How American Farmers Look after Their Birds

American farmers are devoted to elevating the healthiest chickens. Holding flocks freed from concern, ache, stress and struggling is, plain and easy, the proper factor to do. And it’s a undeniable fact that when chickens are handled proper, they develop higher, too.

That’s why the U.S. hen business developed the Rooster Ensures, a set of welfare requirements that function a benchmark for the broiler hen (hen raised for meat) business. Broiler chickens are raised by farmers skilled in animal welfare and beneath the care of licensed veterinarians. Learn on to learn the way chickens develop huge and robust (spoiler: it’s not hormones or steroids!), the place chickens reside on the farm and the way hen producers take care of the birds.

Farmers play one of many greatest roles in meals security by defending chickens from ailments, predators and pests. On a farm, all guests are required to put on biosecure fits and private protecting gear to guarantee that no micro organism or different international supplies enter the hen home.

Farmers additionally conduct a well being and security measure often called “windrowing”. Meaning earlier than a brand new flock arrives, hen farmers warmth up the poultry litter to kill any micro organism.

You could be stunned to study that there are not any hormones utilized in U.S. hen manufacturing. In actual fact, the U.S. authorities has banned the usage of hormones and steroids in poultry for the reason that Nineteen Fifties. Meaning no hormones, no steroids—none added ever.

So, if hormones aren’t the trigger, why are chickens so plump? Chickens are bigger at present for a number of causes. A type of causes is perfect diet—a tailor-made weight loss plan for each stage of the hen’s life. Broilers eat a base weight loss plan of corn and soybean meal. Nutritional vitamins, minerals and different vitamins are adjusted within the feed in line with the flock’s age and dietary necessities.

Right now’s birds are additionally given top-notch veterinary care and optimum dwelling situations. However maybe most significantly, the hen business has modernized the science of conventional hen breeding. Over time, breeders have chosen chickens with the healthiest genetic traits, like leg power, coronary heart well being, and so forth, to assist future generations get the very best begin potential. Good breeding is the important thing to broiler chickens rising wholesome and robust.

Taking good care of chickens is what farmers and processors do. That’s why the Nationwide Rooster Council developed our Broiler Welfare Pointers and Audit Checklists, which give science-based suggestions for correct therapy at each part of a hen’s life. The Audit Checklists are licensed by the Skilled Animal Auditor Certification Group (PAACO). These pointers are reviewed each 2 years, so we’re at all times utilizing the newest hen science and know-how to make sure that chickens nationwide are rising wholesome and robust.

Discover out extra about how a hen goes from Farm to Desk with this infographic.