CHICKENS RAISED WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS MAINTAIN THE SAME LEVEL OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Consumers’ demand for animals raised without the use of antibiotics is increasing. At the same time, antibiotic-free breeding is a priority in the fight against antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, one of the most serious threats to human health. In this context, a research from Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale" (IZSAM) shows that elimination of antibiotics from chicken farms can be implemented without negative effects on animals’ health and welfare.

Published in the scientific journal Animals, the study compared, using a standardized protocol, two groups of chickens raised on the same farms: with and without use of antibiotics. "There is a concern - says Luigi Iannetti, Food Hygiene and Technology Unit, OIE Collaboration Centre for Animal Welfare, first author of the study - that elimination of antibiotics from farms could bring negative effects on the health and well-being of animals, due to a higher incidence of diseases. Our research demonstrated that, overall, there are no differences, on the contrary: chickens raised without antibiotics had a lower incidence of some typical problems, such as leg dermatitis”.

According to the paper, one possible reason for the higher well-being in antibiotic-free animals could lie in the quality of litter. “The lower incidence of leg problems - continues Iannetti - is strictly correlated with the terrain on which chickens live. In this case, there could be a better care of litter boxes and, in general, a good management of the animals by the staff. Maybe diet also plays a role: unlike other chickens, the ones raised without antibiotics are fed exclusively with plant foods, and this could beneficially affect the composition of the excrements deposited on the litter. Further investigations will be needed to clarify this aspect".

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) set three priorities in a “one health” approach: the reduction of antimicrobials use in farms, the enhancement of animal welfare and the fight against antibiotic resistance. In addition, European Union, in its "From farm to fork" strategy, aims for a 50% reduction by 2030 in sales of antimicrobials used for farmed animals and aquaculture. "In this perspective - concludes the researcher - precise guidelines will be necessary in order to lead companies towards the best management of antibiotic-free farms".

ANIMAL WELFARE ASSESSMENT IN ANTIBIOTIC-FREE AND CONVENTIONAL BROILER CHICKEN

Iannetti L., Romagnoli S., Cotturone G. & Podaliri Vulpiani M. 2021. Animal Welfare Assessment in Antibiotic-Free and Conventional Broiler Chicken. Animals, 11(10), 2822.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11102822