgfJnu3WILRJ00solc/s1600/ChickenFlu2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fsRE4NzUY8mfXuB-QSbvVmQLhSPGw4IMbMVDZo08McLBE1TdcJBYcfeMqruoAEvNI-XyGtH8VEPhmORpnj9TCoAXXAB86sYXH3iwsK2xCzC3_U2GFbLq8nstRfRgfJnu3WILRJ00solc/s1600/ChickenFlu2.png" /></a>Canada can, and should learn some lessons from the 2015 HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza) infection in the North American poultry industry. Will we? That remains a big, important question without a good answer.<br />
<br />
What is the impact, on US and Canada, from HPAI and the resulting bans on US chicken by CFIA?<br />
<br />
Numerous reports show a devastating impact on the US poultry industry. One third of US egg layers were lost to HPAI, by either disease or culling to stop the spread of the disease. <a href="http://www.meatingplace.com/Industry/News/Details/62442" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Meatingplace</a> reports that 5 major broiler chick hatcheries are breaking eggs (ie. destroying their eggs) rather than hatching them for a market that no longer exists.<br />
<br />
At the height of the HPAI outbreak, 57% of US broiler production was banned from Canada due to HPAI. <br />
As of Sept. 1st, 2015 CFIA updated its ban on all chicken associated with 8 remaining US States, removing California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington
as being clear of HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza). Today,
34.6% of the US broiler production remains banned from Canada.<br />
<br />
It's not just Canada that has banned US chicken. <br />
<br />
The export market for US broiler chickens has disappeared due to HPAI bans on US chicken exports.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.joc.com/international-trade-news/avian-flu-causes-20-percent-drop-us-poultry-exports_20150813.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JOC.com</a> reports that 20% of the prior US broiler chicken export market has disappeared, mainly due to HPAI. <a href="http://www.globalmeatnews.com/Industry-Markets/Avian-flu-costs-US-poultry-and-egg-industry-390m" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Global Meat News</a> reports that this loss is worth $390 million per year. Ouch!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dozens-of-countries-are-banning-us-poultry-because-of-a-huge-bird-flu-outbreak-2015-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Businesss Insider</a> reports that total bans of US chicken (whether the State was HPAI infected or not) have been imposed by China, South Korea and Angola, whose markets were valued at nearly $700 million last year. Double Ouch!<br />
<br />
All it takes is one HPAI biohazardous-ignorant idiot to cause a total ban for the entire nation. Triple Ouch!<br />
<br />
Canada is part of that ban on US chicken. Table 1 shows 2014 data for the US broiler industry, and the impact of the ongoing Canadian ban.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WVVG1473A8DuSkyNpPPP3n6qRXrAaWJCjB3TC2LOM8KzgxDIve_n53Wv4xLs5iGIECc4yOwFB6lpXlqEmEf4bCbCRBZiQgA5nF-ccU78RPJl66oZ9hK7LiL1pHJvChZFr9Ng2uUKFgDm/s1600/DataTable_A01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WVVG1473A8DuSkyNpPPP3n6qRXrAaWJCjB3TC2LOM8KzgxDIve_n53Wv4xLs5iGIECc4yOwFB6lpXlqEmEf4bCbCRBZiQgA5nF-ccU78RPJl66oZ9hK7LiL1pHJvChZFr9Ng2uUKFgDm/s400/DataTable_A01.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table 1: Broiler chicken production and processing by US States<br />
under
HPAI ban by CFIA. Banned US States (red coloured)<br />
represent 34.6% of US broiler
production, 6.2% of US broiler chicken<br />
processing, for a total impact of
9.1% of the US broiler industry. The States<br />
newly released from the CFIA ban (green coloured) had 23% of the US chicken<br />
production and 4% of the US chicken processing, for a total of 27% of the<br />
total US broiler chicken industry. HPAI affected States (currently banned and<br />
previously banned) had 57% of US broiler production, 10% of the broiler<br />
processing, for a total of 36% of the total US broiler $ economic impact. How<br />
will the US broiler industry respond to this ongoing broiler ban by CFIA?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In Table 1, banned US States (red coloured) represent 34.6% of US broiler
production, 6.2% of US broiler chicken processing, for a total impact of
9.1% of the US broiler industry total economic impact. The States newly released from the
CFIA ban (green coloured) had 23% of the US chicken production and 4% of
the US chicken processing, for a total of 27% of the total US broiler
chicken industry. HPAI affected States (currently banned and previously
banned) had 57% of US broiler production, 10% of the broiler
processing, for a total of 36% of the total US broiler $ economic
impact.<br />
<br />
The CFIA ban includes eggs, live birds, meat, feathers, and all non-cooked or non-commercially sterilized chicken products that originate or are processed in the banned US States. That's pretty comprehensive. How will the US broiler industry respond to this ongoing US ban by CFIA?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2zEr9uIUvGMRpg389yBrjiwTTQZ3KSk4cNfdb77u0C73a8kL_WbijUT7kR7mfEdPgYRzq9kH7GRADQa6587mZk2Tc7-vUvYlAOK0uww4NULhqm0Uxx6A5UtDMx71GbbAZ-TlpTaPpa3D/s1600/Map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2zEr9uIUvGMRpg389yBrjiwTTQZ3KSk4cNfdb77u0C73a8kL_WbijUT7kR7mfEdPgYRzq9kH7GRADQa6587mZk2Tc7-vUvYlAOK0uww4NULhqm0Uxx6A5UtDMx71GbbAZ-TlpTaPpa3D/s1600/Map.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: Map showing the CFIA ban on US chicken due to HPAI. Green States have been removed<br />
