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Perdue announces new animal care commitments

Poultry giant Perdue announced a new four-part animal care plan Monday morning.

Chairman Jim Perdue says the Perdue Commitments to Animal Care plan was developed from input from farmers, academics, and leaders of animal activist organizations.

The company’s four-part plan commits to the wants and needs of the animals; the farmers that raise the chickens; openness, transparency and trust; and a journey of continuous improvement.

The new animal-welfare standards will give chickens more space, add natural light to more than 200 chicken houses by the end of 2016, the company will begin testing slower-growing birds, and switch all its slaughterhouses to Controlled Atmosphere Stunning.

Perdue is the nation’s fourth largest poultry producer.