WHY ARE ANTIBIOTICS GIVEN TO CHICKENS ? ANY CLUES

Antibiotics are given to chickens for several reasons, primarily related to promoting their health and improving farm productivity. Here are some key factors behind the use of antibiotics in poultry farming:

Disease Prevention and Treatment

Chickens are vulnerable to various bacterial infections that can spread quickly in crowded environments, such as poultry farms. Antibiotics help prevent or treat diseases, ensuring the flock remains healthy. Common bacterial infections in chickens include salmonella and E. coli, which can affect the birds and potentially spread to humans.

2. Growth Promotion

In some cases, low doses of antibiotics are used to promote growth in chickens. The antibiotics help the birds digest their food more efficiently and increase nutrient absorption, leading to faster weight gain. This practice, known as subtherapeutic use, has been a common method for improving poultry production efficiency. However, its use has become more controversial in recent years due to concerns over antibiotic resistance.

3. Improved Feed Efficiency

Antibiotics can improve the feed conversion ratio, meaning chickens are able to convert the food they eat into body mass more efficiently. This leads to better overall productivity and reduces the amount of feed needed to raise the birds, which can lower costs for farmers.

4. Biosecurity in Intensive Farming

In large-scale commercial poultry operations, where thousands of birds are kept in close quarters, maintaining biosecurity can be a challenge. Antibiotics help manage the risk of bacterial infections spreading throughout the flock, ensuring the health of the birds and reducing the potential for outbreaks that could impact the entire operation.

Antibiotic Resistance Concerns

The use of antibiotics in poultry farming has raised significant concerns about antibiotic resistance. Overuse or misuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of resistant bacteria, which can pose a threat to both animal and human health. For this reason, there has been a push toward reducing the use of antibiotics in livestock and promoting alternative practices, such as improving animal hygiene, biosecurity measures, and the use of vaccines.

6. Regulations and Restrictions

Many countries have imposed regulations to restrict the use of certain antibiotics in poultry farming. The European Union, for example, banned the use of antibiotics for growth promotion in 2006, and other nations have followed suit. In the U.S., the FDA has worked to reduce the use of medically important antibiotics in animals raised for food, focusing on preserving the effectiveness of antibiotics for human medicine.

Conclusion

Antibiotics are used in chickens mainly for disease prevention, treatment, and sometimes to improve growth and feed efficiency. However, with growing concerns over antibiotic resistance, there is increasing pressure to limit their use in agriculture and explore alternative methods of poultry care. Ensuring a balance between animal health and public safety is crucial in the ongoing debate over antibiotic use in farming.