It is impossible to avoid antibiotics in chicken – an expert on the realities of poultry farming
25 September 2025 15:02
EXCLUSIVE
It is impossible to completely abandon antibiotics in industrial poultry production. Mykola Babenko, chairman of the Meat Industry Association, said this in an interview with the "Komersant Ukrainian" YouTube channel.
Mr. Babenko said that antibiotics remain an integral part of modern livestock farming. They are used in pig farming, dairy and beef cattle breeding, and poultry farming. However, the level of use and the possibility of refusing such drugs depend on the specifics of each industry.
“Antibiotics are used in pig farming, dairy farming, and meat farming. The question is about their quantity. And the question is whether it is technologically possible to stop using antibiotics for a certain period in the process of raising poultry or animals,” he explained.
According to the expert, there are technological possibilities to partially abandon antibiotics in pig production.
“For example, it is possible in pig production. In the last month of fattening, we may not take any preventive or therapeutic measures,” Babenko explained.
This means that before slaughtering the animals, we can minimize the impact of medicines, providing cleaner meat for consumers.
The situation in poultry farming is different. The cycle of poultry rearing is very short – only 42 days on average.
“In poultry farming, it’s a bit more complicated because the cycle is very short. 42 days is actually the whole period of a bird’s life. So yes, antibiotics are used here,” Babenko explained.
The use of drugs is often a necessary step to prevent mass diseases, as the disease can spread rapidly among a large number of poultry.
It should be added that according to the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Ukrainian poultry products gained access to the market of the Sultanate of Oman this year.
Thus, the ninth new export market for Ukrainian products was opened this year.
