Healthiest Chicken?

[Caidyn]

Which is the healthiest (and the differences between) type of chicken:
pasture fed, organic, naturally raised, free range?

Thanks in advance!

[Magelet]

honestly pasture raised and you know the farmer really raises the chickens well is the only kind that means a thing. free range, organic, natural, all mean absolutely nothing. The only thing that means something is talking to the farmer about how he or she raises their chickens.

Free range means they have to have access to the outdoors a small portion of the day. It doesn't mean they have to actually go outdoors, or have adequate outdoorspace, or bugs and weeds in said outdoor space to eat. It doesn't mean the chickens can't be overcrowded the rest of the time inside.

Organic means their feed is organic. Which I suppose means it's GMO free which technically means something, but they are still kept in filthy, inhumane, insanitary conditions, and lack the sunlight and bugs and weeds and such that make for healthy chickens.

Naturally raised means nothing really. Chickens can't be given hormones anyways. I guess if they are antibiotic free thats good, but again, terrible living conditions lacking the things that make them healthy, it really means nothing.

[redvlagrl]

I love that explanation. I totally agree.

[LCBMAX]

Thanks for this thread. I am re-inspired to make contact with a local chicken farmer.

As recommended by our source for happy beef, I want to "never eat an animal I haven't met."

But... I sure wish I could get behind some chicken cold-cuts. If I have to x them out of our diet it'll put a big crimp in our quick to-go foods and lunches for toddler son. Anyone have a great producer of chicken cold-cuts, like sliced roasted?