Excessive use of antibiotics on broiler chicken farms

Most poultry farmers who grow broiler chickens give unnecessary “preventive” antibiotics to healthy chickens. The farmers are advised to use these drugs by dealers. Dealers are middlemen who have no understanding of diseases or treatment. Dealers advise farmers to use these antibiotics because they want to sell antibiotics. 

Experts say that unnecessary use of antibiotics on a broiler chicken farm can make all bacteria present on the farm resistant to antibiotics. Many of these bacteria, like salmonella and e-coli, can infect humans. As these bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, it will become difficult to treat human patients suffering from these infections.

On the other hand, farmers who grow chickens under contract farming arrangements with poultry companies get better advice, and use less antibiotics. Company staff instruct their contract farmers to implement “biosecurity” measures which prevent disease. These measures include washing hands and feet before entering the chicken house, and building a fence around the chicken house. Bio-security measures prevent germs from entering the chicken house.  Contract farmers are instructed not to give any preventive antibiotics to healthy chickens, as companies view this practice as a waste of antibiotics (unnecessary cost). 

Imran Mondal (28), a graduate, has set up a farm near his home in Shanerhat village in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur district. He said, “From the day I receive day-old chicks until I sell the chickens, I use antibiotics as the dealer suggests.” He has to pay his dealer about Tk 10,000 to buy medicines used in growing 1,000 birds. 

Noor Alam, (38), a broiler farmer of Machhari in Kaunia, Rangpur, said that between 2014 and 2019, he brought medicines of various brands but failed to  prevent high mortality. “I could not grow the chickens to the expected weight in spite of using antibiotics. However, currently I don’t need to buy any medicine for growing around 3,000 chickens, as I follow instructions of the company staff, especially the doctor. They discourage me from using antibiotics and ask me to maintain biosecurity,” he said.

Moksedul Haque (44) of Baro Hashimpur village in Chirirbandor upazila, set up a broiler chicken shed after losing his job during the Covid-19 pandemic.  “Thankfully, I have been advised by Kazi Farms staff how to grow healthy chickens at low cost. They gave me healthy day-old chicks and good feed and  guide me to grow them without spending money on antibiotics,” he added. In the most recent production cycle, he earned Tk 71,000 as profit from contract farming.

Ahsan Habib (46), a farmer from Binnakuri, Chirirbandor, said that while running a farm of 1,000 chickens for two years, he managed to learn the names of many antibiotic brands, but failed to recover costs. “I was advised to use antibiotics thrice (during the growing cycle), and I later realized that the dealer was making money,” he pointed out.

Dr Mohammad Neaz Sharif, a veterinary specialist working closely with the farmers in Rangpur region, observed that use of antibiotics is legally prohibited unless prescribed by veterinary doctors.  “Unfortunately, many farmers do not know the rules, or good farm practices. The marginal farmers are instructed by dealers to use antibiotics rampantly. They do so to prevent diseases and get higher weight,” he said. He also said that after giving antibiotics to broiler chickens, farmers must maintain a “withdrawal period” before selling the chickens, otherwise there could be “residual” antibiotics in the chicken meat.

Professor Zakir Hossain of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) noted that excessive use of antibiotics on poultry farms poses severe public health risks. “Some antibiotics are losing effectiveness. Farmers need proper training for judicious use of medicine, especially antibiotics,” he recommended.

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