TWIN CITIES
PACK, INC.
WELFARE
PROGRAM
- Twin
Cities Pack, Inc has a documented training
program in animal welfare.
Employees are trained before handling live birds. A training program is conducted annually
for all employees involved in handling live birds.
- Twin
Cities Pack, Inc. has a program and equipment for keeping birds
comfortable in covered holding areas
- Holding areas are equipped with an
adequate number of fans to ensure proper ventilation for birds
- Procedures for fan operation have designated
temperatures at which fans are to be operated. Exhaust Fans are at 70º and Air
Curtains are at 55º
- Nets are available to retrieve loose birds in a
timely manner
- Holding
times are kept to the minimum consistent with good processing practices,
not to exceed 6 hours
- DOA’s
are documented and discarded
- Live
birds should not enter the DOA bin
- Cages
are lifted and moved from trailers in a manner not to injure birds
- Birds
in cages are carefully removed by the legs and hung on shackles. Birds are
not handled by the wings
- Abuse
of the birds is not tolerated under any circumstances
- Adjustments
to light levels are used to help keep birds calm. Personnel are carefully trained in
proper hanging techniques. No
inappropriate handling or employee misbehavior is tolerated. Practices are in place to minimize
worker fatigue. Harvesting is done in
six hours or less with a 20 minute break.
- Stunning
and processing
- Stunning
and processing equipment is monitored to insure proper functioning for
humane processing
- Birds
are insensible to pain when euthanized.
A post-stun posture that includes arched neck and wings tucked in
is visual evidence of an effective stun.
- The
knife is effective to cut blood vessels to induce bleed-out
- Backup
personnel are present after the knife to ensure all birds were killed by
the equipment. Back up personnel have sufficient room and lighting to
perform the job.
- All birds are dead before entering the scalder
- Personnel
handle birds in a manner that minimizes broken legs and wings.
- If
necessary, corrective actions will be taken
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