Prairie Chicken in 2026: Strong Demand, HPAI Pressure, CUSMA Risk

Chicken has been Canada’s most consumed animal protein for years, and the demand picture heading into 2026 is stronger than usual. High beef prices have pushed consumers toward chicken, chick placements hit record levels in the second half of 2025, and Alberta showed the fastest production growth of any province in 2024. Prairie chicken producers are operating in a sector with genuine tailwinds — but those tailwinds are running into a persistent disease threat, a tightening import cap, and a trade renegotiation that could reshape market access conditions for the next decade.