Recently my blogs have been somewhat shocking – even to the point of being accused of “scaremongering”, by some readers who, for whatever reason or motivation, just can’t deal with the awful truth that your government is not interested in your personal health. Fair warning to all who read, the next series of posts will be a real shocker. If you’ve got thin skin or a queasy stomach - this one might not be for you either. We are going to take a look at conventional chicken production and how it differs from the Free-Range, Organic fed model used here at SonRise Ranch.
Chickens on a mega-factory floor being raised to production weight
The density of chicken production in the United Sates has changed drastically since the 1950s and 60s. The Pew Research Center has published a report titled Big Chicken a report that details a number of startling statistics that consumers of chicken and chicken products should know;
- More Chickens but fewer farms - in 50 years, chicken production has increased 1400%, while farms that raise chickens has decreased 98%., thus increasing chicken production density by a staggering number, as you might imagine this means overcrowding. Compare the photo above with the video below and ask yourself; which animal is healther?
- Average conventional (even certified organic) chicken comes from a mega-farm that produces up to 605,000 birds annually
- The wages for such production have plummited. Fifty years ago, one could make a decent middle income wage from chicken farming. Not today, the average chicken farmer is a slave to the big producers
Drugs are killing us. The baltent overuse of antibiotics in the farming industry has created an epidemic of drug-resistant bacteria strains. This chicken industry has been one of the main culprits.
Tyson foods, one of the larger chicken producers in the US recently announced that they would stop using antibiotics used in humans – but the damage may have already been done. Currently 25 million pounds of antibiotics are used in animal product annually.
When you eat meat treated with antibiotics, you not only eat the antibiotic but the bacteria too, in fact 22% of all antibiotic resistant cases are related to food borne illnesses.
Tyson foods, one of the larger chicken producers in the US recently announced that they would stop using antibiotics used in humans – but the damage may have already been done. Currently 25 million pounds of antibiotics are used in animal product annually.
When you eat meat treated with antibiotics, you not only eat the antibiotic but the bacteria too, in fact 22% of all antibiotic resistant cases are related to food borne illnesses.
What makes SonRise Ranch chicken different?
First, and most importantly, our chickens live outside, where they should. If you’ve followed us for anytime now, you know about our innovative “Chig-tractors” a solid knock off of the traditional Chicken tractor designed and made tough enough to handle free range pigs too.
A SonRise Ranch Chicken Tractor in action. Each day, it is moved forward to give the chickens inside access to a fresh patch of green grass.
This solves the problem of density immediately since our chickens are given a new patch of land every 24-48 hours. This is great for the chicken’s growth, quality of life and overall health. But it is also necessary for good grass growth (the primary goal of a grass-fed beef operation). Conventional farms use Potassium, Nitrogen and Phosphorus, made from chemical compounds and petroleum. Nitrogen occurs naturally and in high concentrations in chicken manure. At SonRise, if our fields need Nitrogen, we move the chickens through and let nature supply the need.
Secondly, we don’t use antibiotics – period. This is pretty simple. Outdoor chickens don’t get sick because they are exposed to the elements and nature. They are very well adapted to “roughing” it and the last thing we want is to bring them in out of the sunlight and away from green grass, bugs and dirt. Thus we have no need of medicine for them. Our biggest worry is predators, which we mitigate with well build tractors the chickens occupy at night.
In our next installment we will look at bacteria, chicken waste and the fate of over 200 million chicks annually the system deems unmarketable.
Stay tuned.
Secondly, we don’t use antibiotics – period. This is pretty simple. Outdoor chickens don’t get sick because they are exposed to the elements and nature. They are very well adapted to “roughing” it and the last thing we want is to bring them in out of the sunlight and away from green grass, bugs and dirt. Thus we have no need of medicine for them. Our biggest worry is predators, which we mitigate with well build tractors the chickens occupy at night.
In our next installment we will look at bacteria, chicken waste and the fate of over 200 million chicks annually the system deems unmarketable.
Stay tuned.
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