Do Something About
Poultry Wellbeing
Chet Utterback
Poultry Research Farm Manager
Excercise
• California’s Proposition 2 requires that
animals must be able to “fully extend all
limbs without touching the side of an
enclosure, including, in the case of egglaying hens, fully spreading both wings
without touching the side of an enclosure
or other egg-laying hens.”
• Let’s check it out!
Brambell’s Five Freedoms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury or disease
Freedom to express normal behavior
Freedom from fear and distress
What is NORMAL Behavior?
• There is not 1 single definition of NORMAL
behavior
• Human NORMAL behavior has changed
over time (clothing, cars, indoor plumbing)
• Other animals have changed their
behavior(s) over time or even seasonally
• It stands to reason that chicken behavior
changes and is changing
Some “Normal” Chicken Behaviors
• Dust Bathing – no evidence that sham dust
bathing is any less normal than using a
substrate
• Broodiness – this has been genetically
selected against for layers, but can still be
witnessed as in cage systems
• Pecking Order – chickens have a social
hierarchy. The more chickens above you in
status, the more you get picked on
Protection of Chickens on Farms
• Vaccinations – for disease protection
• Beak Trimming – done early in life to keep
beaks from becoming overgrown
• Sanitation & Biosecurity – keeping it clean and
safe for poultry & poultry workers
• Dubbing – done early in life to prevent picking
and injury in feed systems
• Indoor Housing – to protect from predators,
disease, parasites and wild bird droppings
that carry disease
Examples
Disease
from
Migratory
Birds
BeakTrimming
Predators
Vaccinations
Dubbing
Animal Welfare vs Animal Rights
• ANIMAL WELFARE is defined as the
human responsibility to ensure animals
are afforded Brambell’s 5 Freedoms.
• ANIMAL RIGHTS is a philosophical view
that animals have similar or the same
rights as humans.
Goal of Animal Rights
“[about eggs] We want to get rid of the industry.” Miyun
Park, formerly with HSUS
“I dream of a vegan world – that’s where I want everyone
to go.” Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary
“Meat consumption is just as dangerous to public health
as tobacco use.” Neal Barnard (PCRM)
“Eating meat is not your personal decision, any more
than whether somebody beats their children is their
personal decision.” Bruce Friedrich, HSUS
EU Legislation
• The EU enacted legislation to ban
conventional cages effective in 2012
• In 2010, European stores had a 20% shortage
of eggs before Easter due to the EU laws that
restricted caged egg production
• EU prices for eggs increased 44%
NAFTA
• The North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement
signed by Canada, Mexico, and the US
• In 2013 $39.4 billion of agricultural
products were imported to the US from
NAFTA countries
• With increased regulations based on
human feelings rather than scientific facts,
this amount will increase
Some Programs Implemented
United Egg Producers
• UEP Certified Eggs:
– Conduct for proper animal handling
– Annual third-party compliance audits
– Nutritious feed, clean water, no feedwithdrawal molting
– Strict biosecurity guidelines
Some Programs Implemented
National Chicken Council
• NCC Animal Welfare Guidelines & Audit
Checklist
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Corporate commitment
Hatchery operations
Proper nutrition & feeding
Appropriate comfort & shelter
Health care & monitoring
Ability to display normal behaviors
Catching & transportation
Processing
Breeder operations
Scary Statistics for Layers
What many people would like to do is essentially
go back to the way we raised chickens in the
1950’s & 1960’s. Here are some numbers that
may change their minds
• 27% (78 million) more hens would be needed
• 72% (1.3 million) more acres of corn
• 72% (1.8 million) more acres of soybeans
Scary Statistics for Broilers
Raising all broilers as “pastured poultry”
sounds idyllic, but would cause the following
problems:
• To raise the 9 billion birds annually produced
in a pastured setting would take 45 million
acres of land. That’s more than all the
farmland in GA, AL, MS & AR combined
• A worldwide turn to such practices may lead
to more deforestation for the increased
farmland needed
More Concerns
• According to Jacques Diouf, FAO director
general, the world will need to double food
production by 2050 and that suggesting
organic production can solve this challenge is
“dangerously irresponsible”
• Meat & poultry prices would rise dramatically
because of inefficient production approaches
• The environment would suffer from open
systems lacking controls
What Has Improved Since 1960
Layer Production
•
•
•
•
•
26% lower feed intake
27% higher hen-day egg production
42% better feed conversion
57% lower mortality
32% lower water usage
What Has Improved Since 1960
Broiler Production
• Broilers have the best feed conversion
ratio of any domesticated land-based
animal
• Broiler companies have led the way in
further processing to provide safe, easy,
and economical food for busy families
What’s Wrong With This Picture?
