Are Chickens Injected with Hormones?
Write By: Naresh Ravi
1. No Steroid Hormones: Contrary to common belief, chickens raised for consumption aren’t injected with steroid hormones to accelerate growth. It is logically impractical and not cost-effective to inject each chicken with hormones.
2. Genetic advancement: The rapid growth of broilers to 2 kg in just 35 days isn’t due to hormones but a result of meticulous genetic selection via a selective breeding process over generations.
3. Selective Breeding Explained: This deliberate breeding program involves choosing the heaviest male and female chickens based on specific traits like body weight for reproduction, yielding progressively heavier offspring over time. For instance, through selective breeding, only the top 10% heaviest chickens are chosen as parents for the next generation, ensuring a gradual increase in body weight over successive generations
4. Corporate Role in Breeding: Only a few global corporations manage the pure breeds responsible for this selective breeding process, driving significant weight gains in chickens over decades. Examples include companies such as Aviagen and Hendrix Genetics.
5. Synergistic Contributions: Advances in Animal Nutrition, Management, and Technology Collaboratively Hasten Chicken Harvesting with Optimal Weight. For instance, incorporating balanced nutrition such as amino acids and vitamins into feed formulations ensures chickens receive precise nutrition essential for rapid growth.
6. Vaccine Administration: The only substances administered to chickens are vaccines, aimed at preventing diseases, not promoting growth.
7. Safety Assurance: Chicken meat remains free of synthetic hormones and safe for consumption when produced following stringent government regulations and practices, including proper antibiotic use and adherence to banned medication guidelines.
8. Understanding Your Food: It’s essential to dispel myths and grasp the realities behind chicken growth. Let’s aim for better comprehension rather than unfounded apprehensions.