Label Rouge respects welfare and the environment
High welfare farming and strong consumer relations are the ethos of the Label Rouge scheme in France, as Scott Casey reports
Michel Boisel has farmed Label Rouge poultry on his family’s mixed livestock and arable farm near Pleugueneuc, about 20kms from Rennes in Brittany, since the early 1990s.
He is one of 160 farmers producing the Label Rouge branded chicken, using a unique slow-growing, high welfare breed, for the Poulet Fermiers de Janze co-operative. Growing birds this way is more enjoyable, they have better lives and the taste is beyond compare, he says.
“I prefer Label Rouge for the taste and for the personal satisfaction I get,” he told Poultry World on a visit to his farm in the autumn. “I think that chickens should be outside in fresh air and not inside. Also it’s very interesting to see them grow up from very small to a real adult chicken.”
The birds are grown to 81 days at a density of 11 birds per sq m inside sheds, with each bird having another 2 sq m on the range. The range at Mr Boisel’s farm is planted with apple trees, figs, pears and backs onto his maize fields.
The two sheds where the birds are raised date from the early 1990s and house 4400 birds in each. Mortality in each house is below 1% and averages about 2% across the whole farm over a 12 month period.
The Poulet Fermiers de Janze co-operative, which produces 4m birds per year for the French domestic market, encourages its farmers to connect with their consumers in a variety of ways, including visiting supermarkets and other retail outlets.
“We go to the shops and we are welcomed by them to promote our chicken. People are always interested to see where it comes from, so we are happy to explain this in the shops, especially because I know I’ve got nothing to hide,” said Mr Boisel.
“We are very open and we are not lying about where it comes from and what we’ve done with the chickens. I feel strongly that people should know where food comes from, so I put a picture of the farm and myself on the label.”
Mr Boisel even goes so far as to have his phone number on the packaging next to his photo, and he has had consumers call him asking for more information on how their chicken was produced.
“I have had people calling in with the number on the label asking about how good that batch was, how the chickens lived, how they lived their lives,” he said.
As well as Label Rouge poultry, Mr Boisel also has 40ha of crop land, planted half with maize and half with wheat, and 180 cattle including a herd of young bulls.
What is Label Rouge poultry?
“Label Rouge is a production method based on an approved specification that is respectful of animal welfare and protects the environment.
“Since 1960, Label Rouge poultry has been reared using traditional, free-range production methods based on an official Label Rouge specification approved by the French public authorities.
“These methods ensure the poultry’s welfare and protect the environment, whilst producing poultrymeat with superior organoleptic properties.
“Label Rouge poultry offers a broad range of species selected for the quality of their meat and their slow growth, including chicken, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl and quail.”
Source: SYNALAF (Syndicat National des Labels Avicoles de France)
Label Rouge conditions
Three types of chickens are bred for Label Rouge:* Traditional broilers – slow growing varieties, slaughtered at between 81 and 110 days
* Capons – castrated cockerels, raised for five months
* Poulardes – pullets, raised to 120 days
Stocking densities are set as follows:* 400 sq m maximum size of a single poultry house, with 1ha of range per shed
* 11 traditional chickens per sq m inside the house, with 2 sq m for each bird on the range
* Only four poultry houses allowed on each farm.
* Capons can be stocked at 6.25 birds per sq m inside the shed, with 4 sq m for each bird on the range
* Poulardes can be stocked at 9 birds per sq m, with 3 sq m for each bird on the range
Feeding regime:* 75% cereals and cereal products
* Capons are kept inside for the final two weeks and fed a diet of 80% cereals and extra dairy supplements
• See Label Rouge production for yourself by watching our video from Mr Boisel’s farm on www.fwi.co.uk/poultry