Foregoing Sub‐therapeutic Antibiotics: the Impact on Broiler Grow‐out Operations

Abstract

We use data from a recent national survey to analyze the use of sub‐therapeutic antibiotics (STAs) among broiler growers. We estimate that 42% of growers do not use STAs in their feed or water, and instead rely on a set of other practices, including pathogen testing, expanded sanitary protocols, altered feeding regimens, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point HACCP plans to maintain production. Suspending STAs has no statistically significant impact on production given other inputs, but producers who forego STAs receive higher contract fees, suggesting that they bear higher costs to realize a given level of output.

Economics of Antibiotic Growth Promoters in Livestock

“…After controlling for input levels, operator and farm characteristics, farm production practices, and location, researchers found that AGP use improved output by 1% for feeder-to-finish pig producers, a small and statistically insignificant improvement (Key & McBride 2014). Similar results were found for broilers: Suspending AGPs had no statistically significant effect on production given other inputs (MacDonald & Wang 2011). This study, however, shows large standard errors, with point estimates of 2-7% production declines without AGPs, suggesting a range of outcomes among farms: Some operators can institute substitution practices that compensate for the loss of AGPs, whereas others struggle.…”

“…Several major companies (including McDonald's, the fast food chain) have mandated the removal of AGPs from broiler production (MacDonald & Wang 2011). In September 2014, Perdue Foods, the third-largest broiler company in the United States, 1 announced that it had removed all antibiotics from its poultry hatcheries, after phasing out the use of AGPs in its poultry production in 2007 (Perdue Foods 2014).…”

“…In September 2014, Perdue Foods, the third-largest broiler company in the United States, 1 announced that it had removed all antibiotics from its poultry hatcheries, after phasing out the use of AGPs in its poultry production in 2007 (Perdue Foods 2014). Some estimates indicate that 44% of US broiler production no longer used AGPs in 2006, compared with 2% in 1995 (Chapman & Johnson 2002, MacDonald & Wang 2011. Data from the USDA agricultural resource management survey suggest that the use of subtherapeutic antibiotics in pig production declined between 2004 and 2009.…”

“…First, AGPs can enhance the average daily growth and the feed conversion ratio, the rate at which animals convert feed into weight gain (Hays 1977, Zimmerman 1986, Dibner & Richards 2005. Second, AGPs can potentially increase labor or capital productivity by substituting antibiotic use for hygiene management practices in animal housing or transportation (MacDonald & Wang 2011, Key & McBride 2014. Using AGPs can also reduce variability in animals' weight and size, avoiding financial penalties at market for animals outside the range suited for mechanized processing (Liu et al 2003).…”

Rational Use of Antimicrobials in Animal Production:A Prerequisite to Stem the Tide of Antimicrobial Resistance

“…Commercial poultry farmers will have the greatest impact as poultry accounts for 50-75% of total meat production in India 35 . The effects of phasing out of antimicrobials as growth promoters can be limited by replacing less optimized animal production systems with more advanced ones 46,107,108 . The productivity of food animals can be increased by improving nutrition (adding probiotics and feed supplements) and by selecting food animals with superior genetic potential 33 .…”