What kind of health care is provided to broiler chickens? Are antibiotics used?
Certain animal health products—some of them antibiotics, others not—are sometimes used in raising broilers. Any such usage is regulated by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The purpose of these is to maintain good health in the flock or to treat outbreaks of illness. Because of steadily improving standards of poultry husbandry, the health of the flock nationwide has never been better, and the usage of antibiotics and other products has declined over the years. When these products are used in live chickens, withdrawal periods are observed, as required by regulations, to ensure that no traces of the products are in the animals when they are processed for food. Concern has sometimes been expressed over the possibility of “antibiotic resistance,” which theoretically could occur if animals are treated with antibiotics, which eliminate some but not all bacteria; the bacteria might then survive the processing of the birds and remain on food products, which are then not properly cooked befo