from ban as of 2015-09-01 as they are now HPAI-free. The red States are still banned as of 2015-09-01.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The infected States can't ship to non-infected States, and can't export out of the US, so they are left with the consumers and processors within their own State as their only available customers. The non-banned States can export to Canada, but it's likely a longer way to the Canadian market (likely at a higher cost), but an opportunity to establish a relationship with Canadian customers who lost access to their normal chicken supplier due to the HPAI import ban.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/ffarms.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NRDC reports</a> that ten large companies, referred to as "Integrators" (eg. Tyson, Perdue, Pilgrim, etc.), produce more than 90 percent of the USA poultry. The individual farmers enter into a contract with one Integrator to supply them full grown chickens ready for slaughter. The Integrator supplies to each farmer the day old chicks, feed, medicine, and expertise; and audits the farmer's performance to ensure it meets the Integrator's contractual requirements.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2015/04/bad-bad-bird-flu.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Blog previously reported</a> that 85% of all HPAI infections in the USA occurred at CAFO chicken factories, in spite of the vast majority of chicken flocks being small non-CAFO producers (ie. Small Flockers). I also previously reported that there are strong reasons to believe that CAFO chicken farmers are shooting themselves in the foot, <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2015/05/chicken-factory-infections-with-bird-flu.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">causing or contributing to their HPAI infections due to poor biohazardous protocols by CAFO chicken factories</a>.<br />
<br />
Therefore I suggest the following lessons for Canada's Chicken Mafia:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Biohazardous risks have severe economic impacts that go way beyond just the few who become infected. Everybody suffers, even the nation as a whole.<br /><br /> </li>
<li>Canada's CAFO-based Chicken Mafia is its own worst enemy. CAFO chicken factory technology is significantly flawed for biohazardous risks, and many other reasons. CAFO needs to be abandoned, or dramatically improved.<br /><br /> </li>
<li>Since Canada's Chicken Mafia is content to rape the Canadian public on an ongoing basis, and mostly ignores world export opportunities, the impact of HPAI infections today is mostly limited to the farms that become HPAI infected. If Canada, through TPP or otherwise, starts to export considerable quantities of chicken, the risk exposure for Provinces (or all of Canada) dramatically increases due to the resulting export ban for an entire region, Province, or Canada-wide.<br /><br /> </li>
<li>.Biohazard risks (ie. HPAI infections and all similar incidents) cause an entire industry to be no better than its weakest link. That means Canadian governments (both Federal and Provincial) and the Chicken Mafia SM bureaucracy need to focus their efforts first and foremost on the weakest links, identifying them, helping them improve, or mitigating their threats to the entire industry by weeding them out of the industry.</li>
<li>Spent chicken importers who cheat on the SM system (ie. pretend it's spent fowl when they're really broilers, to save the 285% import duties) don't play by the rules, they are motivated by the almighty dollar. If they are willing to mis-label chicken as spent fowl, they are likely willing to mis-label as to the State of origin or processing; thereby bypassing CFIA's HPAI ban. If a producer is in a banned area, they may be willing to take a significant price cut if someone is able to spirit away his banned chicken in the middle of the night; thereby adding additional economic incentive to the Chicken Cheater. This cheating puts everybody at risk, but Canada's Chicken Mafia and their friends are not concerned about the risk, as the profits are too great, and their personal risk exposure is significantly compensated by the Federal Government, the Chicken Mafia, and/or others. We can therefore expect to see some significant movements and possibly some significant "incidents" on spent fowl and <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2013/10/irep-chicken-cheating-by-chicken-mafia.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IREP</a> (Import for Re-Export) chicken while this CFIA ban is in place for US chicken from these 8 remaining States.</li>
</ol>
Please leave your comments on my five points of learning, and any additional learning points that you think are important.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-86405972444180009932015-11-05T08:50:00.002-05:002015-11-05T08:50:54.343-05:00CFO's Stonewalling of Artisanal Chicken Answers<b>Artisanal Chicken</b>: It's been more than two months since we asked some respectful yet tough questions on of Chicken Farmers of Ontario ("CFO"), and still no answers.<br />
<br />
I previously posted about our questions to CFO on their new Artisanal Chicken program (see Blog posting <br />
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<a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/09/question-artisanal-chicken-program-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Question the Artisanal Chicken Program of CFO</a>.</div>
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For more info on CFO's Artisanal Chicken, see <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/07/3000-chickens-for-ontarios-small.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/07/caveat-emptor-of-artisanal-chicken.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/07/cfos-artisanal-chicken-conflict-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/09/worst-case-scenario-for-cfos-artisanal.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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</div>
