Animal Care
We are committed to animal care. Whether the animals are in our company-owned barns or being raised by one of our nearly 500 family farming partners, we work diligently to ensure the best care for each animal.
Our staff veterinarians and team of health service specialists work side by side with our farmers, managers and farm teams to personally monitor the health and care of our animals on a daily basis.
Biosecurity
We believe biosecurity is an essential step in maintaining the health of our animals. Biosecurity is a multifaceted program which includes indoor housing, sanitation, strict procedures for entering barns and external animal control.
All of our animals are housed indoors. Through the use of temperature controlled barns we can protect our animals from weather, external animals, predators and diseases as well as keep a close watch on their health, and food and water consumption. All of these factors help us to provide the best care and protect our animals from illness.
At our breeding farms, our team members take full showers and change their clothing in order to enter or exit the farms; this prevents all external bacteria carried by the humans from entering the barns, thereby keeping the parent stock healthy. At our growout farms, boots and coveralls are worn at all times and disinfectant foot baths and hand wash are utilized.
Cleaning the barns themselves is also a top priority and is completed regularly, based upon the animals and their age.
All farms use a variety of rodent control methods and work to prevent the presence of wild birds. Each of these animals are known to carry diseases which could negatively affect the animals, so prevention is key.
Antibiotics
Animal care is always a top priority at Cooper Farms. If our animals become sick, we know it is right to provide the medical treatment that will help them become well again. Antibiotics are used on our conventionally raised flocks and herds only if a need would arise and through the guidance and prescription of our veterinarians.
In addition to conventional production, Cooper Farms also raises antibiotic-free and organic animals through customer request. At these farms we work hard to safeguard their health at all times, and if illness occurs where treatment is necessary, those barns will be removed from the program and treated. We know it is right to provide the care and treatment the animals need at all times.
All antibiotic treatment follows strict withdrawal periods and the meat is tested to verify antibiotic residue is not present. No meat contains antibiotics. Even meat that does not bear a label stating raised without antibiotics does not contain antibiotics.
