Ross 308
The Ross 308 is a breed of fast-growing broiler chicken. They reach a 2.3 kg weight in around 35 days.[1] They are widely used globally.[2] They are controversial due to higher rates of health issues. Some animal rights and animal welfare groups, such as L214 and Open Cages, have called for the industry to switch away from the Ross 308.[3][4] However, some researchers note that if chicken consumption isn't decreased at the same time, such a move might risk higher land usage, more chickens slaughtered, and worse crowding in CAFOs.[5]
History
[edit]The Ross 308 originates in the United Kingdom from the Ross Group. The Ross Poultry Group became part of Aviagen in 1998. Aviagen was then bought out by the EW Group in 2005. While they still breed the Ross 308 today, their distribution primarily happens through Industrias Bachoco, JBS, and BRF.[6]
The Ross 308 started to gain a large market share globally in the 1980s.[7] The exact timings of introduction to different parts of the world have varied. For instance, the Ross 308 was introduced to North America in 1994,[8] Turkey around 1995—achieving 40% market share by 1999,[9] introduced to South Africa in 2009,[10] and India in 2015.[11]
Health Issues
[edit]Like other fast-growing birds, the Ross 308 is linked to an increased risk for a number of different health conditions. Compared to slower-growing birds, the Ross 308 is at a higher risk of sudden death syndrome,[12] hock burns,[13] Tibial dyschondroplasia,[14] and sees increased use of antibiotics[15] among other issues. When comparing the amount of time in pain for fast-growing birds like the Ross 308 to slower-growing birds, "excruciating" pain averaged 5x higher, "disabling" pain 3x higher, "hurtful" pain 33% higher, and there was a very slight reduction in "annoying" pain.[16]
Phase Out Attempts
[edit]Due to welfare concerns, some producers and distributors have attempted to switch away from the Ross 308 to slower-growing birds with varying degrees of endurance. Danpo, which is one of the largest producers of chickens in Denmark, tried moving over to slower-growing birds starting in 2021.[17] They reverted that decision in September 2023 after higher prices dissuaded consumers.[18] In 2019, KFC made pledges to phase out the use of any fast-growing chickens by 2026 but has since dropped its pledge after making limited progress.[19] In 2017, US chicken producer Bell & Evans announced plans to phase out fast-growing chickens in 2018 but have since reverted. Emmer & Co and Cooks Venture attempted to avoid the use of antibiotics and fast-growing chicken from the start and have since gone out of business after struggling to get more investors.[20]
A 2017 European Union commissioned study theorized most of the difficulties with switching away originate from consumer aversion to its higher prices and lack of awareness of issues with fast-growing breeds. Despite some legislators encouraging slow-growing birds, the rates of fast-growing bird usage remained high, with slow-growing birds making up less than 5% of most EU member states. Ross lines in particular made up 70% of EU broilers, with the Ross 308 being a substantial percentage of that.[21]
See Also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Broiler Management Handbook 2025" (PDF). Aviagen.
- ^ Usborne, Simon (2021-11-24). "The £3 chicken: how much should we actually be paying for the nation's favourite meat?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "Ross envahit la place de la Bourse avec ses congénères | Lettre de L214". diffusion.l214.com. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Smith, Linsey (2023-09-08). "Frankenchicken, farming and the cost of living crisis". BBC. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Chan, Iris; Franks, Becca; Hayek, Matthew N. (2022). "The 'sustainability gap' of US broiler chicken production: trade-offs between welfare, land use and consumption". Royal Society Open Science. 9 (6). doi:10.1098/rsos.210478. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 9156924. PMID 35706662.
- ^ Tak, Mehroosh; Karamchedu, Ambarish (2022). IDENTIFYING ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL DRIVERS OF INDUSTRIAL LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION - THE CASE OF THE GLOBAL CHICKEN INDUSTRY (PDF) (Report).
- ^ Goga, Sumayya; Simon, Roberts (August 2023). "Multinationals and competition in poultry value chains in South Africa, Zambia, and Malawi" (PDF). Johannesburg Centre for Competition, Regulation and Economic Development (CCRED).
- ^ "Ross Breeders". Broiler Industry. Vol. 58, no. 7. July 1995. p. 66.
- ^ "Turkish Industry Senior Advisor Retires". www.thepoultrysite.com. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ "New poultry breed coming to SA". News24. 26 Jun 2008. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ "Aviagen India Celebrates 10 Years of Collaboration with IB Group: 100,000 Grandparent Poultry Stock". aviagen.com. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ Faisal, Olayiwola Kolawole; K, Sulaiman Mariam; A.A, Professor Toye (2025-01-09), Differential growth, Cardiovascular risk, and Polymorphism in Targeted Regions of Ryanodine Receptor 2 (RYR2) gene in Three Breeds of Chickens., doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-5790536/v1, retrieved 2025-05-31
- ^ Kwon, Byung-Yeon; Park, Jina; Kim, Da-Hye; Lee, Kyung-Woo (2024-04-05). "Assessment of Welfare Problems in Broilers: Focus on Musculoskeletal Problems Associated with Their Rapid Growth". Animals. 14 (7): 1116. doi:10.3390/ani14071116. ISSN 2076-2615. PMC 11011155. PMID 38612355.
- ^ Dinev, I.; Denev, S.A.; Edens, F.W. (Sep 2012). "Comparative clinical and morphological studies on the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia as a cause of lameness in three commercial lines of broiler chickens". Journal of Applied Poultry Research. 21 (3): 637–644. doi:10.3382/japr.2010-00303.
- ^ Slegers, Y.; Hostens, M.; Matthijs, M.G.R.; Stegeman, J.A.; de Wit, J.J. (Nov 2024). "Broiler flocks in production systems with slower-growing breeds and reduced stocking density receive fewer antibiotic treatments and have lower mortality". Poultry Science. 103 (11): 104197. doi:10.1016/j.psj.2024.104197. ISSN 0032-5791.
- ^ Schuck-Paim, Cynthia; Jimenez Alonso, Wladimir (2022). Quantifying Pain in Broiler Chickens.
- ^ Mcdougal, Tony (2020-04-28). "Danish poultry producer to phase out fast-growing broilers". Poultry World. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ "No demand for slower-growing broilers in Denmark". Poultry World. 2024-02-08. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ Ungoed-Thomas, Jon (2024-11-23). "KFC drops pledge to stop using 'Frankenchickens' in the UK". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ Held, Lisa (2024-05-22). "What Happened to Antibiotic-Free Chicken?". Civil Eats. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ European Commission. Directorate General for Health and Food Safety. (2017). Study on the application of the broiler directive DIR 2007/43/EC and development of welfare indicators: final report. LU: Publications Office. doi:10.2875/729456.