LONG-TERM DEBT AND OTHER BORROWING ARRANGEMENTS (Narrative) (Details)								1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jul. 20, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 02, 2018 GBP (£)	May 29, 2018 GBP (£)	Mar. 07, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 29, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 27, 2016 MXN ($)	Jun. 30, 2009 EUR (€)	Jun. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 01, 2018	Mar. 07, 2018 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jan. 29, 2016 GBP (£)	Apr. 17, 2015 GBP (£)	Mar. 19, 2015 GBP (£)	Mar. 11, 2015 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt									$ 2,352,982,000			$ 2,709,350,000
Revolving note payable at 5.25% | Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate									5.25%
Long-term debt									$ 0			73,262,000
Revolving note payable at 5.25% | Line of credit | CoBank, ACB
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 750,000,000.0
Outstanding borrowings									$ 0
Term note payable at 3.60% | Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate									3.60%
Long-term debt									$ 500,000,000			780,000,000
Term note payable at 3.60% | Line of credit | CoBank, ACB
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt									500,000,000
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 500,000,000.0
2015 US Credit Facility | CoBank, ACB | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.25%
2015 US Credit Facility | CoBank, ACB | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.25%
2015 US Credit Facility | CoBank, ACB | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.75%
2015 US Credit Facility | CoBank, ACB | Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	0.25%
2015 US Credit Facility | CoBank, ACB | Base Rate | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	0.25%
2015 US Credit Facility | CoBank, ACB | Base Rate | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.75%
2015 US Credit Facility | Line of credit | CoBank, ACB
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Available increase to aggregate revolving loan commitment	$ 1,250,000,000.00
Quarterly principal payment required, percent of original principal amount	1.25%
Current borrowing capacity									705,100,000
Letters of credit outstanding									44,900,000
Credit facility, capital expenditures limit	$ 500,000,000.0
2015 US Credit Facility | Line of credit | CoBank, ACB | U.S. and Puerto Rico Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of equity interest guaranteed for debt	100.00%
2015 US Credit Facility | Line of credit | CoBank, ACB | Foreign Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of equity interest guaranteed for debt	65.00%
2015 US Credit Facility | Swingline Loans | CoBank, ACB
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 75,000,000.0
2015 US Credit Facility | Letter of Credit | CoBank, ACB
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity	$ 125,000,000.0
Mexico Credit Facility (defined below) with notes payable at TIIE Rate plus 0.95% | Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt									0			76,307,000
Maximum borrowing capacity						$ 750,000,000			40,100,000
Current borrowing capacity									40,100,000
Outstanding borrowings									$ 0
Interest rate on short-term credit facility amounts outstanding										9.07%
Mexico Credit Facility (defined below) with notes payable at TIIE Rate plus 0.95% | Line of credit | TIIE Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate						0.95%			0.95%
Moy Park Bank of Ireland Revolving Facility with notes payable at LIBOR or EURIBOR plus 1.25% to 2.00% | Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt									$ 0			0
Moy Park Bank of Ireland Revolving Facility with notes payable at LIBOR or EURIBOR plus 1.25% to 2.00% | Line of credit | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		1.25%							1.25%
Moy Park Bank of Ireland Revolving Facility with notes payable at LIBOR or EURIBOR plus 1.25% to 2.00% | Line of credit | EURIBOR Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate		2.00%							2.00%
Moy Park Bank of Ireland Revolving Facility with notes payable at LIBOR or EURIBOR plus 1.25% to 2.00% | Line of credit | Governor and the Company of the Bank of Ireland
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity		£ 100,000,000							$ 130,300,000
Current borrowing capacity									130,300,000
Outstanding borrowings									0
Moy Park Multicurrency Revolving Facility with notes payable at LIBOR rate plus 2.5% | Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt									$ 0			9,590,000
Maximum borrowing capacity | £															£ 20,000,000.0
Moy Park Multicurrency Revolving Facility with notes payable at LIBOR rate plus 2.5% | Line of credit | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate									2.50%
Moy Park France Invoice Discounting Revolver with payables at EURIBOR plus 0.8% | Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt									$ 1,479,000			1,815,000
Maximum borrowing capacity									11,600,000
Current borrowing capacity									10,100,000
Outstanding borrowings									$ 1,500,000
Moy Park France Invoice Discounting Revolver with payables at EURIBOR plus 0.8% | Line of credit | EURIBOR Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate									0.80%
Moy Park France Invoice Discounting Revolver with payables at EURIBOR plus 0.8% | Receivables Finance Agreement
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity | €							€ 20,000,000.0
Line of credit percent decrease								50.00%
Moy Park France Invoice Discounting Revolver with payables at EURIBOR plus 0.8% | Receivables Finance Agreement | EURIBOR Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate							0.80%
Senior notes | Senior notes payable, net of premium and discount at 5.75%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount				$ 250,000,000.0	$ 250,000,000.0											$ 500,000,000
Stated interest rate									5.75%							5.75%
Add on offering, percent of face value				99.25%	102.00%						99.25%
Proceeds from issuance of debt				$ 248,100,000	$ 255,000,000
Unamortized premium					5,000,000
Unamortized discount				1,900,000
Long-term debt									$ 1,002,598,000			754,820,000
Senior notes | Senior notes payable at 5.875%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount				$ 250,000,000	$ 600,000,000.0
Stated interest rate					5.875%				5.875%
Add on offering, percent of face value				97.25%							97.25%
Proceeds from issuance of debt				$ 243,100,000
Unamortized discount				$ 6,900,000
Long-term debt									$ 843,538,000			600,000,000
Senior notes | Senior notes payable at 6.25%
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount | £														£ 300,000,000
Stated interest rate									6.25%					6.25%
Tendered amount | £											£ 234,300,000
Redemption price, percentage			101.56%
Long-term debt			£ 65,700,000						$ 0			$ 403,444,000
Line of credit | Moy Park Receivables Finance Agreement | Line of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity | £													£ 45,000,000.0