The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association released an updated report on antibiotic use in U.S. poultry production, showing enhanced antibiotic stewardship and a commitment to disease prevention. This research, spanning a decade for broiler chickens and turkeys and seven years for layers and led by Dr. Randall Singer, highlights substantial reductions in medically important antibiotic use. Key changes include significant decreases in hatchery antibiotic use, in-feed antibiotic usage, and drops in specific antibiotic categories across poultry types.
For broiler chickens:
- Hatchery antibiotic use reduced from 90% (2013) to less than 1% (2022)
- Major reductions in in-feed antibiotic use
- Water-soluble antibiotic use decreased, with some minor increases due to disease incidences
For turkeys:
- Similar reductions in hatchery antibiotic use
- Significant declines in in-feed antibiotic use
- Water-soluble antibiotic use decreased, stabilized, or slightly increased due to disease incidents
For layer chickens:
- Minimal antibiotic use due to withdrawal periods affecting egg supply
- Gentamicin used in hatcheries
- Chlortetracycline (CTC) used for disease treatment, mostly via feed, with a minimal impact on egg production
The report underscores the industry's commitment to responsible antibiotic use. The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association plans to continue annual data collection, aiming to further improve stewardship and document reasons for antibiotic usage. Funding is provided by the association and partly supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
For more details, visit https://mindwalkconsultinggroup.com/ and view the updated infographic report.
