Trigger Warning!! Just how polluted is conventional chicken?

Chicken is consumed more than any other meat in the US. While it’s one of the most popular and nutritious proteins, chicken from factory farms can be some of the most contaminated meat you consume. 

 

Just a trigger warning for those reading on. These conditions are hard to read about, but absolutely necessary to understand what is happening on these farms to make the best decisions for you and your family.

 

Factory farms, or broiler farms, are one of the largest distributors of meat across the country. These farms are environmentally harmful with their production tactics across the board, from producing waste from mass-raising animals to leaks and spills that contaminate nearby waterways. These large factory farms also negatively impact family-owned farms in small rural communities and their economic health. Just to name a few.

 

 

Among the environmental impacts, the treatment of animals is often horrific and inhumane. Animals are kept in small spaces, and even pasture-raised animals have weak guidelines for what is considered pasture-raised. 

 

When it comes to chicken, the contamination from these massive farms and their practices can create major health issues. These issues stem from the deplorable conditions and practices at these factory farms. 

 

Most chickens on these farms are kept in large warehouses where tens of thousands of chickens are kept at a time. These chickens are kept in close quarters, breathing, urinating, and defecating in rarely cleaned or sanitized spaces. As a result, the chickens get “ammonia burn,” which affects them in multiple ways. 

 

 

Because of the living conditions of the chickens, they consistently need to be pumped with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs to prevent them from getting sick. After slaughter, factory farms will wash the chicken with chlorine to prevent food-borne diseases.

 

Chickens in these conditions are more likely to peck at each other, often leading to death. Because of this, the farmers will cut off their beaks not for their safety but to reduce the risk of losing their stock.

 

The feed and care for the chickens focuses on producing fast growth while keeping costs low and maximizing profits. Chickens are continuously pumped with hormones and antibiotics that cause them to grow to unnaturally large sizes. Yet it’s vital for them to give these chickens harmful additives because of how sick the chickens can get from the waste and conditions they live in. 

 

 

As these factory farms continue to grow, so does the concern for food contamination and increased public health risks. Being humane is never a thought for factory farms, and neither is your health. They don’t care what condition the product is in as long as you buy it. The conditions your meat is raised can directly impact your health, causing you to contract food-borne illnesses at an alarming rate.

 

Our opinion is factory farming does not work, period. Small farms are the clear answer. 

 

Smaller, local farms raise smaller quantities of animals in more humane and natural conditions. The chicken raised there are allowed to grow naturally, without hormones or antibiotics, or anything that is not naturally occurring in their environment. When they’re not foraging in the grassland, they are fed a non-GMO diet without soy or corn feed. In addition to the humane treatment of our chickens, the farms we partner with never spray pesticides or use fertilizer.

 

 

We work with small, local farms implementing regenerative and sustainable farming techniques, ensuring our animals are raised harmoniously with the land. These techniques guarantee superior taste and ensure your health is a top priority. 

 

PT Ranch is a local farm that uses a slow-growing breed fed on a diet free from GMOs, corn, soy, and antibiotics.