Anyone eat it? Better than regular? I'm wanting to start moving away from industrial food. I can find organic grass fed beef but humanely raised chicken and pork seem elusive in stores. A couple small farms offer the pastured chicken for a decent price.
Pastured chicken
- Thread starter hatt
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Free range chicken is more like a wild bird in that you will have darker legs because they run more. The meat will have less fat and be a bit more tough. The flavor will have a little more variety like a slight wild taste. Not everyone like it but I do.
Originally Posted By: Kruse
The eggs from a free-range chicken, when the diet is mainly bugs and worms, taste much better and have a brighter yellow yolk. The meat will taste better also.
Egg Producers have research on what consumers prefer for yolk color (varies by region) and add dye to the feed to produce eggs with the desired characteristics. The yellow yolk is typical of eggs fed a dye-free diet.
The eggs from a free-range chicken, when the diet is mainly bugs and worms, taste much better and have a brighter yellow yolk. The meat will taste better also.
Egg Producers have research on what consumers prefer for yolk color (varies by region) and add dye to the feed to produce eggs with the desired characteristics. The yellow yolk is typical of eggs fed a dye-free diet.
Real free range eggs will have a dark orange yoke from their varied diet. Similar to how wild catfish meat is red and farm raised catfish is white. I think farm raised v wild salmon is similar. These cheap grain dominated diets are garbage. The meat/eggs/milk/etc just isn't as nutritious.
Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
The meat can be tough depending on how much space they have to roam. I used to have chickens that roamed all day long on a hill and the woods.
The meat was very tough.
Yours weren't meat birds though? Like the white hardly can walk at 3 months because they grew so fast type?
We've tried some traditional meat breeds like Dark Cornish and they are OK, tougher than a grocery store chicken by a lot, but still less tough than a decent steak. The downside is that they have about 1/3 the meat as the new meat mutant breeds.
We now mostly do the white factory farm meat mutants, but run them on the lawn/pasture and separate the water and food by 20-30' to make them move. Typically we choose all females as they grow abit slower and mortality/injury is very low.
They eat quite a bit of greens and bugs too, especially when the are young, and the fat and cartilage often gets quite yellow, same as the layers egg yokes.
We've thought about selling them, but most people can't get their head around $5/lb $30 chicken, so we don't bother.
You can raise a few in the backyard though, there are lots of mobile chicken tractor plans that keep them on fresh grass and safe from predators. And plucking and cleaning a couple chickens isn't too hard either.
The meat can be tough depending on how much space they have to roam. I used to have chickens that roamed all day long on a hill and the woods.
The meat was very tough.
Yours weren't meat birds though? Like the white hardly can walk at 3 months because they grew so fast type?
We've tried some traditional meat breeds like Dark Cornish and they are OK, tougher than a grocery store chicken by a lot, but still less tough than a decent steak. The downside is that they have about 1/3 the meat as the new meat mutant breeds.
We now mostly do the white factory farm meat mutants, but run them on the lawn/pasture and separate the water and food by 20-30' to make them move. Typically we choose all females as they grow abit slower and mortality/injury is very low.
They eat quite a bit of greens and bugs too, especially when the are young, and the fat and cartilage often gets quite yellow, same as the layers egg yokes.
We've thought about selling them, but most people can't get their head around $5/lb $30 chicken, so we don't bother.
You can raise a few in the backyard though, there are lots of mobile chicken tractor plans that keep them on fresh grass and safe from predators. And plucking and cleaning a couple chickens isn't too hard either.
Originally Posted By: hatt
I initially planned on keeping my laying hens in a tractor. I started just letting them out. I should put some meat birds in the tractor and build the hens something else to lay in.
If you've got nice hens, you could probably mix them up, the meat ones can't jump up to anything so if your nests are elevated they won't get up there.
The meat ones also can't roost either, so they just go under them or nearby. Ours are all free ranging, but the meat ones don't travel that far from the food or water, especially as they get bigger.
I initially planned on keeping my laying hens in a tractor. I started just letting them out. I should put some meat birds in the tractor and build the hens something else to lay in.
If you've got nice hens, you could probably mix them up, the meat ones can't jump up to anything so if your nests are elevated they won't get up there.
