Interested in joining Canada’s largest poultry processor? At Maple Lodge Farms, we’re passionate not only about our chickens but also about our people. We operate to the latest in technological, health safety, and quality standards. With rapid expansion over the years, and continued innovation and investment in growth, we’re looking for committed, team players to join the Maple Lodge family. As a proudly family-owned Canadian company, we’re passionate about what we do. If you’re a committed team player, we would love to have you as part of our team.
Reporting to the Animal Welfare Supervisor, the Animal Welfare Technician will be responsible for collecting the necessary information for halal certification and for monitoring and maintaining animal welfare on the production floor, verifying that animal welfare practices are compliant with the Animal Welfare Program.
Shift: 3:00 am - 11:30 am, Monday - Friday. This position is not remote and works fully on-site,
What's in it for you?
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Health benefits and pension plan
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Weekly pay
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Onsite Cafeteria
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Discount at our Chicken Shop
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Opportunities for career advancement
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A culture that values humility, respect for family, and hard work
What you will be doing:
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Perform data collection necessary for maintaining halal certification, including CO2 level in the stunner, assessment of heart rate, and bird sensibility checks. Complete necessary reports and update AW, Operations, and Halal teams on results.
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Maintain and ensure compliance with the AW Program on the production floor (live receiving and slaughter areas), reporting any issues to the AW Supervisor and Operations personnel, so that necessary adjustments can be made to the process.
a. Monitor the unloading process in Live Receiving, bird handling and hanging process, dead birds on arrival (DOAs) evaluation, and disposal.
b. Monitor mod, and dolly condition and verify all birds are removed from containers before the container washing process
c. Monitor the stunning process, recording CO2 level in the stunner and bird sensibility checks.
d. Monitor the slaughter process, verifying the effectiveness of the automatic knife and backup cutters.
e. Perform post-slaughter quality checks, identifying and recording bruises, hematomas, and broken bones in carcasses
f. Monitor chicken foot health, assessing and recording as per the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP) Paw Scoring System.
3. Responsible for monitoring and maintaining animal welfare in internal holding facilities (lairage) from the time live birds are received, through to their transfer to the stunner.
a. Monitor and record bird condition on a scheduled basis, identifying potential signs of stress on birds
b. Report issues with live loads to Live Haul Dispatch and ensure that stressed loads are prioritized in the slaughter sequence
c. Record on-floor deviations potentially caused on-farm or during transport that impacts animal welfare on AW Special Case Log. Communicate with AW Technician Lead for follow-up with relevant parties.
Act as a backup to the AW Monitor for various AW and FAD tasks, including monitoring and maintaining animal welfare in external holding facilities (yard), monitoring, and recording bird condition, identifying potential signs of stress on birds, reporting issues with live loads to Live Haul Dispatch, and managing of equipment and environment,
5. Participate and assist in Third Party Animal Welfare Audits and FAD Simulations, as required.
6. Liaise with CFIA inspection staff during CFIA inspection and/or investigation.
7. Provide information and possible solutions that will help management to identify issues and work towards future improvements related the AW program.
8. Follow all relevant departmental policies, processes, standard operating procedures, and instructions so that work is carried out in a controlled and consistent manner.
Promote and comply with all Maple Lodge Farms Health & Safety, Quality Assurance, and Environmental Management policies, procedures, and controls to ensure a healthy and safe work environment.
Comply with the Good Manufacturing Practices laid out by the Company.
What you will bring:
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Must have strong tolerance of a farm environment (scents, animal feces, muck, blood, etc)
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Previous work experience working with livestock is considered an asset
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Flexibility in shift coverage is essential
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Ability to work in a fast-paced environment where attention to detail and effective multi-tasking is essential
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Ability to work under pressure while organizing and prioritizing workload
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Self-starter, well-organized, detail-oriented and a team player
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Good learning abilities, hands-on technical orientation, and highly motivated
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Good interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
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Computer literacy (Word, Excel, Outlook)
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Knowledge of the Health of Animals Act and CFIA humane poultry handling procedures is an asset
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Working knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), WHMIS, etc.
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High School Diploma required.
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PAACO certification is an asset.
Maple Lodge Farms was established in 1955. We are the largest chicken processor in Canada, and we remain family-owned. The principles that guided us from our humble beginnings, when Lawrence May sold eggs door-to-door, are the same principles that guide us today: hard work, agricultural wisdom, and family values. We are creating a sustainable future by providing healthy, wholesome, best-quality chicken products with a focus on the humane treatment of animals, the responsible use of resources, and the positive development of our employees and the communities in which we operate.
Please note that any offer of employment will be conditional upon background and reference checks, including a criminal record check.
In accordance with Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) 2003, accommodation will be provided in all parts of the recruitment process. Applicants are required to make their needs known in advance.
We thank all applicants for applying, however, only those chosen will be contacted by our Talent Acquisition Team.
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