Chicken available in Pakistan is the same genetic package which is available in the US, Europe, India, Brazil, Argentina, China, or elsewhere in the world, said a spokesman of Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) on Friday.
"There are only three major companies providing poultry genetic material. In the US, Brazil and Argentine because of the low price of edible oils and feed grains, they produce a feed with much higher energy content than that produced in Pakistan, as such, there a broiler chick gains more than 2.2 Kg weight in 5 weeks," he added.
He further said that in Pakistan it takes about 6 weeks to gain the same weight.
"On the basis of rapid weight gain, the consumers jump to the conclusion that they are fed hormones. Some social media sensational story writers propagate that farm chicken are given growth hormones or steroids. Since the chicken gain faster weight in US, it should be questioned whether they too give hormones and steroids. If they did, USDA would take serious action and there would be no chicken production in US."
He said there would be a colossal import of hormones in the country had the poultry industry in Pakistan using hormones. The spokesman added that world-wide there are only three major poultry genetic companies who are constantly doing research and selection of breeds for better weight gain for improving the weight gain capacity and breeding for disease resistance, improving digestive system for better absorption of nutrients to reduce feed cost.
He said a research carried out by the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Canada, has shown the evolution of growth in broiler production.
"They have shown that in 1957, a Day Old Chick weighed 34 grams, in 1978 it weighed 42 grams and in 2005, it weighed 44 grams. Likewise, at 28 days, broiler weighed 316 grams, 623 grams and 1396 grams in 1957, 1978 and 2005 respectively. Currently, 2005 onwards it has been increasing at the rate of 2-3 percent per annum," said the spokesman. In the field of poultry housing, tremendous innovation has been achieved, said the spokesman, adding that modern poultry houses have controlled environment houses fitted with fans, lighting, and heating - all to provide the necessary environment for the chicken to perform to the optimum genetic potential.
The spokesman added that in the field of nutrition, a critically balanced diet is fed, formulated on a computer to give a balance between energy, protein and essential amino acids, such as Lysine, Methionine, Cysteine, Tryptophan, Isoleucine, Threonine, Valine, Arginine, etc and in the scope of nutrition, vitamins such as Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, D, E, K, Niacin, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Choline Chloride, etc and minerals such as, Calcium, Phosphorous, Sodium, Potassium, Ferrous, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, Cobalt, etc are ensured to requirements, a deficiency or an imbalance of any one of the nutrients would defeat achieving the optimum genetic potential.
"Today's chicken diet mostly constitutes of corn, broken rice, wheat bran, rice polishing, corn by-products, oil seed meals, vegetable oil, etc. All animal by-products would be avoided by a knowledgeable producer as these could be a source of Salmonella and other bacterial contaminants which would cause a greater loss to the producer than any benefit," said the spokesman.