Prof.Dr. Husam H. Nafea

Department of Animal Production

     Chicken meat is one of the most consumed animal proteins in the world because it is less expensive and does not cause health problems for consumers compared with red meat, as fast-growing strains were produced to meet the needs of the markets and achieve greater profit for the owners of chicken breeding projects. Chicken meals were introduced intensively with the provision of artificial lighting and concentrated feed Antibiotics are growth stimulants, and the latter is causing pathological problems, including the generation of resistant bacteria, in addition to other intensive breeding problems such as high temperatures, high humidity, and ammonia, and the emergence of acute respiratory infections. It has in the world of poultry breeding and production, which negatively affected the achievement of health and food security for poultry, which prompted the need to discover a commercial variety called organic chicken, which is an important part of sustainable development that everyone aspires to at present time, as many poultry projects have begun to turn into sustainable production units that depend on the application of technologies responsible for protecting the environment and at the same time providing safe organic products for consumer health, organic poultry products have become among the products With the commercial competitiveness of many countries of the world, the prevailing the belief of organic chicken is chicken free of chemicals, hormones and antibiotics only, and the fact that the concept of organic chicken goes beyond this belief, as it is an integrated animal production system in which chickens are raised with a biological system taken from nature that does not depend on chemical additives, Hormones and its producers are keen to provide walfair, health care, optimal management, use of renewable resources, preserving biodiversity and food safety, and maintain a high quality of the environment for future generations. Recent research has confirmed that this product has health and environmental benefits related to the health of humans and birds themselves. Organic poultry farming is Substituting Husbandry for Technology, With the provision of natural lighting, fresh air, open spaces, and freedom for birds, which allows birds to translate their genetic susceptibility. This also requires continuous monitoring of weather conditions, if they change, which can cause a high rate of fatalities due to the difficulty of applying this type of breeding to chickens in the cold winter season. Despite the suitability of this type of production to the climatic conditions in our dear country, Iraq, especially for small farmers in rural and small areas, which can be a source of national income. However, the organic poultry industry is still not widespread among producers and consumers, and there is not enough information about it. Organic chickens can be produced from one-day-old chicks and not only from organically raised chicken breeders, and they must be treated organically from the first day, provided that their rations are made from materials not treated with chemical fertilizers and insecticides, and it is not necessarily that they are constantly raised on weeds. Do not use any genetically modified food, and there must be places outside the hall that these birds can freely access. It is also not allowed to use hormones, antibiotics, and products of animal origin in the production of organic chickens. Preventive vaccines can be used to protect them from common diseases such as Newcastle, Gumboro , Coccidiosis, and Mycoplasma, and the application of security The organic chicken breeding projects must be surrounded by a tight fence to prevent the entry of predators, and the breeding halls should be spacious, that allow the birds to move freely and reduce stress, taking into account the balance of the diet in terms of energy, protein and containing nutrients to prevent the emergence of predation. The floor must be straw or sawdust, and the word “organic” must be placed on the product after it is slaughtered and packed. It is not allowed to use artificial colors or preservatives during the canning of organic chicken. One of the most important benefits of raising organic chickens is to maintain the purity of the environment by spreading poultry waste on large areas of pastures and not accumulating it inside poultry halls and to preserve soil and water sources by reducing its contamination with nitrates, pathogens, heavy metals, antibiotics, and pesticides, and it also requires capital. Few compared to commercial projects, and they can be produced seasonally according to market needs, and provide competitive price and good profit for the product, and the increasing consumer demand for these products. Many countries of the world support the return to nature in providing their food needs based on “your food is your medicine” and their belief in the importance of food for human health and its great role in the prevention of diseases. Organic poultry farming is to provide meat and eggs that are free of harmful pollutants and have a high nutritional value. The nutritional and health value of organically produced chicken and eggs is higher than that of commercial chickens. Organic chicken provides the body with beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants and is characterized by containing a greater weight ratio for the chest and thigh muscles and less content. From belly fat, the reason for this distinction is due to the quality of pastures and herbs on which the birds feed and the degree of activity of the bird during the breeding period. Among the most important contents of organic chicken meat and are beneficial to human health are unsaturated fatty acids called omega-3 and omega-6, such as linolenic acid, Linoleic acid, and Arachidonic acid. These fatty acids are called heart-friendly because they reduce the total amount of fat in the blood, thus reducing heart disease and sudden death, and are useful in cases of inflammation, raise the body’s immunity, help prevent cancer, and help reduce neuropathy for diabetic patients. Organic chicken meat contains more unsaturated fatty acids than commercial chicken meat and organic eggs are distinguished by containing a greater amount of omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, vitamin D and vitamin E, and lower content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol compared to commercial eggs. From the foregoing, I found it important to prepare this article because organic poultry production is one of the most promising projects in our dear country, Iraq.