Poultry Know it all

Do you ever wonder what all the names and terms being used mean?

Pastured Poultry

"Pastured poultry" refers to a method of raising poultry in which the birds are allowed to forage on pasture land, as opposed to being confined in tightly packed cages or barns for the entirety of their lives. The specifics of pastured poultry can vary, but the general principles are usually very similar.

Organic Poultry

The term “organic” refers to the feed used and the overall farming practices. Organic chicken must be fed organic feed, which is free from synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). 

Furthermore, antibiotics and growth hormones are not used. The USDA organic regulations also require that the chickens have access to the outdoors, though the specifics of the outdoor area (like its size or vegetation quality) can vary significantly

Free Range Poultry

"Free-range" is a term that refers to a method of animal husbandry where chickens are able to roam freely outdoors rather than being confined by an enclosure for 24 hours a day. The USDA says "free-range" or "free-roaming" chicken must be "allowed access to the outside,"* but that can be interpreted in many different ways. Larger producers, unfortunately, have been known to follow only the letter of the law, not its spirit, and put open windows or small doors that lead to paved patches of the ground at the ends of large, crowded hen houses that are from anyone's idyllic notion of farm life or the best possible life for a chicken.

Pasture-Raised vs Organic vs Free Range Chicken

If I had to choose between organic, pasture raised, or free range chicken, the pasture raised chicken would be my first choice. Yes, I would chose pasture-raised chicken over organic chicken.

Conventional Poultry Barn

Chicken raised conventionally are tightly put into chicken houses and there is not much room to move. This leads to a greater tendency for disease and unfavorable living conditions.