Category: Chicken
Our organic chicken – Is this the best chicken you can buy? – We think so.
I was very hesitant about trying to find a decent chicken producer for the website, it would mean that I had to visit the farm to inspect it which brought about a sense of trepidation. When I was 14 I took my first-weekend job in a nearby battery farm, this shocking experience is what set me on a path of campaigning for better animal welfare.
Great news. This Farm was on the other end of the welfare spectrum!
We wanted to find a free range and organic chicken producer that would fit in with our ethos. We feel this producers chicken offers the most sustainable, high welfare, nutrient dense chicken possible and will be good enough for ‘primal eaters’. In the case of beef and sheep our meat has to be 100% grass fed NO grains – it’s best for the animal, the planet and us.
The problem chicken and pigs is that they are omnivores; they don’t naturally eat just grass, they like a bit of all sorts. Hens thrive on insects, seeds and grains, so if we want to offer – and eat – commercial chicken we have to make some allowances. Purist paleo eaters are perhaps better eating wild game birds (available throughout winter) but for many, chicken is still a staple at the dinner table – we think this organic chicken is hard to beat.
These birds are free to roam throughout the day and are shut up in bedded pens with plenty of room at night to protect them from predators (fox, badger, mink and buzzard). They roam on fresh pasture, the arcs are regularly moved , so the grassland does not get sour, leaving plenty of insects for the hens to feast on. Yum.
These birds have access to a mix of grains that is approved ‘organic’ by the soil association. All the grain used is sourced in the UK and is classed as GM free. There are huge issues over the use of GM grains you can read about it here if you’re interested.
Both the male and female chicks are used for rearing, and the rate of growth for organic chicken is nearly twice as long as more intensive operations. A slower growth pace allows the birds to adjust to their increased body weight and keep mobile.
The birds do not receive any antibiotic or other routine medicines; in fact there has been none used on the farm for approximately 8 years.
The slaughtering is undertaken in the Farm’s own abattoir where several measures are taken ‘above and beyond’ the basic leagal requirements. These costly measures are to ensure the hens remain calm and comfortable up to the point of slaughter and that the slaughter process itself is quick and fully successful. A vet is always present during the slaughter process to oversee the operation.
We are excited to offer the full range of organic chicken cuts including offal, this fits in with our principles of ‘nose to tail’ eating – or should that be ‘beak to tail’!
Organic chicken carcasses, organic chicken feet, gizzards, and necks are all fantastic for making healing organic chicken bone broths. Bone broths are getting a huge amount of attention in the media for their miraculous health benefits.
Organic chicken is a higher price than the unbelievable cheap offerings available on the supermarket shelves – how the heck do they produce an animal that cheaply? This is how:
• The birds are confined to reduce movement and burn fewer calories.
• They birds are nothing but grain to fatten incredibly quickly.
• Losses and disease are common, so routine medical intervention is often used. (Help the campaign to stop antibiotic overuse in farm animals)
• The animals fatten so quickly that they can barely support their weight; they stagger around with warped legs and sores.
• They are slaughtered as quickly as possible to minimise costs.
Something like 30-40% of all food in this country is wasted; could we perhaps make better use of the food we buy? Could we make stocks and use up leftovers for extra meals?
If you ‘vote’ with your pound for animals to be reared in better conditions, happily, you will get far healthier meat too.
So why not take a quick look at our chicken range, if you have ANY questions about production methods, the diet of the animals or specifics of the slaughter process just click chat and ask me.
We would LOVE your help raising awareness of these topics – feel free to social share us on your favourite network.
Thanks Caroline