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Time is running out. If Small Flockers don't get CFO's answers, they will soon be forced to make a decision about joining Artisanal Chicken while kept in an information vacuum by CFO.</div>
<div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-13980" style="outline-style: none;">
</div>
<div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-13980" style="outline-style: none;">
If we assume that CFO is suddenly and inexplicably acting in the best interest of Small Flockers, why would CFO ignore these valid and reasonable questions, stonewalling, and refusing to answer? At best, CFO might be too busy on more pressing issues for the Artisanal Chicken launch. In this is true, how long does it take for CFO to say "<i><b>CFO received your questions, and will fully answer as soon as possible, but no later than what applicants will need to make an informed decision to join Artisanal Chicken without delay</b></i>". If that is the case, why didn't CFO respond in that way in a timely manner? If the questions inadvertently fell through cracks in CFO's bureaucracy, why didn't CFO respond and fix the oversight when I reminded them at the one month delay point? I can think of no other method to explain and justify these slim possibilities. I therefore suggest these and all other assumptions that view CFO's actions (and inactions) through rose coloured glasses are ridiculous and unlikely possibility, and therefore I reject all of these from further consideration.</div>
<div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-13980" style="outline-style: none;">
</div>
<div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-13980" style="outline-style: none;">
We are therefore left with the distinct possibility that CFO's Artisanal Chicken is designed to enhance and defend CFO's self serving and dysfunctional position. </div>
<div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-13980" style="outline-style: none;">
<br /></div>
<div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-13980" style="outline-style: none;">
Most Small Flockers must make capital purchases in excess of $5,000 to be ready for Artisanal Chicken. Should they proceed, hoping and blindly trusting in CFO, that none of the risks materialize? An un-necessarily risky approach for a Small Flocker. Alternatively do we shun the Artisanal Chicken opportunity until CFO decides, or is forced, to answer all reasonable questions?</div>
<br />
<br />
If somebody is a traditional Small Flocker, and considering becoming an Artisanal Chicken Farmer, they need to make an informed decision about the risks and benefits associated with this big decision.<br />
<br />
If you decide to go forward, and later learn some critical, hidden consequence, the retreat back to Small Flocker (now Family Food) will be fraught with costs, traps, consequences. CFO could even decide to arbitrarily bar re-entry into Small Flocker status (now Family Food). There is no limit to CFO's powers, nor their desire to monopolize the chicken market.<br />
<br />
CFO may have designed Artisanal Chicken as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeypot_%28computing%29" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">honey pot</a> to attract CFO's enemies and advocates for Small Flockers' rights & freedoms (us and others like us) within the Small Flocker's rank and file.<br />
<br />
Stonewalling may indicate that if it isn't CFO's plot to kill off CFO's critics, then it is likely that CFO launched Artisanal Chicken because CFO had their arm twisted by Ontario's Farm Products Marketing Commission, who may have been silently and secretly ordered by Ontario's Ministry of Agriculture, who may have been pushed by Ontario's Cabinet.<br />
<br />
It is doubtful that CFO launched Artisanal Chicken on their own volition because they suddenly realized the previous unfairness they caused to Small Flockers and the Ontario public.<br />
<br />
Has CFO acted like a petulant teenager who is forced to do some task by their parents? Will that misguided teenager purposely misinterpret, and do the task in a way that nefariously interprets the parent's instructions; Is CFO's Artisanal Chicken program designed like a teenager's passive aggressive attack against the parent's imposition of a family duty on the teenager? When the Artisanal Chicken program is eventually exposed for the dead end, dysfunctional trap will CFO say "<i><b>We were against this Artisanal Chicken idea, we warned them this would occur, so don't blame CFO now that these risks have arrived on your doorstep.</b></i>"<br />
<br />
Never forget that this Artisanal Chicken program is likely designed to help CFO's condition, not that of consumers, nor the life of Small Flockers. It is likely designed to divide & conquer, to douse the flames on the greatest critics of CFO and Supply Management ("SM") in general. By separating critics into two smaller groups, CFO divides the critical voices, separates the critics on a few key issues, and this can do nothing but strengthen the position of CFO.<br />
<br />
Why would CFO want to answer questions that expose their diabolic plan? It is far better to delay, stonewall, and ignore any questions that might tip your hand and expose CFO's self serving agenda.<br />
<br />
And that is what CFO has done.<br />
<br />
