Commercial chickens have been selected for either egg laying or meat production. For example, for meat birds, breeding using the fastest growing birds results in fast growers in the next generation. Today, the egg strains are lightweight and produce many eggs and the meat strains grow very fast. Diets are formulated to provide the nutrients that the birds need.

Hormones are prohibited for use in the poultry industry and the Australian Government tests for these hormonal growth promotants as part of its National Residue Survey annual program - no residues have been detected (see annual report).

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial diseases and to prevent birds getting a disease when there is a high risk of this occurring (using antibiotics increases production cost). Antibiotics are approved for the particular use by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The APVMA sets withholding periods for the approved uses. A withholding period, in relation to the use of a chemical product, means the minimum period that needs to elapse between the last use of the product in relation to an animal and the slaughtering of that animal, or the collection of eggs from that animal, for human consumption. The Australian Government tests for antibiotic residues as part of its National Residue Survey program and no antibiotic residues have been detected in poultry products for years; however, two samples contained an anticoccidial residue (no Australian Standard for the particular one) resulting in a 98.26% compliance in 2009-10, as listed in their annual report.

Eggs

The Food Safety Scheme for Eggs and Egg Products (Safe Food Queensland)
Safe Food Queensland has developed and implemented a co-regulatory preventative food safety regime called the Food Safety Scheme for Egg and Egg Products (Egg Scheme). The Egg Scheme requires all commercial operators involved in the supply, processing, wholesaling or transportation of eggs or egg products in Queensland to operate under a Safe Food Queensland approved food safety program and be accredited.

Australian Egg Corporation Limited
This producer-owned company provides marketing, research and policy services on behalf of all Australian egg farmers. The website includes information on egg production, the value of eggs in human nutrition, and recipes.

Meat

Australian Chicken Meat Federation
This is the peak coordinating body for participants in the chicken meat industry in Australia. The website includes information about chicken meat production, human nutrition and recipes.

Meat poultry industry forums
The Ministerial Poultry Dialogue for Action Forums are an opportunity to discuss industry development and sustainability issues.

History of the chicken meat industry

Leather

Emu skins
This site describes the hide characteristics, supplier details and product availability for emu leather products.

Organic

Organic industry
This site includes information for consumers, producers and researchers about organically grown meat and plant products.

Other

PoultryHub industry website, developed by the Poultry CRC, has a wide range of poultry information, including about eggs and chicken meat, links to poultry organisations.

Chicken litter as a fertiliser on dairy pasture

Don't feed chicken litter and chicken faeces to livestock - it's against the law