Most chickens that are raised as meat or for their eggs are housed in cages. However, the pastured poultry process is a humane alternative in which the birds not only live better but produce a better product. They roam freely inside their pen and eat a wide variety of grass, worms, bugs, and feed.
The majority of chickens and their eggs are processed with the battery method. Birds are housed in a multilayer cage system with a number of other chickens totaling thousands. They live there until they are slaughtered or until they are no longer viable egg producers. For many years this was the only process in place and most people never worried about how the chickens were treated. In recent years, people have learned more about the battery process and realized that it is an inhumane way of processing chickens. Because of this awareness, new processes have arisen in the poultry market.
One of the alternatives to the battery method is called the cage free method. Producers house their birds in a large barn and allow them to roam freely inside. This method is more humane as the farmer makes nests and perches available for the chickens. Still, they do not have access to fresh air or fresh food.
Free range chickens are allowed at least some time in the outdoors. This means different things in different facilities, though. While some birds are allowed to actually roam outside, hunting and pecking for food, others may only be let out onto a dirt or cement road. It is not as common to produce eggs and meat this way as it is the battery method, but it has gained traction in recent years.
Many people consider the pastured poultry method of producing chickens to be the most humane. The chickens have constant access to the outdoors and the ability to hunt and peck. They are usually still in a pen, protected from predators and, as needed, the weather. The pen is moved around the property so that they have access to fresh greenery and bugs.
Probably the most common term that most consumers have heard is that of organic products. Organic foods contain far less chemicals because the producer must certify that they did not use fertilizer or pesticides during any of the last three growing seasons. Birds that have been fed only a diet of organic food also meet this definition but even caged or free range poultry could be certified as organic.
This type of housing can be more costly than either battery or free range chicken. Additionally, it can be very confusing for consumers to decide between the different types of chicken based upon advertising alone. Free range might mean pastured. Organic products may have actually been caged, and local farmers may have limited stock or only sell to established customers.
For some people it is more valuable to support local farmers than to give money to large corporations. Consumers who purchase pastured poultry are able to say they have accomplished this goal. The fact is that the chickens are treated better by local farmers and their small businesses have a better chance of succeeding if consumers purchase their product.
The majority of chickens and their eggs are processed with the battery method. Birds are housed in a multilayer cage system with a number of other chickens totaling thousands. They live there until they are slaughtered or until they are no longer viable egg producers. For many years this was the only process in place and most people never worried about how the chickens were treated. In recent years, people have learned more about the battery process and realized that it is an inhumane way of processing chickens. Because of this awareness, new processes have arisen in the poultry market.
One of the alternatives to the battery method is called the cage free method. Producers house their birds in a large barn and allow them to roam freely inside. This method is more humane as the farmer makes nests and perches available for the chickens. Still, they do not have access to fresh air or fresh food.
Free range chickens are allowed at least some time in the outdoors. This means different things in different facilities, though. While some birds are allowed to actually roam outside, hunting and pecking for food, others may only be let out onto a dirt or cement road. It is not as common to produce eggs and meat this way as it is the battery method, but it has gained traction in recent years.
Many people consider the pastured poultry method of producing chickens to be the most humane. The chickens have constant access to the outdoors and the ability to hunt and peck. They are usually still in a pen, protected from predators and, as needed, the weather. The pen is moved around the property so that they have access to fresh greenery and bugs.
Probably the most common term that most consumers have heard is that of organic products. Organic foods contain far less chemicals because the producer must certify that they did not use fertilizer or pesticides during any of the last three growing seasons. Birds that have been fed only a diet of organic food also meet this definition but even caged or free range poultry could be certified as organic.
This type of housing can be more costly than either battery or free range chicken. Additionally, it can be very confusing for consumers to decide between the different types of chicken based upon advertising alone. Free range might mean pastured. Organic products may have actually been caged, and local farmers may have limited stock or only sell to established customers.
For some people it is more valuable to support local farmers than to give money to large corporations. Consumers who purchase pastured poultry are able to say they have accomplished this goal. The fact is that the chickens are treated better by local farmers and their small businesses have a better chance of succeeding if consumers purchase their product.
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You can visit the website www.whynotfarm.net for more helpful information about Pastured Poultry Versus Other Processes
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