SLOW-GROWING CHICKEN BREED CREATED IN STARA ZAGORA

Scientists from the Agricultural Institute in the city of Stara Zagora have created a new breed of slow-growing chicken. It would take 90 days to full maturity rather than 30. The new slower growing chicken need to be raised in a natural environment and fed with natural products. Use of antibiotics is not allowed. A Korean company has already shown interest to the project.

Although ecologically-friendly farming is not so popular in Bulgaria yet, many European poultry farmers have used that method for years.

Associate Professor, PhD Mitko Lalev from the Agricultural Institute in Stara Zagora says that 15% of meat chicken production in France is from slow-growing breeds. They are raised in natural environment, outdoors in the sunshine. The price of such chicken will respectively be higher.

The scientists forecast that in the next 2-3 years Bulgarian farmers would start using such genotype as the demand will grow. Associate Professor Lalev does not believe that Bulgarian farmers feed chicken with growth hormones, because it is expensive and producers cannot afford it.

Experts say that superior quality suggests higher prices of the product, which Bulgarian people cannot always afford to pay.