The meat ones also can't roost either, so they just go under them or nearby. Ours are all free ranging, but the meat ones don't travel that far from the food or water, especially as they get bigger.
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
If you've got nice hens, you could probably mix them up, the meat ones can't jump up to anything so if your nests are elevated they won't get up there.
The meat ones also can't roost either, so they just go under them or nearby. Ours are all free ranging, but the meat ones don't travel that far from the food or water, especially as they get bigger.
My tractor is only 4x8. Probably a little small to have 6 hens and meat birds together. I wouldn't want to have any more chickens running around free than what I have now. Don't want to stir up the neighbors around my 1/3 acre. That size tractor should be fine for 10 or so meat birds I'd think.
If you've got nice hens, you could probably mix them up, the meat ones can't jump up to anything so if your nests are elevated they won't get up there.
The meat ones also can't roost either, so they just go under them or nearby. Ours are all free ranging, but the meat ones don't travel that far from the food or water, especially as they get bigger.
My tractor is only 4x8. Probably a little small to have 6 hens and meat birds together. I wouldn't want to have any more chickens running around free than what I have now. Don't want to stir up the neighbors around my 1/3 acre. That size tractor should be fine for 10 or so meat birds I'd think.
You can keep that grass fed beef and I will continue to finish my steers on grain (undoubtedly GMO grain) and enjoy better beef.
I also raise a yearly batch of Cornish Cross meat birds. From delivery to death is 8-9 weeks and they give me 5-6 pound dressed birds. I feed them a high protein feed. They yield the biggest, juiciest breasts you can imagine. People can't get enough of these things.
My layers are in a very large pen with grass and fed a layer mix and they are turned into chicken noodle soup after 2 years.
My pigs are born on dirt, raised on dirt and fed a feed mix from the local elevator (undoubtedly containing GMO grains). I have a waiting list for my pigs. I don't call them organic, all natural or other buzz words. I call them dirt raised and people wait in line.
I also raise a yearly batch of Cornish Cross meat birds. From delivery to death is 8-9 weeks and they give me 5-6 pound dressed birds. I feed them a high protein feed. They yield the biggest, juiciest breasts you can imagine. People can't get enough of these things.
My layers are in a very large pen with grass and fed a layer mix and they are turned into chicken noodle soup after 2 years.
My pigs are born on dirt, raised on dirt and fed a feed mix from the local elevator (undoubtedly containing GMO grains). I have a waiting list for my pigs. I don't call them organic, all natural or other buzz words. I call them dirt raised and people wait in line.
Sounds like you're no where close to an industrial food production operation. No idea why the hostility. I don't get too caught up in the GMO stuff(but if I'm going to make an effort I may as well go all the way and not support the devilish multinational corps that have their boots on farmers necks) but it's a matter of animal cruelty with how stuff is raised these days. Cows taken from pastures and stuffed into feed lots standing in [censored] up to their knees. Chickens raised in a dark house also laying in [censored] their whole lives. Then kicked into crates and taken to the e coli/salmonella covered processing plant.
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
If you've got nice hens, you could probably mix them up, the meat ones can't jump up to anything so if your nests are elevated they won't get up there.
The meat ones also can't roost either, so they just go under them or nearby. Ours are all free ranging, but the meat ones don't travel that far from the food or water, especially as they get bigger.
How much supplement feed do your layer eat? Mine(3 months) have almost stopped eating the grower feed.
If you've got nice hens, you could probably mix them up, the meat ones can't jump up to anything so if your nests are elevated they won't get up there.
The meat ones also can't roost either, so they just go under them or nearby. Ours are all free ranging, but the meat ones don't travel that far from the food or water, especially as they get bigger.
How much supplement feed do your layer eat? Mine(3 months) have almost stopped eating the grower feed.
Originally Posted By: 04SE
You can keep that grass fed beef and I will continue to finish my steers on grain (undoubtedly GMO grain) and enjoy better beef.
I also raise a yearly batch of Cornish Cross meat birds. From delivery to death is 8-9 weeks and they give me 5-6 pound dressed birds. I feed them a high protein feed. They yield the biggest, juiciest breasts you can imagine. People can't get enough of these things.