Until proven otherwise, I suggest all Small Flockers, and all those Artisanal Chicken applicants be wary of CFO's other shoe that will be suddenly dropped at the most dangerous time for the Small Flocker who trusted in the good faith, competence, and purpose of CFO.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/hjc08kkcztwpivh/Email_151104001A00_CFO%27s%20Artisanal%20Chicken%20Program.pdf?dl=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My latest email to CFO again requesting answers</a> to critical questions about CFO's Artisanal Chicken program.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-23665203147815369502015-10-28T18:33:00.000-04:002015-11-13T14:30:14.859-05:00Protect the Guilty, or the Innocent?<div class="tr_bq">
The Municipality of Abbotsford BC bought chicken manure, then used that manure to attack the homeless persons in their city. After the public outrage occurred, the City refuses to disclose the identity of the supplier who sold them the manure. Is this refusal designed to protect the guilty, or the innocent?</div>
<br />
I previously posted about this dysfunctional, disgraceful, and disgusting use of chicken manure (see <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/10/abuse-of-bc-homeless-persons-via.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-rats-run-for-cover.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>4 BC Cities Alleged to Attack the Homeless with Weaponized Chicken Manure</b></u> </h3>
Previously, I reported that 3 different cities had used the disgusting and disrespectful chicken manure against the homeless. Today, I learned from <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/many-implicated-in-manure-dump-at-b-c-homeless-site-1.1325023" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CBC News</a> that Port Moody was also involved in this terrible scheme. It is amazing how quickly a bad idea can spread like an epidemic.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Life Cycle Responsibility</b></u> </h3>
<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/many-implicated-in-manure-dump-at-b-c-homeless-site-1.1325023" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CBC News</a> also reports:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In one email, dated June 3, Eric Fong, a City of Abbotsford forestry
official, refers to an agreement between officials from Abbotsford's
bylaws and roads departments "to spread the chicken manure around [a]
tree to deter homeless encampments being set up under it."<br />
<br />
He emailed the city's acting director of parks services, James Arden,
for approval to go ahead with "the manure dump" the following morning.<br />
<br />
Arden approved the request within minutes, noting: "I am glad that we
were able to get the product for free and avoid cutting down a healthy
trees [sic] to see if that resolves the issue," he added."</blockquote>
One
interpretation is that the city received the chicken manure for free,
and tried to construct a smoke screen that the use of the chicken manure
to get rid of the homeless was better than cutting down the "Honey
Tree".<br />
<br />
CAFO chicken farms usually have way too much
chicken manure, more than they can possibly use as fertilizer on their
crop fields. That sad evidence of unsustainability of CAFO chicken
factories has prompted many CAFO chicken farmers to pay cities to
landfill the excess manure, often causing toxic concentrated runoff that
pollutes groundwater and surface waters. Does this explain why a CAFO
SM chicken farmer "gifted" the manure to the city (whether for
horticulture use, or as a weapon against the homeless), glad to get rid
of it, thereby saving money for the landfilling of this excess manure?<br />
<br />
I suggest that whether the city received it for free, or paid for it, this doesn't absolve the chicken farmer of any responsibility. I also suggest that wherever the farmer's chicken manure goes, or how it gets there, the farmer has a duty, responsibility, and stewardship as originator and trustee to ensure that manure is used properly, cradle to grave, source to final use, the manure's entire life cycle.<br />
<br />
For an example of<i><b> life cycle stewardship</b></i>, the <a href="http://www.canadianchemistry.ca/responsible_care/index.php/en/responsible-care-codes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Responsible Care Codes</a> of <a href="http://www.canadianchemistry.ca/index.php/en/index" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chemistry Industry Association of Canada</a> state:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Under the Stewardship Code, companies must regularly review the value, impact and safety of the products that they make, and the services and technologies that they use. They must also work with their business partners – suppliers, distributors and customers – to ensure the stewardship and security of their products <span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>over their entire life cycle.</b></i></span>"</blockquote>
As a specific case example, cancer causing PCB oils will burn and produce heat (as well as toxic smoke). A chemical company pays some poor person to haul away PCB oils, knowing that these toxic wastes will likely be used as a cheap source of fuel for these poor people's home furnace, thereby placing that poor family and all those downwind at significant risk. Is that chemical company acting in a socially acceptable manner?<br />
<br />
Does it matter if the chemical company writes on the Bill of Sale:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b> "Buyer assumes all responsibility for meeting all environmental laws and the safe disposal of these PCB oils hereby sold."</b></i></blockquote>
I suggest that the poor person doesn't care what is written on the bill of sale, they just want the oil as an affordable source of heat; even better when the chemical company pays them to take it away. The poor person just doesn't want to freeze to death in the cold winter, and needs some pocket money too. The poor person solves two problems all at once.<br />
<br />
