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Long-Term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations - Additional Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 28, 2015	Dec. 27, 2014	Dec. 28, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity, Term Loan and Line of Credit			$ 970,000,000crl_MaximumBorrowingCapacityTermLoanAndLineOfCredit
Term loan facility			420,000,000us-gaap_SecuredLongTermDebt
Multi-currency revolving credit facility			550,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Revolving credit facility, available increase	350,000,000crl_LineOfCreditFacilityBorrowingCapacityAvailableIncrease
Weighted-average interest rate	1.42%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1	1.42%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Letters of credit outstanding	5,000,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount	5,000,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
Financing Obligation [Member] | Early Discovery UK [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other capital lease obligations	25,300,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = crl_EarlyDiscoveryUKMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = crl_FinancingObligationMember	23,100,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = crl_EarlyDiscoveryUKMember / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = crl_FinancingObligationMember
Other Capital Lease Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Other capital lease obligations	$ 1,000,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = crl_OtherCapitalLeaseObligationsMember	$ 1,000,000us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = crl_OtherCapitalLeaseObligationsMember

X

- Definition

Represents the available increase in borrowing capacity of the debt instrument under specified circumstances.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	crl_LineOfCreditFacilityBorrowingCapacityAvailableIncrease
Namespace Prefix:	crl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity, Term Loan and Line of Credit

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	crl_MaximumBorrowingCapacityTermLoanAndLineOfCredit
Namespace Prefix:	crl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Amount equal to the present value (the principal) at the beginning of the lease term of minimum lease payments during the lease term (excluding that portion of the payments representing executory costs such as insurance, maintenance, and taxes to be paid by the lessor, together with any profit thereon) net of payments or other amounts applied to the principal through the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

-Article 7



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 840

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6455398&loc=d3e45280-112737

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 22

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Definition

Carrying amount of collateralized debt obligations with maturities initially due after one year or beyond the operating cycle, if longer, excluding the current portion. Obligations include, but not limited to, mortgage loans, chattel loans, and other borrowings secured by assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuredLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=crl_FinancingObligationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=crl_OtherCapitalLeaseObligationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: