Adaptability Challenges for Organic Broiler Chickens: A Commentary

Abstract

As organic and conventional poultry production increased in the last decade, so did consumers’ concerns, sustainability requirements, and animal welfare as well as health issues. According to Reg. EU 848/2008 on organic production, poultry must be adapted to organic outdoor systems and cope with all the regulatory constraints in terms of nutrition, health, and welfare. Adaptability must take into account the above challenges, constraints, and concerns. Chicken adaptability should not only mean being able to use pasture and outdoor areas, but also mean being able to overcome, or be resilient to, the challenges of organic farming without compromising welfare, performance, and product quality. This commentary identifies solutions to the new challenges that organic poultry chains must face in future productive scenarios, detects consumer viewpoints to provide a perspective on organic poultry production, and summarizes as well as defines chicken adaptability to organic production, assessing the main factors of chicken adaptability.

Keywords

• organic poultry production
• adaptability
• sustainability
• animal welfare
• broiler health