It’s no secret that the U.S. poultry industry has major problems and, for years now, has fallen under the scrutinous eye of informed consumers, journalists, and activists alike. Look no further than Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Eating Animals” or Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”—both devastating indictments of widespread factory farming—to discover the horrors of a system that has evolved to grossly emphasize quantity over quality, all to the detriment of animals and consumers both.
There are two major problems within the wider poultry farming industry: the breeding and raising of chickens on an industrial scale, and the agricultural practices that are implemented to feed all these birds and keep the enormous supply chain moving.
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Breeding & raising practices include a litany of dubious standards including genetic modification to make birds unnaturally big and meaty (but not healthy) and antibiotic injections to keep them from getting sick. They get sick, of course, because living conditions are often dismal, which brings up another set of moral issues often undertaken by animal rights groups. It’s true, the majority of poultry bought, cooked, and eaten in the U.S. is riddled with antibiotics, harvested from unnaturally bred and highly stressed birds that exist only for a short time in conditions most of us would likely condemn if we knew about them.
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Farming practices enacted to grow feed for chickens and other animals is the more underreported problem plaguing both the industry and the planet. Because of the size of the industry and the demand for output, massive quantities of GMO row crops—namely corn and soy—or the “grain economy,” is required to sustain such an enormous supply.
Due to our unprecedented and self-imposed demand for cheap chicken (roughly 50 billion chickens per year) and, in turn feed, industrial agriculture practices must be employed. That translates to more chemicals, pesticides, fertilizer, and genetically modified crops. Not only does this impact the health of the crops which are then fed to the birds and, in turn, to us, but soil health deteriorates and the entire system becomes more and more polluted every year.
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According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 26 percent of the earth’s ice-free land is used for livestock grazing while 33 percent is used for growing feed (chicken feed alone represents 9 percent of row crops). When you consider the impossibly poor farming conditions for animal feed (most of which is inedible for humans) you realize that’s a whole lot of chemicals going into the earth, water, and air.
I, like many, reached a tipping point after taking a somewhat dystopian dive into the shady chicken farming and breeding practices, deciding the least I could do was investigate options for poultry that existed outside of the traditional factory-farm apparatus.
What’s the Solution?
In turns out there are options, and they might be more affordable than you think. Matt Wadiak, former Blue Apron COO, recently launched Cooks Venture, a company and farm that raises, slaughters, and sells heirloom poultry using humane breeding and raising practices but also—and just as importantly—employs regenerative farming to keep soil health intact and limit the overall impact poultry farming has climate change. Cooks Venture heirloom chickens are raised on quality feed, air-chilled, pasture-raised with unrestricted access to the outdoors, and Animal Welfare Certified—the last of which is a rather important and rigorous label to earn (more on that in a minute.
It’s Wadiak’s goal for his farm’s practices to go mainstream and with Cooks Venture having already scaled up to deliver about 700,000 chickens per week, it doesn’t seem far-fetched.
Cooks Venture
Cooks Venture, along with other humane and sustainable poultry farms, is up against massive systemic and societal obstacles, including deep poultry lobby roots with even deeper pockets to influence regulatory policy. But also highly ingrained consumer habits that have adapted to the cheapening of chicken and poultry.
Over the years, meat, and specifically poultry, has become (comparatively) cheaper and cheaper via factory farming and is in no way keeping up with general inflation. “Too cheap” if you ask Wadiak, as the price cuts have come at the expense of both the health of the planet and the animals we put into our body (not to mention cruel farming and slaughterhouse practices).
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A humanely raised, organically fed whole chicken is likely to cost you roughly $12-$17 but when you consider one could easily feed a family of four or a single person for a few days it doesn’t seem like that much. On the flip side, paying $5 or $7 for factory-farmed Perdue chicken may be an attractive proposition to pad your bottom line, but stop to consider all the associated risks and problems and it’s hard to argue in favor of meat that cheap. Something has to bear the brunt of such inexpensive poultry and it very well may be you and your family.
Chicken Labels to Consider
Sifting through the labels and terminology when buying meat and poultry can be tricky. With so many different standards it’s helpful to have a way to decode—and to make matters worse only some of the labels refer to USDA regulations while others, like “all-natural”, are simply marketing buzzwords and mean nothing.
These first two labels signify some of the most rigorous standards and are the best indicators you are getting a humanely raised poultry product.
