Hormone-Free Meat: Buying Meat With No Added Hormones

If you’ve been searching for hormone-free meat, “no added hormones” is the honest version of that phrase, because every animal makes hormones of its own.

For beef and lamb, raising without added hormones is a real choice, and we make it for every animal.

For chicken, bison, and pork, federal rules don’t approve hormones to help them grow, and we’d rather tell you that than let you assume otherwise.

Key Takeaways

• No meat is hormone-free, because every animal makes its own. “No added hormones” is a claim the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approves, and it’s the one we stand behind.
• Added hormones are legal for beef cattle and lambs in the US, so raising them without any is a real choice, and it’s one we make every time.
• No hormones are approved for US chicken or bison, and none to help hogs grow, so for those animals, “no added hormones” is the baseline, not our choice.
• Every partner farm signs an affidavit committing to the same written Seven Sons Standard we raise our own animals by, which rules out added hormones for every animal.

Where to Buy Meat With No Added Hormones

You can order meat with no added hormones from us and have it delivered frozen to your door anywhere in the continental US. Start with our 100% grass-fed & grass-finished beef, or try our grass-fed lamb and bison, all raised without added hormones.

You’ll also find ethically raised chicken and pasture-raised heritage pork. Whether it comes from our Indiana farm or one of our partner farms, we raise every cut to the same standard. We think the best place to buy meat with no added hormones is from the people who raised it, because they can tell you exactly how.

Your order shows up frozen and vacuum-sealed in BPA-free packaging, inside an insulated box with dry ice. Order minimums depend on where you live, starting at $175, and we offer free delivery to many states on qualified orders.

Which Meats Can Legally Contain Added Hormones

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves added hormones only for beef cattle, lamb, and hogs. No hormones are approved for chicken or bison.

For chicken and bison, "no added hormones" describes the law, so it applies to every chicken and bison raised in the US. For more detail, we created the table below from the August 2024 animal-raising claims guideline from the US Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). We also included how we handle added hormones alongside our partner farms. 

What "No Hormones Administered" Means on a Label

"No hormones administered" means the producer showed FSIS paperwork proving the animals were raised without added hormones, and FSIS approved the label before it was used. That paperwork includes a written description of how the producer controls the claim and a signed, dated record of how the animals were raised. FSIS also strongly encourages third-party certification, and when a certifier backs a claim, its name, website, and logo go on the label so you can look up the standard yourself.

You won't see "hormone free" on an approved label, because no meat is free of hormones. Every animal makes its own, just like you do. Approved claims like "raised without added hormones" refer to what went into the animal while it was raised.

What This Means for Each Animal We Raise

The rules change from one animal to the next, so here's what the law says for each and what we do.

Beef, Lamb, and Bison

Added hormones are approved for beef cattle and lamb, so going without them is a real decision. Most hormones in beef come from ear implants that help cattle put on weight faster. We do not use them. Our 100% grass-fed & grass-finished beef and lamb, no grain ever, grow at the pace good grass allows, and in our experience that patience shows up on the plate.

No hormones are approved for bison, and our grass-fed and grass-finished bison is raised without added hormones, as federal regulations require. 

If you’re shopping for no-hormone beef or lamb, look for ‘no hormones administered’ on the label and a farmer who can back it up.

Chicken

Federal rules don’t allow hormones in poultry, so no chicken raised in the US gets them. If you’ve been wondering whether they put hormones in chicken, that’s the whole answer. That rule is also why any no-added-hormones chicken label has to state it right on the package.

Our ethically raised chicken is rotated on regenerative pastures seasonally and raised without added hormones, as federal regulations require. We'd feel a little silly bragging about that part, so we'll let the pasture do the talking.

Pork

The FDA has approved some hormones for use in hogs, so a no-hormones claim on pork needs paperwork behind it, the same as beef. Our pasture-raised heritage pork is raised without added hormones under the Seven Sons Standard. If you're looking for pork with no added hormones, ask the farmer how they back it up.

Our Standards

We hold every farm we work with to the Seven Sons Standard, the written protocols for how we raise our animals. Added hormones (and antibiotics) are off the table for every animal under the standard, including beef, lamb, and pork, even where the law would allow them. We raise our own animals to it on our farm, and we publish it so you can read exactly what we promise before you order.

Before a farm joins us, we visit in person and train together, because that’s how we get to know our partner farms. Every partner signs an affidavit committing to our standards and keeping animal care records for review, so what we promise can be checked against what happens on the farm. 

If you’d rather see it than read about it, our open-door policy means you’re welcome to come visit the farm.

How to Check Any Producer's Claim

These five steps work for any brand, including ours, so use them wherever you buy your meat.

1. Look for approved wording such as "raised without added hormones," "no added hormones administered," or "no hormones administered," since FSIS doesn't approve "hormone free."
2. On chicken and bison, expect a statement that federal regulations don't permit hormones in that animal.
3. On beef, lamb, and pork, expect no such statement, because hormones are approved for those animals and the claim rests on the producer's paperwork.
4. Ask the producer what records they gave FSIS, such as a written description of their controls and a signed record of how the animals were raised.
5. Ask who checks the farms and whether you can visit.

FAQ

What meats have no hormones?

No meat is hormone-free, because every animal produces its own. You can buy meat with no added hormones. By law, every US chicken and bison qualifies, while beef, lamb, and pork depend on the farm and the records it keeps.

How do you avoid hormones in meat?

Choose meat labeled "no hormones administered" or "raised without added hormones," then ask the producer for the paperwork behind it. Chicken and bison already qualify under federal rules. With beef, lamb, and pork, the farm you pick makes the difference.

Are there hormones in chicken?

Chicken has natural hormones like any animal, but no added ones. No hormones are approved for poultry in the US, so no chicken here is raised with them. A chicken label that claims no hormones must also state that federal rules don't allow them.

Do farmers give hormones to cattle?

Some do. In the US, hormone implants are approved for beef cattle to help them put on weight faster. Beef from cattle raised without them can carry a "no hormones administered" label once the producer gives FSIS documentation.

What does "no hormones administered" mean?

It means the animal wasn't given hormones while it was being raised. The producer has to prove that to FSIS with documentation, and FSIS approves the claim before it can go on the package. It doesn't mean the meat has no natural hormones.

Why is "hormone free" not on the label?

FSIS doesn't approve that wording because every animal produces its own hormones, and no meat is without them. Labels use claims like "raised without added hormones" instead, which describe how the animal was raised rather than what's naturally in the meat.

Is grass-fed beef free of added hormones?

Not automatically. "Grass-fed" tells you what the cattle ate, while a no-hormones claim is a separate promise with its own paperwork, so look for both. Our beef carries both: it's 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, and we never use added hormones.

Are Seven Sons animals given added hormones?

No. We don't give hormones to any of our animals, whether beef, lamb, bison, chicken, or pork, and our partner farms sign on to the same rule. Federal regulations don't permit hormones for chicken or bison anyway.

Is Seven Sons certified for this claim?

Our claim rests on our published standards rather than a certification label. We visit and train with every partner farm, and each one signs an affidavit to follow our standards. You're also welcome to visit the farm and see how the animals live.

How can I check a claim like this myself?

Read the label wording first, then ask the producer for the paperwork behind it. Approved phrases include "raised without added hormones," and chicken or bison claims carry a federal statement. A farmer worth your trust will show you their standards and let you visit.