Jennie-O to increase antibiotic-free turkey production

Consumer demand for turkey raised with no antibiotics ever (NAE) will continue, so Jennie-O Turkey Store intends to expand its presence in that market.

Roy Graber Headshot
Photo courtesy of Iowa Turkey Federation
Photo courtesy of Iowa Turkey Federation

Consumer demand for turkey raised with no antibiotics ever (NAE) will continue, so Jennie-O Turkey Store intends to expand its presence in that market.

Speaking at the 2018 Midwest Poultry Federation Convention’s Student Career Program on March 15 in Minneapolis, Matt Schrupp, Jennie-O Turkey Store’s Director of Live Production, said that the topic of antibiotic use in farm animals is “very close to a lot of consumers,” and that Jennie-O wants to meet the needs of its customers.

“From a consumer standpoint, there is more and more emphasis behind reducing antibiotic use,” said Schrupp.

“We do have a significant amount of our production that is NAE. We will continue to expand that more in the future.”

Challenges of NAE production

Many of the companies in the broiler industry have transitioned to NAE production, but Schrupp added that factors such as the length of time it takes to raise a broiler chicken versus the time it takes to raise a turkey, make NAE chicken production “a little easier process.”

While some consumers and activist groups would like a more rapid switch to NAE production, Schrupp told the students that NAE production is more demanding of the producers and it isn’t always an easy transition to make. He said NAE turkey production requires a much different approach involving “the environments, the management, (and) the husbandry skills,” and all of those aspects need to be closely monitored. Doing so with success requires a lot of time and training.

Antibiotic use still necessary

Schrupp said that even with the extra steps taken to assure the health and welfare of turkeys in NAE production, there will still be times when turkeys are going to get sick. In those instances, producers should use antibiotics in a judicious manner.

“We only use antibiotics when it is necessary for animal welfare. I think it’s very important to understand that antibiotics are important for animal agriculture,” he said. “We need to make sure we treat turkeys and make sure we are administering at the right levels, and following the prescriptions as required by the law.”

Page 1 of 33
Next Page