The Meat Bird Dilemma

If you were to stand at my basement door today, you would hear voices…50 of them…peeping and cheeping their welcome.  This is our first flock of 2017 meat birds, which in 8 short weeks will be ready to graduate to “freezer camp” or at least to someone’s dinner table.

Perhaps you’ve heard the on-going controversy over slow-growth vs. fast-growth chicken.  Other websites will gladly provide full details but here is the Cliff Notes’ version.

Due to our mushrooming consumption of chicken, producers developed a breed that could be raised and finished quickly.  After all, time is money.  Throw in a large amount of breast meat and Americans rejoiced.  Prices remained low, so we could have our 10-piece, all white meat nugget meal any time we wanted.

The downside was health issues for the birds, and some would say for the diners.  A chicken that grows so quickly has trouble sustaining its weight.  Leg, heart, and disease issues became problems.  These birds are rather lazy and enjoy just sitting and eating.  Therefore, farmers could cram thousands into a barn, switch on artificial lights, supplement with hormones and antibiotics, and make a few mega companies some serious money.

America reacted.

And so the breeders went back to the drawing board.  The push now is for a slow-growth bird.  These enjoy exercise and are given access to the outdoors.  Theoretically, this is a better life for our friend the chicken.

Still, there are trade offs.  First, these birds take at least 25% longer to grow (10-12 weeks instead of as little as 35 days).  This means higher costs for both the farmer and consumer.  Some producers predict that slow-growth chickens could triple the price you pay at the store.  Second, chickens who move around more develop larger legs and thighs, with less breast meat.  Tenderness becomes a problem.  And third, the question of overcrowding has still not been answered.

So what is my take?  For me, the answer is not the breed but how it is cared for.  We have chosen to raise a quick-growing variety in a manner that respects the bird.  We allow chickens to be…chickens.

When our 50 chicks have “feathered out” they will be divided into large “chicken tractors.”  These mobile pens will be moved each day to fresh grass where they can enjoy clean air and sunshine.  We limit the number of birds in each pen so they have plenty of space to move freely about.  They are fed a high-quality, non-gmo mix, and we carefully adjust their protein intake when necessary so that their hearts and legs can handle their growth.

And our results?  We raise really good chicken.  The plentiful white meat is tender and juicy.  The broth is rich and golden.  Our repeat customer list continues to grow each year, and we sell out quickly.

Will we ever own a large chicken farm?  Probably not.  For us, quality beats quantity every time.  We’ll just keep raising our meat birds thoughtfully and carefully, the way it was meant to be.

Are you ready to try some?  Better order before they sell out!  Our website makes it easy.  For more information, follow the prompts on our home page or contact us at Love Led Farm.