Feather Forum

In the first episode of the 2022 Top 4 Under 40 podcast series we talk to Emma Rutherford, a broiler and dairy farmer from Woodstock, Ontario. Emma has been running her own broiler operation since 2016. During that time, she’s led several on-farm projects that have improved flock health, results and profitability. She’s done this all the while managing a dairy farm, working as a dental hygienist and raising two kid

The North American poultry industry has been on edge since late last year. That’s when highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was discovered on the continent for the first time since the 2015 outbreak when it was detected in wild birds in Newfoundland. Here to provide an update on the situation is Dr. Tom Baker, manager and incident commander of the Feather Board Command Centre. He spoke with Canadian Poultry editor Brett Ruffell about the story in North America so far, how the disease typically spread and preventative measures farmers can take to protect their flock.

Last year, Aviagen North America named Dr. Sara Reichelt as its new director of welfare and sustainability. In this new role, Reichelt is the face of welfare and sustainability for Aviagen’s North American customer base. For the latest edition of Feather Forum, Canadian Poultry’s editor Brett Ruffell spoke with her about her background, her goals for the new role and how sustainability and welfare intersect.

Richard Boer built a diverse poultry farming business from the ground up. It encompasses specialty chicken, layers, pullets and an innovative retail store with a unique vending machine for egg purchases. He also takes time to give back, including volunteering at an egg farm in Africa. In the final instalment of Canadian Poultry’s Top 4 Under 40 podcast series, editor Brett Ruffell talks to Boer about starting out in the broiler business, expanding into layers and his innovative retail store.

In this the third installment of our Top 4 Under 40 series, we talk to chicken and egg farmer Anneke Stickney. Based in Elora, Ont., she led her farm’s expansion into broiler production. She also led her egg farm’s transition from conventional layer housing to an enriched system. What’s more, she goes the extra mile both for her industry and her community.

Tiffany Martinka of Martinka Chicks is a broiler producer based in St. Benedict, Sask. She’s a strong advocate for chicken farming and agriculture in Canada and Saskatchewan. She’s also an educator, harnessing social media to give non-farmers an up-close-and-personal look at broiler production.

Meet Harley Siemens, an egg farmer from Rosenort, Man. In this podcast, you will learn about him leading his farm’s conversion to aviary free-run production, his tireless advocacy and other reasons why he was one of Canadian Poultry’s Top 4 Under 40 for 2021.

Marc de Beer became Aviagen’s new president of North America this past spring. He oversees the company’s business strategy and customer service throughout Canada and the U.S. A poultry nutritionist by trade, he has a wealth of experience on both the breeder and nutrition sides.