All Chickens are Not Created Equal

Last night I was talking to a friend who mentioned a new line of “Hormone-Free” chicken. I had researched that a bit when it first became available because I admit, the low price was intriguing.

Well the first thing I learned was that all chicken is “Hormone-Free.” According to the USDA Food Inspection Safety Service, no hormones are to be used in the raising of chickens. So the new line of chicken – simply slick marketing.

But I wasn’t done looking, nope, I figured since I had been writing about eggs, chickens, canaries and mutated fish, I would continue on and answer as many poultry questions as possible.

According to Delicious Organics, “Organic Chicken” has always been fed only organic grains – which means they are non GMO; no chemicals or pesticides were used on the farm for at least three years, and the feed is routinely checked and verified for organic standards. “Organic Chicken” was NEVER given any antibiotics, hormones or drugs, it was raised humanely and in a stress free environment, and allowed free-range, meaning it had daily access to fresh air and sunshine outdoors – basically, the bird was given room to move in an area that was clean and safe.

Now another common slick marketing trick in chickens can be the word “Natural” which is simply a label for ANY food product that does not contain artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, and has been minimally processed – although the definition for “Natural” is moving far away from that – but that’s another post. In this instance, think about it, all chickens are “Natural.”

“Free Range” is another label oftentimes given to chickens – and essentially means that during their lifetimes, they were given room to move. “Free Range” only means however, that they were allowed access to the outdoors. It doesn’t mean that the area was clean, it doesn’t mean that they were not treated with antibiotics or drugs, and it doesn’t mean they were given only organic, non GMO grains.

The last tidbit I picked up from Delicious Organics is in regards to “Conventional Chicken.” These chickens are raised in confined, tight quarters, oftentimes extremely cramped with damp, ammonia-accumulated and polluted environments with no natural ventilation. They are predisposed to stress and sickness because of their living conditions and sickness spreads quickly. They are in turn treated with antibiotics regularly, fed drugs to enhance their growth and additives to enhance their color. They are fed grains and soybeans that could contain pesticides and more than likely are GMO. And if that isn’t enough, they may be fed animal by-products which is certainly not a natural feed for chickens.

Just as I wrote earlier this year in the blog post, An Egg is an Egg Right? Knowledge is Power. And like the egg, all chickens are not created equal. Consider the quality of foods you want to eat and feed your family, shop with discernment and when slick marketing and other healthy sounding terms cloud the issue, do some research before buying.