Pasture Raised Chicken vs
Free-Range vs Cage-Free
(9 minute read)
There you are in the shops, standing before the choices of chicken, wondering what’s the best one for your household. Unless you spend your free time reading about chicken farming and food manufacturing, the packaging on chicken gets confusing very quickly. How is pasture-raised chicken better? And what about free-range, organic and cage-free chicken? Some clear information would be helpful. We’re here to provide it.
Key Takeaways
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There really is a difference between free-range vs. cage-free vs. organic vs. pasture-raised chicken.
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Large, conventional poultry farms can have a significant, negative impact on the environment.
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Pasture-raised chicken provides many benefits, including a higher level of nutrients and less exposure to antibiotics.
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Pasture-raised chicken are raised on sustainable farms.
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In addition to being more humane for the animal, pasture-raised farms are also better stewards of the environment.
Health and Environmental Impact of Conventional Chicken
Once you know how conventional chicken is raised, it’s impossible to simply walk into the grocery store and buy the cheapest, biggest package of chicken breasts you can find. It’s not the best decision for your own health or for the environment.
The list of issues with conventionally raised chicken is a long one. It includes the following:
Use of Antibiotics
In conventional chicken farming, antibiotics are often used to prevent disease in crowded conditions. Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, posing a significant threat to human health.
Exposure to Chemicals
Conventionally raised chickens may be exposed to pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals used in feed production or to control pests and diseases on farms.
Environmental Issues
Intensive chicken farming produces large amounts of waste, including feces, urine and excess feed. Improper management of this waste can lead to water pollution through runoff, leaching into groundwater or direct discharge into water bodies.
Large-scale poultry farming often requires large areas of land, which can lead to habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity and disruption of ecosystems.
Nutritional Content
Conventional chicken raised in intensive farming systems may have lower nutritional content compared to pasture-raised chickens. Factors such as diet, living conditions, and stress levels can affect the nutritional quality of the meat.
Pasture-raised chicken refers to poultry that is raised outdoors on pasture or grassland, with access to fresh air, sunlight and natural vegetation. This term often leads to the question, "Is grass-fed chicken a thing?"
While chickens can eat grass, they are omnivores and naturally forage for insects, plants, and seeds. Unlike conventionally raised chickens, pasture-raised chickens are allowed to engage in their natural behaviors. They typically are raised on smaller farms that adhere to sustainable farming practices.
The following looks at a comparison between pasture-raised chicken and chicken packaged with other labels. For the most part, those other labels are on packages of what is still essentially “conventional chicken” that can be raised in crowded conditions, given hormones and antibiotics and rarely (often never) given access to the outdoors. The only chicken that is significantly different - and healthier - is pasture-raised.
What does "Pasture-Raised" Really Mean?
Pasture-Raised Chicken vs. Free-Range Chicken
Like pasture-raised chicken, cage-free chicken spend the majority of their time outdoors, engaging in natural behaviors.
Free-range chickens also have access to outdoor areas, but the size and quality of the outdoor space varies. The definition is fairly loose. It could be a small, enclosed space with minimal usable area.
Foraging is a fundamental aspect of pasture-raised chicken farming. However, while free-range chickens may have access to outdoor foraging areas, the availability of natural food sources and extent of foraging varies depending on the size of the space and the farm’s management practices.
And those practices can veer into the horrific...
With organic chicken, the focus is on their diet, with chickens fed certified organic feed grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides or GMOs. However, the chickens themselves may or may not have access to the outdoors.
The term “organic” alone does not guarantee outdoor access or humane living conditions. Many large chicken operations may bill themselves as producing an “organic” product but still house chickens in overcrowded conditions.
Pasture-Raised Chicken vs. Organic Chicken
Pasture-Raised Chicken vs. Cage-Free Chicken
Cage-free poultry operations get rid of the cages many conventional chicken farms use, but they often live in large, overcrowded and often dirty indoor buildings with limited freedom of movement and no guaranteed access to the outdoors.
They also can be given feed that has been exposed to pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals used in feed production.
Conventionally raised chickens spend most, if not all, their lives indoors in large, confined buildings. They have minimal space and limited opportunity to express natural behaviors. As can be seen above, conventional-raised chicken can include chicken advertised as organic, cage-free and free-range. Only pasture-raised chicken is truly different.
Pasture-raised poultry farms also support sustainable agriculture. Conventional poultry operations have been associated with pollution of waterways, habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity and disruption of ecosystems.
The dietary variety of pasture-raised chicken contributes to the taste and nutritional profile of the meat. Conventionally raised chickens primarily rely on commercially produced feed that may contain antibiotics. Pasture-raised chicken have a more flavorful and nutritious profile due to diet and exercise.
Pasture-Raised Chicken vs. Conventional Chicken
Pasture-Raised Chicken vs. Store-Bought Chicken
In addition to the differences in animal welfare and environmental impact, there also are many differences between the quality and taste of pasture-raised chicken vs. the typical chicken choices you find in the grocery store.
Pasture-raised chicken tends to have high nutritional quality compared to conventionally raised chickens. This translates to meat potentially containing higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids (beneficial for heart health and reducing inflammation), more vitamin E (an antioxidant important for cell health) and potentially increased levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that may benefit weight management and immune function. Pasture-raised chicken will also have a healthier fat profile than conventional chicken, as does pasture-raised beef.
Pasture-raised chicken also offers a richer and more robust flavor compared to conventionally raised chicken, as well as a more tender and succulent texture. Typical grocery store chicken has a milder flavor profile, and variations in processing methods, breed and farming practices can result in differences in texture and taste. Pasture-raised chicken also has less overall fat and saturated fat compared to conventionally raised chicken.