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Myths about poultry farming

With this article, Zucami’s technical team intends to address, in a general way, some of these myths and respond to them in order to make the whole community aware of the participation and contribution of the poultry sector in the daily life of the whole society.

Is eating chicken meat bad?

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Poultry farming has been a victim of rumors and misinformation, and for this reason there are a multitude of false myths surrounding it, which people still believe today.

MYTH: IS CHICKEN MEAT INJECTED WITH HORMONES?

The fact: The reality is that chicken is one of the most demanded foods in the world with a high nutritional value, a very important content of vitamins and minerals, an accessible price, and a great culinary versatility.

Scientists, experts and professionals warn that the use of hormones in the poultry industry is just a myth because such hormones do not even exist in the market.

The chicken is an animal that has an extraordinary capacity for growth, which is why it is sacrificed at a very young age, making it impossible for the hormones to be assimilated by the birds in such a short period of life.

In the 1950s, a chicken was fed for 100 days to reach a weight of 2.1 kg. In the late 1960s, the time was reduced to 67 days, and today it is ready for market at 42 to 45 days.

The main reason for the larger meat size is due to better breeding strategies, genetic selection and nutrition technology over the decades. In other words, chickens are growing at an accelerated rate thanks to better practices and feeding.

Thousands of chickens go to market every day around the world, so injecting hormones into them would require very complex processes and many people to do this work. As a result, operating costs would rise to the point where the final price would be unaffordable for most consumers.

What is true is that this myth has generated a great negative impact on the population because it prevents its consumption, depriving it of a valuable protein such as chicken.

The hormone myth causes economic damage to the organized poultry industry.

This false belief undermines the work, technological advances and the commitment of the poultry sector to offer a high quality product to consumers.

MYTH: IS OVULATION IN HENS ACCELERATED BY LIGHT MANIPULATION?

The fact: In general, hens produce an egg every 25 to 28 hours, which depends on the age of the bird. It is not possible to manipulate this biological process by means of light; it is something that happens naturally in hens.

MYTH: IS THE HEN’S EGG THE MOST NUTRITIOUS?

The fact: Obviously chicken eggs are the most consumed, however, there are other types of eggs that can be consumed and that are equally or even more nutritious, such as quail eggs.

It is important to mention that all eggs contain the necessary nutrients and are a very complete food, with proteins of high biological value, vitamins and minerals.

MYTH: IS THE EGGSHELL TOXIC?

The fact: The egg shell does not contain any toxic compounds as it is composed of 95% calcium and protects the inside of the egg.

What is certain is that, all along the supply chain, the different actors are responsible for ensuring safety, from production to the final consumer.

Egg producers apply salmonella prevention and control systems, and poultry companies employ intensive programs covering production units, transportation, facilities and inspections for the marketing of this product.

MYTH: ARE THERE SPECIAL HENS FOR PRODUCING VERY SMALL EGGS, SPECIAL HENS FOR JUMBO EGGS, AND SPECIAL HENS FOR PRODUCING DOUBLE OR TRIPLE YOLKED EGGS?

The fact: Nowadays, there is a lot of talk about the type of products we are consuming, which is why so many kinds of eggs have become fashionable.

However, if we go back to the poultry production process, we will realize that there are no special birds, all hens in their productive cycle, especially at the beginning, can produce eggs with double yolks or with sizes out of the normal. All this depends on the age of the bird, in other words, the younger the bird is, the larger the eggs it will produce. Something similar happens for double or triple yolk eggs.

What is certain is that the area potentially available and the desired use of space result in different stocking densities that can potentially affect the uniformity of bird body weight, and thus egg size.

THE BENEFITS OF EGG PRODUCTION IN AVIARIES

It has been proved that laying hens perform very well in multi-level aviary production systems. The producers can benefit by being able to have more birds per square meter, which can further increase the return on investment.

With the Zucami aviary VISION, the outcome is clear: More eggs per bird, lower cost per egg and a higher return on investment than other types of systems. Egg quality is optimized through a gentle collection system that minimizes the possibility of egg breakage, resulting in the highest quantity of grade A eggs per hen.

Myths about poultry farming

With this article, Zucami’s technical team intends to address, in a general way, some of these myths and respond to them in order to make the whole community aware of the participation and contribution of the poultry sector in the daily life of the whole society.

MYTH: IS CHICKEN MEAT INJECTED WITH HORMONES?

MYTH: IS OVULATION IN HENS ACCELERATED BY LIGHT MANIPULATION?

MYTH: IS THE HEN’S EGG THE MOST NUTRITIOUS?

MYTH: IS THE EGGSHELL TOXIC?

MYTH: ARE THERE SPECIAL HENS FOR PRODUCING VERY SMALL EGGS, SPECIAL HENS FOR JUMBO EGGS, AND SPECIAL HENS FOR PRODUCING DOUBLE OR TRIPLE YOLKED EGGS?

THE BENEFITS OF EGG PRODUCTION IN AVIARIES

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