POULTRY

All Starts
from the Farm

There are about 170 farms producing chickens in Finland. Today, a medium-sized farm has the space for about 70 thousand individual chickens. In Finland, there are about 20 farms for chicken mothers and about a dozen breeding farms for young ones. The farm sizes of the parent generation should not be increased in order to control animal disease risks.

There are two generations of
chickens in Finland

All parent chickens are cared for by a health care veterinarian. Farms actively participate in the prevention of animal diseases by regularly monitoring the health status of animals with blood samples and other sampling when necessary.

In addition to legislation, the national production method includes guidelines and practices for poultry production. They are often stricter than the European Union and Finnish national legislation, and all parties in the production chain are committed to them.

According to the EU definition, Finnish chickens have not used antibiotics since 2009. Nor have hormones ever been used in Finnish chickens. Thanks to systematic disease prevention, the Finnish broiler production chain is free from many infectious diseases, and there are no infectious poultry diseases such as avian influenza (AI), Newcastle disease (ND) or serious respiratory diseases such as ART or ILT in Finland.

Professional breeding
results in
professional broilers

Managing broiler rearing conditions places great demands on buildings, heating and ventilation, and especially on the professional skills of the producer. The first indicator of the success or failure of environmental management is the condition of the litter, which in turn directly affects the well-being of the birds and especially the health of their feet.

Monitoring the condition of the soles of the feet during the rearing period and the evaluation of soleus infections by the inspection veterinarian at the slaughterhouse provide reliable information on the success of the rearing conditions and the well-being of the birds. Finland is the world's best in the sole score comparison.

Healthy foot pads
are a Finnish specialty

Healthy foot pads reflect chickens' living conditions and health.

The birds are reared free-range on a clean, dry peat surface. They can bathe and carry out their natural behaviours. Their foot pads stay healthy.

The most common number for the Finnish chicken is 0 (graded based on the degree of damage to the pads).

Traceability

High-quality, responsible and controlled broiler meat is produced in Finland, the origin of which can be traced, if necessary, from the store to the breeder, hatchery and mother farm.

All production steps must be successful:

From breeding
to raising of chicks

From laying
to hatching

From hatching
to rearing

From rearing
to slaughterhouse

From the
production plant
to the consumer

Quality meat comes from
healthy chickens

The health of chickens is the basis of the animal's well-being. The fact that it is a production animal must not reduce the importance of their well-being. It is typical for Finnish producers to think of animals as more than financial gains. Good and correct production and operating methods are based on production practices, which are followed to support and promote the well-being of birds. Animal welfare, health, growth, drug-freeness and salmonella-freeness are important issues.

  • Skilled producers promote the welfare and health of chickens by, among other things, offering high-quality feed and ensuring optimal rearing conditions. For example, during the chick weeks, chickens need a temperature of over thirty degrees, which is gradually lowered as the they grow.

  • Finnish chickens are raised for five to six weeks indoors, free-ranging on the floor of the breeding house on peat or wood litter. They are allowed to sleep at least 6 hours a day and eat and drink when they want.

  • Most of the feed for chickens is domestic grain. In addition to grain, domestic rapeseed, peas and broad beans, and by responsibly produced soy beans add protein sources to the feed.

  • Production is carefully planned and controlled. The growing conditions of the birds, such as the temperature and humidity of the nursery, are monitored 24/7 i.e. around the clock both on weekdays and on holidays.

Finland has the healthiest chickens in the world, and the health and well-being of chickens is important for the entire production chain. Only healthy and well-being birds produce well and are the basis of high-quality meat. In the entire production chain, a lot of long-term work is done for the well-being of chickens, and thanks to that, Finnish chickens are healthy and there is little need for antimicrobials.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Litter baths and the stress-free lives of chickens

Finnish chickens benefit from such good living conditions, feed and general care that we never need to treat them with antibiotics. Finland also has zero tolerance for all salmonella serotypes. All this is made possible thanks to our high production and feeding standards.

Free living

Chickens are free to walk around in open halls and to take baths in litter. Moisture-absorbent peat or sawdust is used as litter. Resting minimum 6 hours per day.

Eating and drinking

Feed and water are always accessible. Chickens drink same pure water as humans. Animal raw materials are never used in feed and no growth hormones are given to the chickens.

Conditions

Controlled temperature, air conditioning and moisture in chicken houses at all times, all year round.

All in all out

Production is based on an ’all in all out’ principle. No thinning is allowed.

  • prevents animal diseases and zoonoses

  • amount of animals/m2 is lower than in harvesting farms

  • No salmonella

  • No antibiotics

  • Very low amount of Campylobacter

Animal Welfare

In Finland, primary production based on contract production is extremely well controlled and legislation is the absolute strictest in the world.

CONTACT US

Ruokatieto Yhdistys ry

https://ruokatieto.fi/en/

Vanha Talvitie 2 A 16
00580 Helsinki

eupromotion@ruokatieto.fi

HKSCAN Finland Oy

https://www.hkscan.com/en/

Lemminkäisenkatu 48
FI-20521 Turku, Finland

communications@hkscan.com

Atria Finland

www.atriafromfinland.cn

PL 900
FI-60060 ATRIA
FINLAND

exportfinland@atria.com

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