Certified Humane
According to the ASPCA, this label represents a significant improvement over conventional standards and means the animal has continuous outdoor access (when accompanied by the words “free-range” or “pasture-raised”). If indoors, it means more space, bedding, and enrichment are required. Cage confinement, hormones, and subtherapeutic antibiotics are prohibited. Standards extend to transport and slaughter too, and Certified Humane audits each farm itself.
Animal Welfare Certified
This six-level rating program for animals raised for meat and eggs is slightly more complicated. According to the ASPCA, each successive level represents progressively higher welfare and includes all requirements of those below it. Cage confinement, hormones, and subtherapeutic antibiotics are prohibited at all levels, standards extend to transport and slaughter, and compliance is verified by auditors on every farm.
Read more about both these labels here.
Organic
The “organic” label is a good one to look out for but keep in mind it really just means that the chickens have been fed a certified organic diet and generally (but not always) means the farming practices used in feeding the birds are better. But it doesn’t signal anything about the chicken’s quality of life or humane practices during their life or death and, in many cases, organic chickens still withstand a lot of factory farming’s notorious practices.
No Antibiotics or Raised Without Antibiotics
This means the chickens were not routinely given preventative antibiotics, which many deem harmful, but it doesn’t ensure they weren’t given antibiotics if they had gotten sick.
Pasture-Raised
Because there’s no legal definition of this term, “pasture-raised” is hard to verify. The USDA requires labels to be “accurate” but without any formal guidelines, this one has quite a bit of wiggle room but implies birds spent significant time outdoors and in a pasture.
Free-Range
This is another label you’ve likely seen on sides of egg cartons and chicken packages that is misleading once you dive into the criteria. “Free-range” is meant to indicate that chickens had access to the outdoors but there is almost no requirement for how much or how big that outdoor space is. In many cases, coops are set up so that the chickens don’t even use the outdoor space.
All-Natural
This is a marketing term and means nothing. There are no requirements for a chicken to be labeled all-natural and if you see it, you should probably assume it is anything but.
For more, read our in-depth breakdown of chick labels or check out out this chicken labeling chart from the ASPCA.
The Best Humanely Raised Chicken You Can Buy Online
If you’re concerned about eating humanely raised chicken that was bred and fed using sustainable and natural processes, your best bet is to do some research and find a good farm/producer and a consistent way in which to buy them. Luckily a lot of the best chicken producers can be bought online so you don’t have to rely on your local market to stock them.
Cooks Venture
Cooks Venture
Founder Matt Wadiak’s goal is to improve the overall farming and feeding system which supports the massive poultry industry and bring it to scale (they’re currently distributing upwards of 700,000 chickens per week) so more people can eat better chicken raised on environmentally friendly feed. You can get their Animal Welfare Certified heirloom chickens bred to be biologically sound, gut-healthy, and tasty (I’ve had them and they are!) from Cooks Venture direct from the website for as little as $15 when you buy six (free shipping on all orders). Or snag one bird for about $16 via Fresh Direct.Buy Now
D’artagnan Green Circle Chicken
D’Artagnan
This chicken from specialty food store D’Artagnan is certified humane, air-chilled, antibiotic-free and pasture-raised making it one of the best choices for humane chicken you can buy. Right now, the high-end retailer is selling two frozen birds (3-3.5 pounds) for just $22.39 (plus shipping) during this limited sale.Buy Now
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Gentle Harvest
Gentle Harvest
This poultry producer meets a lot of the top and most rigid criteria including Certified Humane and USDA organic. You can snag a three-pound chicken for under $18 and have it shipped to your door. Or buy smaller cuts separately like chicken breasts, legs, wings, and thighs.Buy Now
ButcherBox
ButcherBox
All of this online butcher’s chicken is Animal Welfare Certified. While you can’t place single orders or single whole chickens you can choose monthly boxes that include chicken like the popular Beef & Chicken Box.Buy Now
Smart Chicken
Smart Chicken
Certified Organic Smart Chicken is fed an organic grain diet, are free-range, and certified humane by the Humane Farm Animal Care. All Smart chicken products are raised without the use of antibiotics, animal by-products or growth hormones. A 4-oundb bird run about $23.Buy Now
Murray’s Chicken Breast
Instacart
This farm in upstate New York has been providing antibiotic and hormone free, certified humane chicken since it opened in 1992. Get a package of chicken breasts for less than $7.Buy Now
Applegate Organics Chicken Sausages
AppleGate Farms
You’ve probably seen these chicken sausage and other products in your local market. You can rest assured they use organic and certified humane chicken in all their goods.Buy Now
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