On this page
- Overview
- When to add or update additional hatchery information
- Before you get started
- How to add additional hatchery information into My CFIA
Overview
After you get a licence to operate a hatchery, you should enter your additional hatchery information into My CFIA.
This includes information about:
- the type of birds you process
- your operational activities
- how you control risk at your hatchery
This information is not mandatory, but we ask that you add it to help us:
- assess the food safety risk that the food products derived from Canadian hatcheries may represent to consumers
- for example, poultry meat, eggs and balut
- assign a hatchery's risk level
- decide the right level of inspection oversight activities related to a hatchery
If you don't provide this information, it may impact the extent and frequency of inspections at your hatchery.
When to add or update additional hatchery information
We'll invite the My CFIA Profile Manager to enter or review the additional hatchery information:
- after we issue your licence
- when you make changes to your licence
- when you renew your licence
The Profile Manager can enter, review or change the additional hatchery information at any time.
Before providing or making changes to the information, we recommend that the Profile Manager consults with either:
- the person responsible for your hatchery's operations
- the quality assurance personnel
Before you get started
Review your licence
Your licence selections will influence the additional hatchery information you'll need to enter.
Check that the following information on your hatchery licence is correct:
- the types of birds (such as chicken meat type, chicken table-egg type or turkey)
- the production types (that are commercial, parents or primary breeders)
Review your hatchery's operational activities
When adding additional hatchery information, you'll need to:
- enter the distribution volume for each production chain/type of bird combination, that is distributed on the Canadian market and/or exported
More information on the distribution volumes
For each production chain/type of bird combination (as indicated at the top of the additional hatchery information page), you will be asked to provide volume information for the following descriptors:
- fertile eggs (non-incubated) sold to another hatchery
- incubated eggs distributed to another location (for example, hatchery or farm). This refers to the volume of eggs incubated until the time of transfer, and then sent out to be hatched in another facility. This volume excludes the incubated eggs that will be placed in the hatchers of your hatchery, as well as the eggs rejected for other reasons (non-fertile, embryonic mortality, etc.)
- hatched birds
- baluts
- eggs sold to egg breakage or further processed (for example, surplus non-incubated eggs, surplus imported non-incubated eggs)
- identify hatching practices conducted at your hatchery, such as:
- mixing eggs from different supply flocks when placed in the hatchers
- hatching eggs from multiple species (such as turkey, game birds, waterfowls)
- hatching eggs from multiple sectors (for example, egg type and meat type; broilers and breeders)
- indicate the frequency of unexpected surge demands for imported eggs (spot market) over the past year
- identify the type of operational equipment used in your hatchery, for example:
- using fixed incubators trolleys
- using evaporative cooling ventilation system
Review your implemented mitigation measures
When adding additional hatchery information, you'll need to:
- include any control measure(s) or strategy(ies) that is (are) applied by your hatchery that can reduce the food safety risk related to Salmonella spp.
- identify the type of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) program currently implemented in your hatchery and if it has been certified by an accredited body or not (if applicable)
- estimate the percentage of eggs coming from farms with a quality assurance program compared to the total volume of eggs incubated at your hatchery
- indicate the procedures established at your hatchery to mitigate the risks associated with incoming supplies, such as eggs or birds
More information on these procedures
- Requiring information on the foodborne pathogen status of the supply flocks and using this information to mitigate the risk (for example, segregation of eggs)
- Requiring information on the vaccination history of the supply flocks and using this information to mitigate the risk (for example, segregation of eggs)
- Having quality control measures for incoming eggs (such as egg sampling and testing) to identify hazards, perform trend analysis and take appropriate actions when triggers are identified
- Decontaminating/disinfecting/fumigating previously washed eggs with formaldehyde (37%)
- Decontaminating/disinfecting/fumigating previously washed eggs with an approved disinfectant (hatchery-labeled), other than formaldehyde (37%) (for example, quaternary ammoniums, hydrogen peroxide)
- report if you're implementing practices to reduce egg breakage during handling and processing of eggs, such as:
- using automated transfer equipment
- egg handling equipment maintenance
- staff training on handling procedures
- report if you're fogging eggs with approved disinfectant (hatchery-labeled) during incubation
- identify the protocol for using formaldehyde (37%) at the time of transferring eggs in the hatchers and/or during hatching, for example:
- only once at the time of transfer in hatchers
- during hatching multiple times between transfer and hatching
- during hatching using a constant rate infusion (CRI) method
- identify procedures related to equipment sanitation implemented at your hatchery
More information on equipment sanitation
- Washing hatching trays under water pressure
- Washing hatching trays using washing machines that are properly functioning
- Washing chick boxes under water-pressure jet spray followed by a decontamination step
- Using new cardboard trays or chick boxes (that is not re-using disposable cardboard trays or boxes)
- Fumigating hatchers with formaldehyde (37%) after cleaning and disinfecting
- Using an automated dosing system to meter sanitizer concentration when washing and disinfecting equipment (no manual dosing)
- identify activities performed by your hatchery to control air quality (air sanitation)
More information on air sanitation
- Using effective air control measures to prevent possible cross-contamination such as air pressure differential or ionization
- Using procedures to reduce dust levels in the hatching cabinets or exhaust plenums such as Electrostatic Space Charge System [ESCS] or water spraying
- report if you select the disinfectant based on a bacterial reduction testing result performed on bacteria isolated from environmental testing conducted in your hatchery (disinfectant turnover)
- report if your hatchery is subject to a sampling and testing plan, beyond the CFIA's requirements, to identify food safety hazards
- that includes a trend analysis and an action plan when you identify triggers
How to add additional hatchery information in My CFIA
- Sign in to My CFIA
- Select the validated party related to the additional hatchery information
- Scroll down to the Important Information banner
- Select the additional information for hatcheries subject to your licence(s) to operate a hatchery link
- Select the Status beside the hatchery you'd like to add additional information for to start, continue or review the questionnaire