From WATTAgNet:
In 2012, USPOULTRY released a video, “Poultry & the Hormone Myth,” to explain the scientific, economic and legal reasons hormones are not needed or used by the U.S. poultry industry.
The video discusses the myth that growers use hormones in poultry production. No hormones are used in the production of chickens and turkeys. The video explains that the poultry industry has no use for steroids because of selective breeding, it would be too expensive to inject millions of chickens with hormones every day, and the law in the U.S. and in many other countries prohibits the use of hormones.
A recent event sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the U.S Poultry & Egg Association also worked to dispel myths about poultry production. Those myths are:
- Chickens are all drugged up. Chickens are not fed huge quantities of antibiotics that would fuel the increase in antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Farmers do not give antibiotics to their flocks with no oversight.
- Poultry litter is a waste product, and poultry farms are a major source of pollution. The manure that comes out of chicken houses is locally produced, organic fertilizer.
- Chickens are so huge and grow so fast they can barely stand up. As birds’ breast size has increased, so have the size of their feet and thickness of their legs.
- Chickens are given hormones to make them grow rapidly to large sizes. No hormones are added or administered to poultry.
- Improvements in the growth, livability and health of chicken are solely the result of genetics. The progress being achieved in the growth, livability and health of poultry is due to a combination of genetics, management, nutrition and the environment in which the birds are grown.
- Everything the poultry industry does is done the right way. The poultry industry is constantly evolving and improving its poultry production practices and execution.
USPOULTRY releases 'Poultry & the Hormone Myth' video
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has released a video, Poultry & the Hormone Myth, to explain the scientific, economic and legal reasons hormones are not needed or used by the U.S. poultry industry. 'USPOULTRY and our members recognize that often consumers have questions or concerns, and we must clearly communicate how we raise our birds,' said Paul Pressley, vice president of industry programs for USPOULTRY.
