Cobb 500

The Cobb 500 is a fast-growing broiler chicken breed. They can reach a 2 kg slaughter weight at 33 days old.[1][2] They make up around half of all globally farmed chickens as of 2016.[3] The Cobb 500 is controversial due to their health problems. Animal rights and animal welfare groups such as Open Cages have called for the industry to stop their use.[4][5]

History

The Cobb linage descends from the Vantress chicken, which was bred for the USDA's Chicken of Tomorrow contest in the 1940s.[6] The Cobb line itself saw its initial development in the 1970s in England by Cobb-Vantress.[7] The Cobb 500 in particular was introduced into the United States in 1985. In response, the US producer Tyson Foods acquired a 50% stake in Cobb-Vantress in 1986.[8] In 1994, Tyson acquired full control of the company.[9] The Cobb 500's share of all chickens has increased in the decades since.

In 2008, all Cobb line birds made up around 30-40% of global broilers.[10] In 2016, the Cobb 500 alone was nearly 50%.[3] More broadly, fast-growing chickens now make up the vast majority of the global chicken supply. As of 2021, 90% of the global broiler population is part of either the Cobb or Ross lines, which are both fast-growing.[11]

Health issues

The fast growth of the Cobb 500 is associated with an increased rate of various health problems. Compared to slower-growing chickens, they have a higher rate of sudden death syndrome,[12] hock burns,[13] Tibial dyschondroplasia,[14] weaker disease resistance and antibody response,[15] bone deformations, and problems with walking.[16]

References

  1. ^ Vidal, John (2018-12-27). "'It's God's plan': the man who dreams of bringing intensive chicken farming to Africa". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  2. ^ Cobb500 Broiler Performance & Nutrition Supplement (2022) (PDF) (Report). Cobb-Vantress. 2022.
  3. ^ a b Torrella, Kenny (2023-02-10). "How a shipping error more than a century ago launched the $30 billion chicken industry". Vox. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  4. ^ Ungoed-Thomas, Jon (2022-04-16). "'Frankenchicken' at the centre of fight for animal welfare". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  5. ^ Gunther, Marc (August 9, 2018). "Former Tyson Foods CEO Brings Chicken Farming To Rwanda — But Can It Last?". NPR.
  6. ^ Mock, Sarah (2020-08-17). "From farm to factory: the unstoppable rise of American chicken". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  7. ^ Wegner, Marcin; Kokoszyński, Dariusz; Żochowska-Kujawska, Joanna; Kotowicz, Marek (2023-09-21). "Effect of Genotype and Sex on Chemical Composition, Physicochemical Properties, Texture and Microstructure of Spent Broiler Breeder Meat". Agriculture. 13 (9): 1848. doi:10.3390/agriculture13091848. ISSN 2077-0472.
  8. ^ Bugos, Glenn E. (1992). "Intellectual Property Protection in the American Chicken–Breeding Industry". Business History Review. 66 (1): 127–168. doi:10.2307/3117055. ISSN 0007-6805. JSTOR 3117055.
  9. ^ Martinez, Stephen (April 1999). Vertical Coordination in the Pork and Broiler Industries: Implications for Pork and Chicken Products (Report). U.S. Department of Agriculture.
  10. ^ "Cobb-Vantress set to buy unit of rival | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. 2008-01-09. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
  11. ^ 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 2024-11-23.
  12. ^ Basaki, M.; Tabandeh, M. R.; Aminlari, M.; Asasi, K.; Mohsenifard, E.; Abdi-Hachesoo, B. (2019-06-25). "Sequence and expression analysis of cardiac ryanodine receptor 2 in broilers that died from sudden death syndrome". Avian Pathology. 48 (5): 444–453. doi:10.1080/03079457.2019.1618439. ISSN 0307-9457. PMID 31081346.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Mayahi, Mansoor; Talazadeh, Forough; Abdolshah, Mahya (2016-11-15). "Effect of genetic strains (Ross 308, Cobb 500 and Hubbard F15) on immune response against Newcastle disease vaccine in broiler chickens". International Journal of Enteric Pathogens. 4 (4): 37–39. doi:10.15171/ijep.2016.18. ISSN 2345-3362.
  16. ^ Villagómez-Cortés, José Alfredo; Guevara-Torres, Blanca Leydi; Landin-Grandvallet, Luis Antonio; Tirado-Madrid, Alberto (2021). "Comparison of locomotion problems and its economic impact on Cobb and Ross broiler strains". Veterinary Science Research. 3 (2): 40–46. doi:10.30564/vsr.v3i2.4126. ISSN 2661-3867.