I suggest the same answer for PCB oil sales to the poor should apply to chicken manure that is likely to be weaponized and used against the homeless.<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Source of the Chicken Manure</b></u></h3>
Yesterday, I found an interview of Mr. George Murray ("GM"), Abbotsford's City Manager. In that June 10, 2013 interview with the online newspaper <a href="http://www.abbotsfordtoday.ca/george-murray-responds-to-questions-on-chicken-manure-homeless-inicident/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abbotsford Today</a> ("AT"), the following Q & A occurred:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>AT:</b> From what company did the City purchase the chicken feces used to chase the homeless from in front of the Salvation Army?<br />
<br />
<b>GM:</b> The City uses chicken manure for horticulture work and went to a local supplier that we have used in the past. I don’t believe it would be fair to the company to name them as they merely provided us product and did not participate in the decision or actions of the City. </blockquote>
Was the "local supplier" a chicken farmer operating under BC's Supply Management rules & regulations, or some intermediary organization (eg. a garden supply, nursery, horticultural store, or someone else)?<br />
<br />
George Martin claims that the supplier didn't participate in the city's decision, but did the supplier know what the City intended to do with that chicken manure they bought?<br />
<br />
To clarify the morals of this situation, let's consider a hypothetical example.<br />
<br />
If someone comes into a sporting goods store wanting to buy a hunting knife, and that customer happens to mention their plan to use that newly purchased knife to stab & kill somebody, what does society expect that shop keeper to do?<br />
<br />
Is it any different for a knife or chicken manure, either one usable as a weapon?<br />
<br />
If it was you or one of your loved ones who were subsequently attacked by this newly purchased knife, would you be upset with the store that sold your attacker the knife? Would you have grounds to seek damages against the store clerk and the store that sold the attacker the knife? <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="337" src="http://www.cbc.ca/i/caffeine/syndicate/?mediaId=2397915345" width="600"></iframe>
<br />
It is unlikely that the chicken manure used against the homeless had been purchased weeks or months before. Chicken manure naturally starts to compost as soon as it leaves the back end of the chicken. After a few weeks or month, aged chicken manure doesn't stink as bad as when it's fresh. Therefore the city wouldn't be interested in aged chicken manure. The city's evil plan required the maximum levels of stink and gross-out capabilities. That's the role of fresh chicken manure. By definition, fresh chicken manure is biohazardous.<br />
<br />
If the supplier had been a long term supplier of fresh chicken manure for city flower gardens, and it was Abbotsford who routinely composted that manure before use on the city's flowers, then this is a different scenario. In that case, the city may have secretly planned to buy an extra load to attack the homeless, and diverted that fresh load, bypassing the usual composting, sending it directly to the homeless encampment so as to maximize the effect of this biohazardous weapon. In that case, assuming the supplier had no way of knowing the evil that the city intended, I don't think the supplier is to blame.<br />
<br />
However, if the supplier of the chicken manure knew, or ought to have known what the city intended to do, then there is a conspiracy. In that case, when George Martin refuses to name the supplier of the chicken manure, he is protecting a con-conspirator.<br />
<br />
Why would George Martin protect a co-conspirator? Perhaps the co-conspirator knows too much, and if the city rats him out, the co-conspirator has no further reason to remain silent, and might tell all the gruesome details to the authorities. In that case, it could become much worse for George Martin, and/or the city. Perhaps George Martin decided (or was pushed) to fall on his sword so as to protect all the other guilty parties.<br />
<br />
Is it more probable that the chicken manure supplier is an innocent party, or a co-conspirator. I believe it is more likely the supplier is a co-conspirator.<br />
<br />
Anyone using chicken manure will soon learn that fresh manure is very "hot", meaning it will burn the plants, killing them due to the highly concentrated nutrients present in fresh manure. Chicken manure must be composted for 1 to 6 months before it can be used as a horticultural fertilizer. Alternatively, fresh chicken manure can be roto-tilled into a flower bed and it can compost in the bed for 1 to 6 months before the flower beds are planted.<br />
<br />
If the city was buying chicken manure for horticultural purposes, somebody (eg. either the city, or the supplier) was composting the manure before it could be used as a fertilizer. As it composts, the level of stink drops significantly, making it better as a fertilizer, but worse for the city's new found nefarious purposes.<br />
<br />
Therefore, if the city was looking for a disgusting and stinky weapon for use against the homeless, the city wanted extremely fresh manure, not composted.<br />
<br />
If the city had been buying composted manure for years, then suddenly showed up wanting the freshest, most stinky manure possible, wouldn't you be curious as to why the sudden change? If the supplier asked, the city might have told the supplier "<i><b>Don't ask, you don't want to know</b></i>". Perhaps the city told the supplier all about the city's evil plan, and they all had an evil laugh about it together. Whether the supplier knew, or turned a blind eye so they wouldn't know the details, either way, there seems to be culpability there.<br />
