The "buy yogurt and get a free chick" promotion has been suspended. How many risks are there behind this "cuteness"? →

Some time ago, some supermarkets launched a "buy yogurt and get a free chick" campaign, attracting children to beg adults to buy yogurt to get the "freebie". Now, this campaign has been stopped by the relevant departments. So where do these chicks come from? Do they pose health risks? What difficulties will the subsequent breeding face?

What is the identity of the chickens in the supermarket?

Next to the yogurt shelf in the supermarket, cute fluffy chicks hopped nimbly in the cartons, attracting the attention of many children, who wanted to touch their furry heads and even take them home as pets. The staff said that as long as they bought a few bottles of yogurt, they could fulfill their wish of "taking the chicks home", which was very cost-effective.

Image generated by AI

It is learned that these chicks given as "gifts" are mostly some male chicks left over from breeding in the hatchery. The reason why they are sold to supermarkets at low prices is mainly because after selecting high-quality chicks as breeding roosters, the other chicks can only play a very limited role. "Theoretically, under natural conditions, the hatching ratio of female chicks to male chicks is about 1:1. However, during the later breeding, generally 6-10 hens need 1 rooster. Therefore, there may be about 5-9 roosters born in almost the same proportion, which are of limited use and are often eliminated by the hatchery." Liu Yuehuan, a researcher at the Animal Disease Research Laboratory of the Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, said.

Of course, trying to please children by "exuding cuteness" in supermarkets is not a common way out for these "unsuccessful" chicks. More male chicks may continue to be raised or sold to slaughterhouses to become animal feed.

Their different fates are mainly related to the breed of the chicks. Liu Yuehuan further introduced: "According to different uses, chicks are mainly divided into broiler chickens, broiler-egg chickens and egg-laying chickens. Generally speaking, male broiler chickens will continue to be raised even if they are not breeders, and most male broiler-egg chickens will also continue to be raised. The fragrant roast chicken that everyone is familiar with is made from young roosters. However, egg-laying male chicks are often sold to slaughterhouses early because of their low meat yield and low cost-effectiveness. They become raw materials for making animal-derived feed or are eaten by other animals."

Do “gift” chicks pose health risks?

Although the chicks are loved by children as "gifts" and may temporarily avoid the fate of being used as animal feed, some other consumers who shop in supermarkets have concerns about this form. They are worried that the chicks carry pathogens, which will cause adverse health effects on people.

In order to dispel customers' doubts, supermarket staff said that the chicks were purchased from regular hatcheries, and had been vaccinated and disinfected to ensure their safety.

In fact, the safety of supermarket chicks is closely related to vaccination, stocking density, ventilation and hygiene, and the time of stocking. Generally speaking, supermarket "gift" chicks will only be more "sparkling and lovable" and thus win the favor of children if they remain fluffy and cute. However, for chicks, this cute look does not last long.

Liu Yuehuan said that chicks will not be able to maintain their cute furry appearance for too long. In recent years, with the implementation of the national animal disease purification work, common poultry infectious diseases such as pullorum and fowl leukemia have been effectively controlled. If the chicks in the supermarket are indeed vaccinated in regular hatcheries, are in a short feeding period, and are kept in a low-density, well-ventilated and hygienic environment, the chance of spreading diseases is relatively low.

However, if the stocking density is high, the feed is monotonous, the ventilation is poor, the biosecurity measures are not in place, or if for some reason the animals are kept in the supermarket for too long, the disease may also occur.

How to achieve “interaction” and “risk hedging”?

Many parents are also very worried that their children may be infected with possible germs from the "gift" chicks. However, due to their curious nature, children often want to touch the chicks to feel their furry texture.

Image generated by AI

In fact, parents can take some measures to reduce the health risks of their children. Liu Yuehuan explained: "If children frequently come into contact with chickens, they can be taken to the sink to clean their hands with soap or hand sanitizer as soon as they stop contacting. During this process, avoid rubbing the eyes or mouth and nose with their hands to further reduce the risk."

Urban chicken farming faces many difficulties

While paying attention to the risk of disease transmission, many parents still choose to buy products to fulfill their children's wishes and get "gift" chicks. But perhaps most buyers do not realize that raising chickens in the city is not as easy as imagined.

Image generated by AI

In cities, most people live in reinforced concrete buildings, and most of them keep chicks on balconies. There are few courtyards for chicks to move around in, which affects their smooth growth. At the same time, the chirping of chicks often affects the rest of the family.

Compared with residents on higher floors, some residents on the first floor believe that the small yard in their homes can be used as a place for chickens to move around, and their chirping will generally not be heard inside the house, making it more suitable for raising chickens. However, as male chickens grow up, they often start to crow, and the continuous crowing often has extraordinary penetrating power, often "disturbing people's sleep", affecting not only their own lives, but also their neighbors' sleep, thus damaging neighborhood relations.

In addition to the noise problem, hygiene issues also require breeders to invest a lot of energy. Usually, chicks defecate many times a day, and if they are not cleaned in time, it is easy to breed bacteria. At the same time, it is necessary to observe whether there is any abnormality in the feces and make adjustments in time.

More importantly, the chicks need to be vaccinated multiple times during their future growth. For example, egg-laying chickens are generally vaccinated within 24 hours after hatching, the second vaccination at 5-7 days old, and then every 2-3 weeks. However, as individual breeders, they often do not have the actual conditions to vaccinate their chickens, and cannot guarantee the health and safety of the chickens.

In addition, Liu Yuehuan reminded everyone that before deciding to raise chicks, be sure to understand the laws and regulations of your city to understand whether you can raise them at home.

Further reading: Know more about avian influenza

Compared to mammals such as cats and dogs, most people have fewer opportunities to come into contact with chickens and often have limited knowledge of them. But when it comes to poultry-related zoonoses, many people think of avian influenza.

As the name implies, avian influenza often occurs in poultry such as chickens, ducks, geese or ostriches. Although there are occasional reports of human infection with avian influenza, it is mostly related to close contact or food hygiene. Liu Yuehuan said that the former often occurs among farm workers who have close contact with poultry, who are infected due to close contact with infected poultry or their secretions and excrement, or are spread by poultry through droplets. The latter is more common in people who prefer to eat undercooked meat and egg products, or those who do not use separate cutting boards and knives for raw and cooked meat. Because undercooked meat products may contain poultry bone marrow and blood, these may serve as hiding places for the virus.

In addition to the well-known avian influenza, Chlamydia psittaci, Salmonella, Campylobacter, etc. may also be transmitted through poultry. Among them, Chlamydia psittaci is more common in parrots, and occasionally appears in pigeons and other small birds. Pet owners who prefer pet birds need to pay more attention. While enjoying the beauty and intelligence of birds, they must also do a good job of hygiene management.

Source: Beijing Science and Technology News

Interview expert: Liu Yuehuan, researcher at the Animal Disease Research Laboratory, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences

Written by: Reporter Liao Mailun