University of Saskatchewan receives CFI funding for a new poultry research facility

The University of Saskatchewan is getting closer to a new poultry research facility after a funding announcement from the federal government through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation.

By 2036, Canadian regulators are set to ban conventional battery cages for poultry, and the new facility will be designed to study alternatives for producers in the future. 

The proposed facility has received more than $6.2 million from CFI along with $3 million coming from Saskatchewan Egg Producers.

Three forms of chicken farming are to be studied at the new facility, which is expected to start construction in the next two years. 

The first method being tested is the free-run system, which gives chickens free space to move about in the barn. Another is free-range, which lets the birds access outdoor spaces. The third option to be studied is enriched housing systems, which group a small number of birds together in a space with perches and nest boxes.

Karen Schwean-Lardner, a professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the U of S, is a major proponent of the project.

"We are moving in very close to getting to the point where we'll build a facility, and this new facility is amazing," said Schwean-Lardner.

"We'll also have 10 individual rooms and each one is like a little mini barn where we have ... separate ventilation systems and heating systems and lighting systems. And we can do work comparing all of those things in either."

A statement from the federal government said the new facility will support work to improve animal welfare, increase productivity, mitigate the environmental impacts of the poultry industry, and promote consumer and bird health.

Buckley Belanger, the secretary of state for rural development, toured the current facility when the CFI funding announcement was made on Friday.

"I'm very, very happy to come here and learn about the egg and poultry business and to also commend the partnerships" said Belanger.

"I think having the private sector engaged is just phenomenal because they're the ones that lead in many instances when it comes to their particular product."

Dion Martens, executive director of Saskatchewan Egg Producers, says the university's research has been helping farmers for years.

"10 years ago, the industry made a commitment to move away from conventional housing systems like you saw today, to move to enriched, to free run, to free range," said Martens.