Shocking!
Believe it or not…….
NOT EVERYTHING
ON THE INTERNET
OR IN THE MEDIA IS
TRUE!!!!
Oh, people can come up
with statistics to prove
anything. 14% of people
know that.
Falsehoods on the Internet
• The government forced KFC to stop using the word
‘chicken’ because they serve meat from mutant animals. It
goes on to say that “they actually use genetically
manipulated organisms…kept alive by tubes inserted into
their bodies to pump blood and nutrients.”
• “Chickens sold in supermarkets are fed a steady diet of
human drugs.”
• “Brown eggs are better for you than white eggs.”
• “Chickens are fed growth hormones.”
What Can We, as Poultry
Producers, Do?
• ACTIVELY EDUCATE the public!
• Explain WHY we do the things we do
• Contact your congressional leaders
• Be informed of what is going on in your industry
• Be aware of companies that change their
standards based on rights groups rather than
sound scientific findings and CONTACT them
Talking Points
• If farmers mistreat animals or put them in stressful
environments, they will not produce efficiently, if at all.
• There are “bad” members of every work force. There
are bad doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc. Make sure
people realize this. Just because 1 is bad doesn’t
make every single person in that occupation bad.
• Images and views on the internet, the news, in movies,
documentaries or those spouted by your favorite
country singer are NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT!
Check your facts with reliable sources.
• Chickens ARE NOT HUMAN and do not act or think like
humans, unlike many movie and cartoon depictions.
FAQ’s & Answers
• “I don’t like eggs & don’t use them. Why should I care?”
– The US government is the largest purchaser of eggs for food
programs. If egg prices go up, then your taxes will go up. Plus
eggs are used in MANY products that you may actually buy.
• “I don’t mind paying higher prices for eggs raised organic or cagefree, so what’s the problem?”
– It’s great that some people can afford niche market eggs.
There is room for all egg types in the markets. The problem
arises for those living paycheck-to- paycheck trying to feed
their families.
• “I’m only 1 person; I can’t make a difference.”
– If every 1 person called the state and federal legislatures, if
every 1 person called companies that have obviously been
lobbied by animal rights activists, if every 1 person that farms
ANY animal or crop took a stand, we wouldn’t just be 1 person.
We would be millions if not billions.
Conclusions
• Hopefully, I haven't ticked everyone off yet,
because I’m getting ready to do so.
• If you are one of the silent producers,
researchers, students or consultants that sits
idly by and lets companies or congress-people
make decisions based on emotions rather than
scientific fact, I’m calling you out.
• DO SOMETHING about public perception of
poultry wellbeing!
Conclusions, continued
• Animal rightists will NEVER be satisfied
until NO animals are raised for human
consumption.
• Some animal rights groups even see
having pets as immoral.
• If we don’t do something, they will win
solely on the basis of sad commercials
that don’t promote the actual work they
intend to do.
Thanks
• For Information :
– Dr. Hongwei Xin, Egg Industry Center
– Mr. Ken Klippen, President, NAEF
– GF Kennedy, D.V.M.
– Dr. Ken Anderson, NC State University
• For Support :
– Pam Utterback, my AWESOME wife
– Dr. Carl Parsons, University of Illinois
– University of Illinois, for allowing me to attend