AVMA: Antibiotics policies should be based on evidence

The American Veterinary Medical Association's (AVMA) Chief Economist Matthew J. Salois, PhD, calls for nuanced and evidence-based antibiotic policies that consider a holistic view of antibiotics' impacts on animal welfare, the environment and economics. In recent years, some companies and consumers have embraced raising animals without antibiotics. Today, nearly half of all broiler chickens are raised without antibiotics.While many consumers have hailed these changes, Dr. Salois cautions that reduced use of antibiotics in farm animals can have negative implications for animal welfare and the overall sustainability of animal agriculture, if not accompanied by appropriate changes in management practices.For instance, Dr. Salois notes the average mortality rate for broiler chickens raised without antibiotics can be 25 to 50 percent higher than for conventionally raised broiler chickens. Additionally, birds raised without antibiotics are much more likely to suffer from painful medical conditions – such as being more than three times as likely to experience ammonia burns in their eyes.The higher incidences of disease and mortality for birds raised without antibiotics, coupled with slower growth, means that more than 680 million additional birds will need to be raised annually to meet poultry demand in the United States. This increase consumes significant environmental resources, including more than 1.9 billion additional gallons of water and more than 5.4 million additional tons of feed per year.