<br />
However, if the city was secretive about their evil plans, and the supplier truly didn't know, and the supplier had no reasonable means to know, then perhaps the identity of that supplier should be protected. In that case, it would be prudent and proper for someone other than the guilty city from making that determination and decision.<br />
<br />
So who should be investigating the involvement of the supplier of the chicken manure?<br />
<br />
I notifed BC's Fraser Health, Ministry of Environment, and Ministry of Agriculture about my concerns about biohazardous chicken manure being used as a weapon against the homeless.<br />
<br />
On 2015/10/27 (just 2 days after my first contact), Rebecca Middleton of <a href="http://www.fraserhealth.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fraser Health</a> informed me:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b> "<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">If you have concerns that chicken manure is being used outside of
common agricultural practice, the Ministries of Agriculture and the
Environment should be alerted. They will be able to address your
concerns best."</span></b></i> </blockquote>
My response:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Thank-you for your prompt response.</b></i>
<i><b><br />
My purpose is to ensure that this (and all similar risks) never
happen again.</b></i>
<i><b><br />
I have already contacted BC's Ag and Environment ministries, and
await their reply. My concern is that all three of you may point to
the other as the one who is responsible, thereby ensuring that
nobody is responsible to investigate.</b></i>
<i><b><br />
There seems to be reasonable & probable grounds for believing
the chicken manure used was infectious and biohazardous (see link to
Blog, previously provided). Does Fraser Health have other evidence
that contradicts this prima facie evidence? If so, please disclose
it.</b></i>
<i><b><br />
Assuming Fraser Health does not have other evidence to the contrary,
could you please explain why Fraser Health is unwilling or unable to
investigate the use of a weaponized infectious material against
humans?</b></i></blockquote>
On 2015-11-12, I received the following response from Public Health Agency of Canada:<br />
<blockquote>
<i><b>"Although we appreciate being made aware of this matter, it does not come under our purview. The Agency is a federal government department responsible for promoting and protecting the health of Canadians at the national level. We suggest that you contact Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at this link: <a href="http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/contact-us/?id=1360882573376">http://www.agr.gc.ca/eng/contact-us/?id=1360882573376</a>."</b></i></blockquote>
To me, it seems the homeless are Canadians, and the weaponized chicken manure put their health at risk. If someone is threatened by a biohazardous substance used as a weapon, I assume that is something that falls under the purview of an agency charged with the responsibility of protecting the health of Canadians. Since this disgraceful conduct has happened not once, not twice, not three times, but a full four incidents that were separate and apart, that seems to be more than a fluke.<br />
<br />
Does weaponized chicken manure have to be used a few thousand times, or a dozen people die before some governmental agency adds it to their priority list?<br />
<br />
Around in a circle we go, everybody pointing at the next as the one to contact about this disgraceful use of chicken manure as a weapon. Nobody sticks up their hand, nobody says we are responsible to ensure these terrible incidents never happen again. Unfortunately, everybody looks the other way.<br />
<br />
Hopefully we will soon receive the responses of the other bureaucracies.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Solving Homelessness</b></u></h3>
Rather than attacking the homeless with weaponized chicken manure, why can't municipalities sole the homelessness problem?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/find-out-how-this-canadian-city-has-eliminated-homelessness/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Medicine Hat, Alberta was the first Canadian city to do just that.</a><br />
<br />
What about the extreme cost of giving every homeless person a place to stay? How could a city afford to do that?<br />
<br />
A homeless person causes about $100,000 per year in additional costs to society (police, shelter, food banks, health care, dysfunctional behaviours associated with living on the streets such as drugs, crime, etc.). Once a homeless person has a place of their own, the costs to society drop to just $20,000 per year, one fifth the cost of living on the street.<br />
<br />
Save the chicken manure for use as fertilizer, and save $80,000 per year per homeless person.<br />
<br />
What a deal!<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, there is significant stigma attached to homeless persons. Recently a charity <a href="http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2015/10/05/homeless-shelter-hidden-camera-stunt.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pretended they were going to install a new shelter in Leaside</a> (a suburb of Toronto, on Eglington Ave E, NE of the downtown, one of the oldest and most popular suburbs). Hidden cameras and messages left at the hotline showed how upset the neighbourhood became.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/homeless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/homeless.jpg" width="320" /></a><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="//players.brightcove.net/32439484001/default_default/index.html"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="338" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BdHyN3Xrd4s?rel=0" width="600"></iframe>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4695637689848135730.post-77275095477384345342015-10-25T09:43:00.000-04:002015-10-25T09:43:49.955-04:00The Rats Run For CoverBC Farm Industry Review Board (BCFIRB) doesn't want to get involved in the messy subject of weaponized chicken manure, such as was done in 3 British Columbia ("BC") cities (Abbotsford, Surrey, and Port Coquitlam).<br />
