Page 22 - StonecrestAnnual2017

UNDERSTANDING THE

TRANSITION

TO

MODULAR
LOADING

IN POULTRY BARNS

The Ontario poultry industry has begun to
transition to modular loading and within the next

few years the majority of Ontario’s production
volume will be marketed using this improved
loading method. Modular loading offers improved
poultry welfare, quality and productivity benefits
and enhances farm workplace health and safety.

The Ontario poultry industry is seeing a change to modular loading for the transportation methods.
handling of birds from farm-to-transport-to-processing. Modular loading For new poultry facilities, single-storey barns
is being initiated to provide significant advantages over the current crate- are recommended to provide the greatest
based loading methods used by the industry for catching, transporting poultry welfare benefits including shorter
and processing birds. It offers significant improvements in poultry welfare, quality loading times, less handling of birds resulting
and productivity benefits over crate-based loading systems. These benefits include in lower stress, and reduced exposure of
the reduced handling of birds, shorter loading time, reduced exposure to weather birds to weather conditions during loading.
conditions and lower incidence of bruising.
All new facilities being constructed should incorporate the required specifications
to accommodate the modular loading system into their design in anticipation of
the migration to the modular loading method. However; existing facilities can
also be retrofitted to accommodate the new modular units, loading practices and

22 STONECREST ANNUAL 2017