The case of the imported, cannibalistic chickens

Fancy grilling a chicken raised on the remains or offal of other chickens? No? Then the only chickens you should buy are Namibian birds.The use of animal by-products in animal feed is commonplace in broiler industries around the world. Estimations are that in the United States, 36% of the poultry industry's animal consumption is by-products. By-products include anything from meat, bone, blood and feather meal, dead animals and animal waste.Both South Africa and Brazil, which supply chicken to Namibia, use animal by-products in their poultry feeds. The use of these products in chicken feed is simply to bring down the costs of production. It is estimated that in the US, using animal by-products decreases the cost per ton of feed by up to 10%. The abattoir then also has an income from the waste, as it is not necessary to safely destroy it anymore, as other chickens will consume this. The use of animal by-products is frowned upon in Europe. Feedmaster general manager, Jaco Labuschagne, confirmed his company does not include any animal by-products in their wide range of cattle, pig, horse or poultry feed they manufacture and distribute in Namibia. Namib Poultry Industries reiterated that no animal by-products are used in their feed, as they apply the European norm in this regard. The chickens they produce are vegetarians in the true sense of the word, even to the extent that they do not consume fishmeal, which is also widely used in the manufacture of animal feed.Namib Poultry Industries farm manager, Louis Kleynhans, said: “We have previously decided not to include animal by-products. Our broiler industry is still young and we will chart our own course, not blindly following what South Africa is doing, which has an industry 75 times greater than Namibia. “Cannibalism, or the use of same species by-products, is not only frowned upon internationally, but there are serious risks when reusing animal parts in any form and the wellbeing of our animals and our consumers is paramount.”According to independent agricultural expert, Wallie Roux: “Feedmaster complies with the best standards in the world to guarantee safety.” If feed is imported into Namibia, it must be accompanied by a laboratory test with a product result sheet indicating it is free of by-products.“Namibia does not export chicken, so in this case EU regulations as they apply to the feeding of ruminants, do not apply. However, in a bid to ensure safety, Namibia does not permit animal by-products of any sort in its poultry industry.”The bacteria present in animal feed made with the inclusion of by-products have included Salmonella and E. coli, while and antibiotic-resistant bacteria are also far too common.Moreover, certain infectious agents linked to so-called 'mad cow disease', which affects the central nervous system, are present when diseased animal by-products are used as feed ingredients.In the US, bacterial infections are on the rise, and in particular, babies, immune-compromised individuals and the elderly have been found to be most at risk. This is particularly important for Namibia.In the US, Salmonella enterica infections have become one of the country's top ten infections and the original source has been described as chicken meat from a poultry facility that included Peruvian fish meal in their fodder.In 2004, American research concluded: “Based on the assumption that food-production animals are the source of 95% of human Salmonella cases and that 10% of food-production animals are infected by Salmonella species through the ingestion of contaminated feed, it has been estimated that roughly 134 000 cases of human Salmonellosis, including 55 deaths and 1 560 hospitalisations, can be attributed to contaminated feed each year.”Italian research published in the Agriculture journal this year has indicated that feeding plant-based proteins to poultry has distinct advantages, above that of animal by-products. “These feedstuffs,” the researchers say, “have greater value to the success of poultry production due to their potential of production”.By supporting local meat producers, we not only know what is used in our food, but we create jobs, improve Namibia's income as a whole and have access to products we never had. This is one more reason for you to buy local. STAFF REPORTER

The case of the imported, cannibalistic chickens

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

Please login to leave a comment

The case of the imported, cannibalistic chickens

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-09-19

Please login to leave a comment

Login