<br />
I previously posted about biohazardous chicken manure used as a weapon against the homeless in British Columbia (see <a href="http://canadiansmallflockers.blogspot.ca/2015/10/abuse-of-bc-homeless-persons-via.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abuse of BC Homeless Persons via Chicken Manure</a> ).<br />
<br />
I emailed 9 questions to the various organizations running and supervising the BC chicken Supply Management ("SM") system in BC.<br />
<br />
So far, I have heard back from BC Farm Industry Review Board (BCFIRB), who disavow any knowledge or responsibility or authority for weaponized chicken manure that appears to have originated from one or more BC chicken farm operating under the Supply Management System:<br />
<br />
<blockquote cite="mid:efdf125d98ad4e88a5ddaf894c57f5e8@e3pmbx16.idir.BCGOV" style="font-family: ArialMT; line-height: normal;" type="cite">
<div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dear Mr. Black:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
reply on behalf of the BC Farm Industry Review Board (BCFIRB), which
also is the provincial agency responsible for the supervision of the BC
Chicken Marketing Board.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let
it be clear – although on-farm manure management and disposal is an
important part of a poultry operation for a number of reasons, manure
itself is not a regulated product under the <i>Natural Products Marketing (BC) Act</i> and
the BC Chicken Marketing Scheme, 1961. Consequently, neither the
Chicken Board or BCFIRB can assume responsibility for actions of
individuals outside the scope of their authority. Regardless of how the
boards might regard such actions or conduct.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
suggest it would be more appropriate to raise any concerns you may have
directly with the authorities involved in the incidents.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yours truly,</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><i><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim Collins</span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><i><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Executive Director</span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><i><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">BC Farm Industry Review Board</span></span></i></b></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWwI8gf05MPCttCVSiS-NJfnP8wOVOSi0WLtLSx3_3kcpdcQ239_yfN71iQi7gspMfYpXFGo3V1gFSEwHDYTpyXCjIvMioZuZSTi7QtnStXs4IDr7rmpRmXUAit1TwFL3wNJWpJVVKSpO/s1600/Chain+of+Command.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWwI8gf05MPCttCVSiS-NJfnP8wOVOSi0WLtLSx3_3kcpdcQ239_yfN71iQi7gspMfYpXFGo3V1gFSEwHDYTpyXCjIvMioZuZSTi7QtnStXs4IDr7rmpRmXUAit1TwFL3wNJWpJVVKSpO/s320/Chain+of+Command.png" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1: The Chain of Command for<br />
BC's Supply Management System <br />
for Chicken, showing BCFIRB's jaded and<br />
self-serving opinion on who has<br />
responsibility & authority (or lack<br />
thereof) for the weaponized chicken <br />
manure used against the homeless<br />
in 3 BC cities.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>My Analysis</b></u></h3>
To be sure we're all on the same page, Figure 1 to the right is a diagram of the Chain of Command in BC's Chicken Supply Management system as I understand it. BC's Ministry of Agriculture is the Big Boss, and every SM chicken farmer is the pawn who must obey all those above him.<br />
<br />
OK so far?<br />
<br />
Per the email response from BCFIRB shown above, BCFIRB gives themselves and the BC Chicken Marketing Board an absolute discharge from any responsibility, and heaps all the blame on some unknown SM chicken farmer.<br />
<br />
No doubt these two SM angels will also stonewall, obscure, hide, and foot drag any attempt to identify or censure the SM chicken farmer(s) that supplied the biohazardous chicken manure for this disgraceful attack on the homeless. If they happen to know or suspect who did it, they will likely refuse to disclose this information, as it will be classified as <i><b>"</b><b>Top Secret"</b></i> under the SM confidentiality system.<br />
<br />
I wonder if the <a href="https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/agriculture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BC Ministry of Agriculture</a>, and the <a href="https://news.gov.bc.ca/ministries/agriculture/biography" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><b>Honourable Norm Letnick</b></i></a> support the position of BCFIRB that BCFIRB gives themselves and the BC Chicken Marketing Board angel wings of purity that protect them from the weaponized chicken manure.<br />
<br />
Perhaps all of us should ask Minister Letnick if he supports BCFIRB's position, and perhaps he claims a pair of angel wings for himself and his Ministry too. We'll only know if we ask.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<u><b>Time for You to take Action</b></u></h3>