My layers are in a very large pen with grass and fed a layer mix and they are turned into chicken noodle soup after 2 years.
My pigs are born on dirt, raised on dirt and fed a feed mix from the local elevator (undoubtedly containing GMO grains). I have a waiting list for my pigs. I don't call them organic, all natural or other buzz words. I call them dirt raised and people wait in line.
I like your style we raise our animals in a very simular way I truly believe most are clueless on the subject and get fed a line of [censored] and get hung up on a bunch of meaningless buzz words.
You can keep that grass fed beef and I will continue to finish my steers on grain (undoubtedly GMO grain) and enjoy better beef.
I also raise a yearly batch of Cornish Cross meat birds. From delivery to death is 8-9 weeks and they give me 5-6 pound dressed birds. I feed them a high protein feed. They yield the biggest, juiciest breasts you can imagine. People can't get enough of these things.
My layers are in a very large pen with grass and fed a layer mix and they are turned into chicken noodle soup after 2 years.
My pigs are born on dirt, raised on dirt and fed a feed mix from the local elevator (undoubtedly containing GMO grains). I have a waiting list for my pigs. I don't call them organic, all natural or other buzz words. I call them dirt raised and people wait in line.
I like your style we raise our animals in a very simular way I truly believe most are clueless on the subject and get fed a line of [censored] and get hung up on a bunch of meaningless buzz words.
The jury is still out on the GMO grains. Remember that when the trans fats became more and more prevalent, and concerns were raised in the 60-s, those concerns were dismissed as "meaningless buzz words".
It took 50+ years for the public to know about them. How many lives could have been saved?
I am not saying that GMO-s are the same as trans fats, or smoking, or whatever. But it takes quite a few decades for grassroots efforts and medical expertise to overcome the lobbying by the industry.
It took 50+ years for the public to know about them. How many lives could have been saved?
I am not saying that GMO-s are the same as trans fats, or smoking, or whatever. But it takes quite a few decades for grassroots efforts and medical expertise to overcome the lobbying by the industry.
Originally Posted By: 04SE
You can keep that grass fed beef and I will continue to finish my steers on grain (undoubtedly GMO grain) and enjoy better beef.
What's your definition of "better" ?
Grass raised beef has a great fatty acid profile that can be destroyed with grain "finishing"...
what's better about that (GMO or not, waiting list or not) ?
What is it that you are producing "better" ?
You can keep that grass fed beef and I will continue to finish my steers on grain (undoubtedly GMO grain) and enjoy better beef.
What's your definition of "better" ?
Grass raised beef has a great fatty acid profile that can be destroyed with grain "finishing"...
what's better about that (GMO or not, waiting list or not) ?
What is it that you are producing "better" ?
Originally Posted By: Shannow
Originally Posted By: 04SE
You can keep that grass fed beef and I will continue to finish my steers on grain (undoubtedly GMO grain) and enjoy better beef.
What's your definition of "better" ?
Grass raised beef has a great fatty acid profile that can be destroyed with grain "finishing"...
what's better about that (GMO or not, waiting list or not) ?
What is it that you are producing "better" ?
Grain finished beef is another great marketing success for the industrialized food system. "Cooking fresh stuff is dumb, go to the supermarket and buy stuff in the box. It's easy AND delicious!" Pure genius those guys. It was almost as smart as the guy who convince everyone to throw out their cast iron pan which would last 100 years for some more expensive junk that has to be replaced every couple years because the fancy coating came off.
Originally Posted By: 04SE
You can keep that grass fed beef and I will continue to finish my steers on grain (undoubtedly GMO grain) and enjoy better beef.
What's your definition of "better" ?
Grass raised beef has a great fatty acid profile that can be destroyed with grain "finishing"...
what's better about that (GMO or not, waiting list or not) ?
What is it that you are producing "better" ?
Grain finished beef is another great marketing success for the industrialized food system. "Cooking fresh stuff is dumb, go to the supermarket and buy stuff in the box. It's easy AND delicious!" Pure genius those guys. It was almost as smart as the guy who convince everyone to throw out their cast iron pan which would last 100 years for some more expensive junk that has to be replaced every couple years because the fancy coating came off.
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