Australian meat chickens need change

ABOVE: Inside Better Chicken Commitment-compliant farms in the UK. Photos: RSPCA UK Since launching in July, the Better Chicken Australia campaign has reached tens of thousands of Australian chicken consumers across social media and news outlets with the call for higher welfare standards. The campaign promotes the globally recognised Better Chicken Commitment as a way…

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Australia’s meat chicken industry – Part 1

ABOVE: A modern broiler farm. Australia’s meat chicken (or broiler) sector has a relatively brief history when compared with other major Australian livestock industries. In this two part series, we look at that history, with additional insights into our meat chicken industry. There are currently more than 800 commercial meat chicken growers in Australia. Most…

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City birds found to be carriers of AMR bacteria

ABOVE: The new study found that wild birds living close to humans in cities are likely to carry bacteria with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Image credit: Viktor Keri: Unsplash Research from the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research at Oxford University has revealed that wild birds, such as ducks and crows, living near human populations—especially in…

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Australia’s chicken love story

ABOVE: Its versatility and affordability make chickens a global favourite. Photo: Roman Odintsov, Pexels Historically, Australians didn’t eat chicken. As a nation we have gone from believing chicken meat to be a bit ordinary to gorging on millions of chickens each year. Data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development shows the average Australian…

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$30 million biosecurity hub to safeguard Australia

ABOVE: Charles Sturt University has been working with DAFF since 2022, utilising the university’s teaching and research strengths to train more than 840 frontline biosecurity officers. Recently, Australia’s defence against crippling biosecurity threats was strengthened with the launch of the Charles Sturt University Biosecurity Hub, a co-investment in research and training of almost $30 million…

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Zoetis supports mental health initiative

ABOVE: Zoetis has partnered with Beyond Blue to once again champion mental health initiatives in rural Australia. In recent years, Australians in rural and regional areas have faced unprecedented challenges that have taken a toll on mental health and well-being. Factors such as inflation, cost-of-living pressures, climate change and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19…

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