Why factory farmed chickens should not be banned?

Chicken, the most common poultry, is in demand all over the world.  According to a survey conducted by Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, 94% of the population favors chicken consumption.  It is ranked as the highest consumed protein source. Due to high popularity of meat and eggs in daily meals, chickens are bred both at personal as well as corporate level. Chickens that come from small family farms are called free- range or organic chickens while those that are produced in large industries are called factory farmed chickens. There are concerns about proper growth, development and health of the chickens that are raised in factory farms. There are certain myths about organic farming that has led to protests against factory farming. Factory farmed chicken should be encouraged because it provides a major and an inexpensive source of protein as well as helps in boosting the local economy.

            Factory farmed chicken breeding provides a large and a commercial source of food. According to Thomas Robert Malthus, an English scholar well known for his theories about population and the factors affecting it, population increases at a geometric rate while food resources increases at an arithmetic rate.   This means that human population outnumbers the natural food resources that are available. More food needs to be produced with least stress to the environment.  Factory farms, with the use of advanced technology, are able to produce a large number of chickens in a more proficient manner. They are able to eliminate the natural limitations needed for survival and growth and hence, have a greater output. Unlike free-range farming that is done in a more manual manner, a factory farm utilizes technology that results in greater output. They hence, are able to fulfill the demands of their local communities as well as of places that are far away.

Another advantage of factory farms is that they provide cheaper chicken produce when compared to free- range farms. Factory farms operate on large scale where chickens are raised in smaller areas with proper regulations on different breeding stages such as waste collection, disposal and food intake of the birds. This makes the farms very efficient to operate since it reduces the time and cost invested in raising chickens. That is why factory farmed chickens are cheaper to buy in market stores. 

Factory farming of chickens also improves the economy of the local community. Factory farming is beneficial due to scale economies. Scale economies exist when the industry makes a profit on its growth and development The cost to rear one chicken reduces as more and more chickens are raised. This in addition to proper and firm restrictions on the use of resources makes the industrial farms far more efficient and competitive than small scale family farms. 

People have expressed a lot of concerns about factory farming. The major downside pointed out is that a large number of chickens are confined in a small area. Such cramped areas foster unhygienic conditions and risks spread of diseases. Small, restricted areas are utilized to be able to monitor an efficient use of resources. In order to combat diseases, chickens are injected with antibiotics. People are still anxious that antibiotics might result in development of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains that might eventually cause diseases in human beings. According to a recent small-scale study conducted by researchers at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, there were no significant differences observed between the health of people who ate organic chicken and the people who ate factory farmed chicken. People were examined based on any occurrences of allergies and food poisoning incurred due to consumption of chickens.  It can not be concluded with certainty whether it is the antibiotic injected chickens or increased consumption of antibiotics by humans themselves that risks their health. Factory farm chickens are also said to be less nutritional than free range chickens. So far no significant differences are found in the vitamin and mineral content of organically and factory farm produced chickens. Although organic chicken and eggs are said to contain more omega-3 fatty acids but this needs to be confirmed by more large-scale studies.

            Despite this ongoing debate, factory farmed chickens continue to feed the growing population all over the world. It is affordable and easily available. It also provides the required nutrition as well as helps in boosting the economy of the local community. More research is required to properly differentiate between the pros and cons of factory farmed and organic chicken. Until then, proper awareness should be spread to help people recognize the myths and benefits of factory farmed chicken.