On chicken and chicken eggs in the grocery store, you’ll often see claims like “pasture-raised,” “organic,” “free range,” and “natural.”
If you’ve ever wondered what these different labels mean, and whether they actually matter, you’re not alone. I have learned a lot about small farms where I buy chicken and eggs that are raised on grass for three years.
I honestly believe I understand a lot more about how the chicken business works than the average person. And today I want to share this information with my favorite readers like you, and decipher the chicken labels!.
So what is pasture-raised versus organic and free range chicken? Is one more humane than the other? What about vegetarian-fed and antibiotic-free chicken? Maybe you’ve also wondered if it’s worth paying more for pasture-raised.
When it comes to the different egg labels, these are topics I’ve covered in my guide to pasture raised eggs and free range versus pasture-raised eggs.
But I haven’t yet written about pasture-raised versus organic and free range chicken meat. I’ll start by setting a baseline of how chickens are raised in factory farms.
Pasture-raised chicken is becoming more and more popular among people who want to buy high-quality, ethical chicken. But what does “pasture raised” really mean, and how is it different from other ways of raising chickens? This whole guide will tell you everything you need to know about chickens that are raised on pasture.
What Does Pasture Raised Mean?
Pasture raised chickens are allowed to freely roam and forage on open pasture. The chickens spend their days outside pecking scratching and dust bathing in the grass and soil. At night, they are kept safely in mobile coops or tractors that are regularly moved to fresh pasture.
This is a traditional, sustainable way of raising chickens that allows them exhibit their natural behaviors. Pastured chickens get plenty of fresh air, sunshine and exercise as they range on pasture. Their diverse diet of greens, seeds, insects and grubs found while foraging provides nutritional variety The frequent movement to new ground prevents disease build up and allows the pasture to recover.
The Benefits of Pasture Raised Chickens
Raising chickens on pasture has numerous advantages over conventional factory farming
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Animal Welfare: Chickens that are free to roam in the pasture are less stressed, healthier, and less likely to get hurt than chickens that are kept inside in high-density areas. They live outside like chickens should, where they can roam, dust bathe, forage, perch, and hang out with other chickens.
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Better nutrition: Because pasture-raised chickens eat a variety of foods and live an active lifestyle, their omega-3, vitamin E, and beta-carotene levels are higher. Their meat and eggs have more nutrients and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than regular chicken.
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Improved Flavor – Pasture raised chicken meat is usually firmer and richer tasting with better “mouthfeel”. The varied diet and exercise provides more flavorful meat and eggs.
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Environmental Benefits – Pastured chickens spread natural fertilizer and stimulate grass regrowth. This is sustainable for the land while reducing pollution and reliance on chemical inputs.
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Local Economies: Pasture-based systems help small farmers in the region do well without having to spend a lot of money on confinement facilities. The money stays in the area, and farmers can better market their goods directly.
How Pasture Raised Chickens are Raised
Raising chickens on pasture takes careful planning and management. Here are some key elements:
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Daytime Access to Pasture – The chickens must have unfettered access to the outdoors on pasture during the day. They should not be confined indoors.
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Portable Shelters – At night, the birds are kept safe from predators in floorless shelters like chicken tractors that are regularly moved to fresh pasture.
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New Ground Regularly – The shelters must be moved frequently, often daily, so the chickens have access to new forage. Frequent moves prevent disease issues.
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Low Stocking Density – Only a sustainable number of chickens are allowed per acre to prevent overgrazing or damage to the land. Recommendations are about 1000 chickens per acre rotated daily.
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100% Grass Fed – The chickens eat a diet of all natural grasses, legumes, seeds, and insects they forage on pasture along with supplemental organic feed. No animal by-products are fed.
Certified Pasture Raised Standards
To ensure authentic pasture raised practices are followed, look for poultry certified under third party audited programs like Certified Humane and Animal Welfare Approved (AWA). These have clear standards including:
- At least 108 square feet of pasture per bird
- 2.5 acres of pasture for every 1000 chickens
- Shelters moved daily providing new forage
- Year round outdoor access required
The American Pastured Poultry Producers Association also has defined standards for certified pasture raised poultry production.
How to Buy Pasture Raised Chicken and Eggs
Pasture raised poultry can be purchased directly from local farms, at specialty grocers like Whole Foods, or ordered online and shipped from pastured poultry providers like Cairncrest Farm.
Look for the “pasture raised” label claim and certified humane or AWA logos. Be sure to ask your farmer for details on their practices to verify the chickens were raised outdoors on grass.
The premium price of pasture raised chickens reflects the enhanced care and production costs. But many consumers find the price worth it for higher quality, humanely raised poultry that also supports small regional farmers.
The Bottom Line
Pasture raised chickens live outdoors freely ranging on grass and get most of their diet from grazing. This traditional farming method allows chickens to live as nature intended while producing nutritionally superior meat and eggs. Supporting pasture based poultry farmers also provides environmental and ethical benefits compared to conventional poultry production. While more expensive than factory farmed chicken, pasture raised poultry offers superior quality and care that ethical consumers are happy to pay for.
What is natural chicken?
According to the USDA chicken labeled as “natural” has no artificial ingredients or colors added and has not been processed in a way that alters what the product is. For example, a package of chicken legs can be labeled “natural”, but a package of chicken nuggets can not be labeled as natural. Be careful though, with a little trickery those chicken nuggets can be labeled as “Made with all natural ingredients”. Do you spot the difference?
How Chickens are Raised in Factory Farms
Today about 99% of the chickens being farmed in the United States are within the factory farming system. This is most of the chicken you’ll find at the grocery store.
Factory chicken farming is not a pretty sight.
Certified Organic Chicken Operation in Texas
Picture thousands of chickens inside a crowded dirt-floor barn with feeding stations set up every few feet. The chickens are kept inside for their entire lives. These conventional chicken farms are truly a factory created to quickly grow chickens so they can be slaughtered and made ready for your family’s dinner table.
Conventional factory farms are about as glamorous as they sound, to be honest.
Good news: more and more small farms are setting out to raise meat chickens (also called broiler chickens) in a more humane and natural way.
I’m referring to pasture-raised chicken, and I’ll explain what that means next.
What Is Pasture Raised Chicken? – Nutrafarms
FAQ
Is pasture-raised chicken really better?
Pasture-raised chicken meat tends to be higher in iron, higher in Omega 3, have a lower Omega 6:3 ratio, and be higher in antioxidants (Vitamin E, for example).
What qualifies a chicken as pasture-raised?
A pasture-raised chicken is one that has been allowed to roam free in a pasture. In the field, it eats bugs, seeds, and earthworms. It spends all of its time on grass, where it can enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. These lucky birds live on a minimum of 2. 5 acres of outdoor space per 1,000 chickens.
Can chickens be 100% pasture-raised?
100% pasture-raised means that the chickens always have access to fresh pasture with living plants, which means that each bird needs at least 10 square feet of space outside. These birds must be able to forage naturally and participate in rotational grazing practices.
Do pasture-raised chickens eat grass?
Raising chickens in pastures allows them to roam and eat grass, insects, and other forage in the field. This part of their diet can cut down on your feed bill, but they still need supplemental feed.