Here is the suggested email, and the link: <a href="mailto:AGR.Minister%40gov.bc.ca?subject=Weaponized%20SM%20Chicken%20Manure%20Use%20Against%20BC's%20Homeless%20Persons&cc=cdn.small.flockers%40gmail.com&body=Dear%20Minister%20Letnick%3A%0A%0AIn%20a%202015%2F10%2F22%20email%20to%20SFPFC%2C%20BCFIRB%20states%20that%20they%20themselves%20and%20the%20BC%20Chicken%20Marketing%20Board%20have%20neither%20responsibility%20nor%20authority%20(ie.%20prevention%2C%20prohibition%2C%20auditing%2C%20investigating%2C%20censuring%2C%20etc.)%20for%20preventing%20the%20weaponization%20of%20chicken%20manure%20that%20allegedly%20originated%20on%20BC%20Supply%20Management%20chicken%20farm(s)%2C%20and%20was%20subsequently%20used%20against%20the%20homeless%20in%203%20cities%20of%20BC.%0A%0ADo%20you%20and%20your%20Ministry%20support%20this%20position%20of%20BCFIRB%3F%20If%20you%20agree%20with%20BCFIRB%2C%20who%20does%20have%20responsibility%20and%20authority%20%3F" target="_blank">Pre-formated Email to BC Ag Minister Letnick</a><br />
<br />
Feel free to customize this to fit your exact thoughts & feelings: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Dear Minister Letnick: In a 2015/10/22 email to SFPFC, BCFIRB states that they themselves and the BC Chicken Marketing Board have neither responsibility nor authority (ie. prevention, prohibition, auditing, investigating, censuring, etc.) for preventing the weaponization of chicken manure that allegedly originated on BC Supply Management chicken farm(s), and was subsequently used against the homeless in 3 cities of BC. <br /><br />Do you and your Ministry support this position of BCFIRB? If you agree with BCFIRB, who does have responsibility and authority ? </b></i></blockquote>
<h3>
<u><b><br /></b></u></h3>
<h3>
<u><b>My Suggested Answer</b></u></h3>
I had hoped (and still do) that BCFIRB had responded better. I responded in part, as follows:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>I therefore conclude that there is a need in the most general sense
to require that all those under BCFIRB's supervision must:</b></i>
<br />
<ol>
<li><i><b>Define and document the stated & implied needs and
expectation of all upstream and downstream stakeholders in the
SM supply chain, up to and including the ultimate retail
customer.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Do what's legal, moral, effective, and right; consistently
meeting those needs & expectations agreed upon between the
various parties within the SM supply chain.</b></i>
</li>
<li><i><b>Understand, define, document, communicate, and serve the
social license granted to SM;</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Understand, define, document, communicate, and serve the
greater good of the general public.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Design all policies, principles, procedures, rules,
priorities, actions, budgeting, resource allocation, key
performance measurements, inspections, audits, and reporting
systems so that they can accurately determine the effectiveness
and consistency of meeting these 4 primary mandates</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Report on all 7 of these primary mandates to all stakeholders
on a regular, comprehensive, timely, open, transparent, and
accountable manner.</b></i></li>
<li><i><b>Every person has a personal duty to: a) identify any risks,
conflicts of interest, bad faith, or non-compliance to these 7
principles; and b) report any known or reasonably suspected
matters; and c) If they are so authorized and capable, take
immediate corrective action to resolve the risk or
non-compliance; otherwise bring the matter to the attention of
that person's immediate supervisor as well as those that are
directly responsible for the matter.</b></i>
</li>
</ol>
<i><b><br />
I would suggest that these 7 principles can be enacted as mandatory
requirements for BCFIRB and all those under your supervision. It
immediately prohibits, (and hopefully soon thereafter terminates)
any sharp dealing, plausible deniability, bad faith, conflict of
interest, turning a blind eye, going with the flow, and other
dysfunctional behaviours.</b></i>
<i><b><br />
To test this proposal out, pick some jobs at random points
in the SM supply chain (eg. janitor, CEO, MPP, DVM, clerk, truck
driver, retail meat counter clerk, etc.). Assume that they just
learned about the plan to spray homeless people in BC with fresh
chicken manure from a BC farm operating under SM. Assuming that
this person has been properly trained and made responsible under
these 7 principles, what should we expect to occur next? Now try it
again with some other crazy scheme that would equally rupture SM's
social contract when the public eventually learns the gory details.</b></i>
<i><b><br />
Does BCFIRB sense that the entire Supply Management ("SM") system,
including BCFIRB, operates under a social license from the people
(ie. all Canadians)? If SM were to mutate into a greater &
greater parasite upon society, how long will SM's social license
continue? Provincial and Federal governments under the Canadian
constitution have their powers limited by, and a duty imposed upon
them to do what is in the best interest (ie. greater good) of the
citizens. I respectfully suggest that since virtually all of SM's
powers and responsibilities (including those of BCFIRB) are derived
from these governments, then those duties and restrictions
necessarily travel with the powers delegated to BCFIRB, and all
other branches of SM.</b></i></blockquote>
<br />
Well readers, what do you think? Is it better for Canada and Canadians that the entire SM system is blind & deaf, and SM farmers can do as they please, including the selling of biohazardous chicken manure for use as a weapon against homeless persons?<br />
<br />
Do you see some value (or problems) in what I propose? Either way, please comment below, and send your emails in to Minister Letnick (see link above). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17642420667266188730noreply@blogger.com1