All chickens are grain fed. The birds are kept in climate-controlled barns to protect them against hot summers, cold winters, predators and disease. Chickens are free to roam, but usually prefer to stay in one area. The birds have access to clean water and nutritious feed 24 hours a day. Chickens take about six to eight weeks to grow.
Farmers produce five or six flocks per year.
After each flock, Ontario chicken farmers thoroughly clean and disinfect their barns. This gives them the distinction of having one of the highest cleanliness standards in the world. A clean bedding of soft straw or wood shavings is put on the barn floor before the new, day-old chicks arrive. Ontario produced about 285 million kilograms of chicken in 2000.