Best Breed of Chicken for Ethical Pastured Meat
posted on
May 21, 2024
When it comes to cooking, few things rival the satisfaction of a perfectly cooked, flavorful chicken dish.
However, the secret to culinary success isn’t just in the recipe. It’s in the quality of the chicken itself.
Meat quality and affordability have a lot to do with the chicken breed – and, more crucially – how it was raised.
In this article, I will unpack some of the unknowns about chicken breeds, and how consumer expectations continue to shape the future of poultry.
Our ethical pastured chicken is different than what you’ll find at most supermarkets.
Here’s our approach, starting with selecting the most effective chicken breed for meat.
Why Breed Matters for Quality, Flavor & Affordability
You’ve probably never thought of chicken breeds in the way you would cattle breeds. While you may have heard of breeds like Wagyu and Angus when it comes to steak, people typically purchase chicken based on whether it’s free-range or pasture-raised.
But that’s not the only thing that matters. The breed of chicken plays a significant role in meat quality and taste.
While you might think ‘heritage’ chicken is the way to go, unfortunately, that’s far from the case due to several factors outside of our farm’s control.
Historically chicken breeds were always used for the dual purpose of producing both eggs and meat. However, within the past 100 years, chickens have been bred for the specific purposes of either meat or eggs, not both. This has led to hyper-efficient breeds that have set high standards for the texture, tenderness, and affordability of chicken protein.
Heritage birds like the Ancona and Sussex are small, and their flavor profile is unusual. Because of this, heritage breeds can end up with a gamey, woody taste and tough texture–nothing like the chicken you’re used to.
Also, because heritage breeds are small and grow slowly, you don’t get a lot of meat for your money - making these breeds out of reach for the budgets of 99% of consumers.
The optimum chicken breed–and the one we exclusively raise at Seven Sons and in our farm partner network–is the Cornish Cross Broiler. Originating in England in the 1820s, these hybrid birds meet consumers’ quality and affordability expectations while still allowing us to invest extra care in raising the birds ethically on pasture as the seasons allow.
From their impressive double breasts to their ideal muscle-to-fat ratio, Cornish Cross chickens consistently deliver on taste and tenderness. This makes them the gold standard for those seeking delicious, protein-rich meat that's both hearty and flavorful.
Sustainable Practices and Their Impact on Meat Quality
However, it’s not just the breed of chicken that matters. How they’re raised plays a crucial role in the quality of the meat as well.
Ethically raised chickens with access to pastures can have better nutritional value and offer a more diverse taste and texture profile.
The reasons for this are three-fold:
- Space to roam: Chickens raised in a way that allows them to roam free and express their natural behaviors develop better muscle than poultry raised in tight confinement.
- Better nutrition: Pasture-raised chickens are more nutritious because they eat a diverse, nutrient-dense diet through foraging on healthy farmland and non-GMO grain.
- Happy lives: Stress impacts the quality and taste of the meat. That’s why buying ethically sourced meat is so important – not just for the welfare of the animal, but the nutritional value, too.
Meet our Chicken Breeds: The Stars at Seven Sons
As we’ve mentioned, the Cornish Cross Broiler is our choice of breed. With its history and lineage, this chicken breed combines the qualities of Cornish Chickens with the larger sizes seen in breeds like the White Rock.
The result is a large, lean bird that produces succulent, tender meat. Here’s an overview of the Key characteristics of the Cornish Cross:
- Appearance: These majestic birds have broad chests and short legs. They also have a muscular build with a large breast area. Males typically weigh between 6-8 pounds, while females weigh between 4-6 pounds.
- Weather Tolerance: Our Cornish Cross chickens require attentive care as seasons change. During winter, providing ample shelter ensures their warmth and protection. In the heat of summer, they seek shade, ventilation, and cool water to beat the heat.
- Temperament: These docile, friendly animals rely on breeders for protection against predators like raccoons, foxes, and birds of prey. With secure mobile coops during summer production and access to lush pastures year around (including as weather permits in winter), we prioritize their safety while nurturing their natural behaviors.
Raising Practices: From Hatchling to Harvest
At Seven Sons, every decision we make, from the poultry breeds we raise to our farming practices, is rooted in our dedication to quality, sustainability, and animal welfare.
Choosing Cornish Cross hens from Seven Sons, raised with a focus on regenerative farming practices, means you’re aligning with a farm deeply committed to the nutrients of our food and the ethical treatment of animals.
Caring for Our Animals
We don’t just raise our chickens for their meat. We do all we can to take the best care of them.
During the balmy summer months, they enjoy the freedom to roam in spacious mobile coops, where they can peck and scratch in fresh, sun-kissed pastures. Each day brings a new rotation to ensure they have access to the best forage and plenty of space to thrive, while protecting the natural ecosystem.
When the winter chill descends, we provide our chickens with plenty of warmth and shelter in cozy barns with pasture access as weather permits, ensuring their well-being when the temperature drops.
The indoor space is kept warm, and the birds are given 10-20% more space beyond what organic standards require. The winter barns also have windows that let in plenty of natural light, allowing our birds to wake up with the natural sunrise.
Caring for Our Land
Our commitment to ethical farming doesn't end there. We also embrace regenerative grazing practices that nurture our chickens and the land they roam on.
One of the overlooked elements of CAFOs is their impact on the environment. Not only are factory-farmed chickens' lives incredibly stressful, but they don’t get to play their natural role in boosting environmental biodiversity.
Our chickens, on the other hand, play a crucial part in the ecosystem of our sustainable farm, helping to:
- Enhance Soil Health: Through natural foraging and scratching, our chickens contribute to soil health, enriching it with organic matter and fostering vital microbial activity.
- Provide Natural Fertilizer: The nutrient-rich manure produced by our chickens serves as a natural fertilizer, promoting robust plant growth and reducing reliance on synthetic alternatives.
- Pest Control: Harnessing our chickens' instincts, we utilize them as a pest control mechanism, feasting on insects, larvae, and weed seeds, eliminating the need for chemical pesticides.
Caring for Our Customers
At Seven Sons and our partner farms, you're not just making a transaction when you choose to buy from us. You're entering into a relationship built on trust and mutual respect for your well-being.
For us, this means holding ourselves to the highest standards when it comes to the meat we produce. We firmly believe that food should never pose a risk to your health. It should be a source of nourishment and vitality.
That's why we’re deeply committed to providing quality, natural nutrition to our animals: our chickens are raised on a diet free from GMOs, antibiotics, drugs, and hormones. We believe in the power of natural, wholesome nutrition to support a healthy lifestyle.
By choosing our products, you can rest assured that you're making a choice that prioritizes your health and the health of your loved ones.
Preparing Chicken: Tips and Tricks
Sure, you may have cooked with chicken breasts or thighs–maybe even a whole chicken–but we sell plenty of other incredibly tasty and nutritious cuts of chicken. From drumsticks to wings to necks and hearts, each cut offers its own unique flavor profile and cooking experience.
Our ethically raised Cornish Cross Broilers are nutritious and easy to cook. This generously sized bird is protein-packed and nutrient-dense, making for a delicious meal whether grilled, baked, barbecued, or slow-cooked.
How you prepare your chicken will depend on the cooking method and cut you’ve chosen–and there are plenty to choose from!
Order Your Ethical Pasture-Raised Chicken Today!
Ready to taste the difference? Order your ethically pasture-raised chicken now and taste the quality and flavor that comes from ethical breeding and sustainable practices.
