Overview & Core Concepts
This step examines the Company-Owned & Company-Operated (COCO) model, representing fully corporate-managed poultry production.
Core Characteristics:
- Corporate Ownership: The integration company owns or long-term leases the land, constructs the sheds, and installs all machinery and automation systems.
- Employed Management: Daily farm operations, bird husbandry, and biosecurity protocols are executed by salaried farm managers, supervisors, and workers employed by the company.
- Internal Integration: COCO farms usually serve as high-biosecurity breeding farms, hatcheries, or large-scale demonstration units within a company's complete supply chain.
While contract farming pairs independent growers with a company, the COCO model places both farm asset ownership and daily operational control entirely inside the corporate enterprise.
Why This Matters
Understanding COCO farms helps farmers recognize how corporate integrators benchmark operational efficiency, biosecurity standards, and production costs across the poultry industry.