In my travels around Central North Carolina, I do educational programs for youth and the general public and there are many misconceptions that abound. One myth is that the poultry industry uses hormones to get the birds to grow so fast.

This is not true. Over the last 60 years there has been a lot of selection pressure and research put on our birds genetics to select strains or families of birds that are quick growing and put on a lot of muscle over a short period of time.

In the 1950s it took 14 to 16 weeks to grow out a broiler. Today it takes seven to 10 weeks to produce a 6 to 10-pound roaster.

Poultry nutrition is another area where the industry has done a lot of research to match protein and fat levels to the growth patterns of our modern chickens.

It has been illegal since the 1950s to add hormones or sell any kind of meat products with added chemical residues or hormones. The industry does not use hormones to speed up growth.

Another myth is that many believe that the poultry farms are company owned farms.

Not true. Over 98 percent of the poultry farms are actually family owned farms. The producer owns the land, the poultry houses, equipment, etc. The companies (poultry integrators) provide the birds, vet care, feed and technical support to the grower.

In many cases having poultry houses actually provides a secondary farm income so the producer can afford to stay on their land and be profitable instead of selling their farm land off for other uses.

The last myth I would like to address is that many people think that the producers have no incentive to make sure the birds are treated correctly and humanely.

Not true. The producers are paid by the companies on how many pounds of gain they have made over the seven to 10 week growth period.

If the producers are poorer managers, their birds will not grow and put on the pounds that a flock owned by a good manager will. Also, if birds are mistreated it usually means that their meat will not be used for human consumption.

For birds to grow optimally, they have to have proper air quality and temperature, ventilation, proper diet, fresh drinking water at all times during their growth period.

Again, if any of these things are not up to par, the flock will not grow well and the farmer will not get paid as much at harvest time. The more pounds of gain means that farmers will get paid more. There is a direct correlation or incentive for producers to make sure their birds are grown correctly and humanely.

In recent times the poultry industry has been under attack for salmonella outbreaks.

Any type of raw meat or poultry will have bacteria growing on them.

The secret for safe carnivorous eating is to properly and thoroughly cook the meat or poultry before it is consumed and to use proper hygiene around the food preparation areas.

Over 99 percent of meat related foodborne illnesses are due to the fact that the consumer did not thoroughly cook their meat before eating it or they re-contaminated their cooked meat with unwashed utensils that had bacteria on it.

United States grown meat products are the safest to eat in the civilized world. Our farmers and producers are very conscientious and are also really limited on what kinds of chemicals they can use on their farms.

They have to make sure that when the animals are sold there can be no drug residues found in the meat at the processing facilities or they suffer severe fines and consequences for their actions. They could possibly lose their farm.

Farmers from other countries that we import food from do not necessarily have to follow the same guidelines as our American farmers do.

My final take home message is to use and buy U.S.-made products when you can to support our American farmers, cook your meat thoroughly before eating, and take comfort that our U.S. food supply is abundant and safe.



Dan Campeau is a poultry agent with the Randolph County Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Asheboro. He can be reached at (336) 318-6000.