Benefits to Grass Fed Poultry

A growing trend in the new millenium is moving farming away from chicken coupes to provide consumers with grass fed poultry. These birds are not packed into cages or other small spaces; instead, they run free through a pasture, giving the animals a chance to hunt for bugs and interact with other birds. The most popular grass fed birds are chickens, ducks, and geese, and the are many advantages to this system of farming.

Animal Rights

On a traditional poultry farm, birds are squeezed into spaces to maximize production and minimize costs. This is inhumane to the poultry, as they have unnatural diets and habits. They are also highly stressed in this situation. All of these factors not only are a violation of the animal's rights.

Quality

All of the above-mentioned details lead to a lower quality product, whether it is eggs or meat. When the birds cannot practice normal behavior, such as grass grazing, it effects their immune system, muscle strength, and reproduction capabilities. Grass fed poultry is much higher in nutritional value, which is better for both bird and consumer.

Health Benefits

Not only is a pasture system healthier for the birds, but it is healthier for the farmer as well. Birds raised in coups are more likely to develop diseases, which spread quickly and some of which may effect people. Pastures are also not dusty and dirty, giving farmers cleaner breathing air.

Environmental Concerns

Chickens, ducks, geese, and other birds that are raised in a pasture instead of a coupe also do their part to help the environment. They become part of a natural food chain, as they forage for spiders and insects. Also, birds raised indoors leads to large amounts of waste, creating hazardous conditions when this nutrient-rich product is dumped into soil near rivers, lakes, and streams. Grass fed poultry options are much more environmentally friendly.

Simply put, pasture farms are much better options than raising birds indoors. With a little time and money, farms can reconstruct the way they raise their birds so that the animals are happy and healthy. The benefits to the animals, farmers, and consumers warrant changing traditional farming methods to raise grass fed poultry.