With its headquarters in Oakwood, Georgia, Wayne Farms is also amongst the world’s 10 largest producers. Established in 1965, the company has evolved significantly from its origins as a spin off from the Continental Grain Company. Today it employs 9,000 staff and has a production capacity of close to 15 million broilers a week and annual sales of poultry products worth USD 2.2 billion.
Wayne Farms has a strategic focus on RWA (raised without antibiotics) production and the latest GAP2 animal welfare standards. This has triggered a complete shift towards single stage incubation, which results in a much shorter hatch window and lower first-week mortalities. Innovative, post-hatch feeding practices are also under consideration for the hatchery upgrades.
Wayne Farms’ decision to invest in the SmartPro™ NF product line at Decatur followed rigorous, year-long comparative testing across the entire range of competitor single stage incubation systems. At the end of these side-by-side comparisons, SmartPro™ NF ultimately emerged victorious. Overall improved field results versus the existing multi stage equipment justified the renovation investment.
Photo: L-R: Randy Caudill, North Alabama Live Production Manager, Wayne Farms; Kevin Martin, North Alabama Area Hatchery Manager, Wayne Farms