Below is an example of our broilers vs the typical factory set up. Think Value Vs Cost
Table inpired by Joel Salatin see www.polyfacefarms.com | Live in species appropriate flocks | Grown in huge factory houses (20,000 typical) |
| Uncrowded | Crowded |
| Fresh, clean air | Air loaded with fecal dust and ammonia |
| Fresh, living forage always available | No access to green material, bugs or nature's foods |
| Free to exercise | Severely crowded to limit exercise (increases fat content) |
| Vigorous, healthy, disease resistant birds | Problems masked by drugs and chemical additives |
| Beneficial bacteria aid healthy immune system | Antibiotics depress immune system, harm intestinal flora |
| Brooder and pens open to fresh air and sunlight | Closed brooder and grow-out houses |
| Natural Trace minerals | Trace minerals manufactured and acidulated |
| Unvaccinated | Vaccination depresses immune system |
| No artificial lighting (for a good night's sleep) | Electric lighting 24/7 to maximise feed intake |
| No antibiotics | Routine antibiotics |
| No appetite stimulants | Routine appetite stimulants (arsenic) |
| No synthetic vitamins | Routine synthetic vitamins |
| No debeaking (no cannibalism) | Debeaked (cannibalism in factory conditions) |
| Production follows natural seasonal cycle | Grower a slave to year round business interests |
| Locally grown and processed on farm | Routinely trucked across the country |
| Careful hand evisceration | Machine evisceration (spills feces on carcass) |
| Nothing injected or added at any time | Injection of dyes, preservatives, tenderizers, water, etc. |
| Carotid artery and jugular vein cut, causing 85-90 percent blood loss in 10-20 seconds | Electrical stunning stops heart, thus impeding removal of blood. Clots often remain in meat. |
| No routine chlorine baths | Numerous routine chlorine baths |
| No irradiation | Irradiation compromises vitamin content |
| Each and every bird inspected by farmer prior to sale | Taxpayer provides bureaucratic sampling inspection |
| Customer always welcome | Customer never sees what goes on |
| Offal composted and returned to land as fertilizer for plants during growing season | Offal cooked and fed back to chickens as protein supplement |
| Low process water consumption | High process water consumption |
| Effluent used to irrigate growing plants or to aid composting | Effluent treated as waste water (sewage) Contaminates groundwater |
| Manure converted directly to growing plants | Manure fed to cattle or applied to land inappropriately |
| No contribution to antibiotic resistant "super-bugs" | Routine use of antibiotics in livestock feed gives rise to drug resistant pathogens |
| We clean up after ourselves. | Factory farming practices foul the air, water and beauty of surrounding areas. |
| Decentralized (small, local) food system | Centralized (large, multinational) food system |
| Promotes small farming | Promotes giant factory farming |
| Fosters entrepreneurial spirit | Fosters wage/time clock employment |
| Price includes true production costs | Taxpayers lose when government cleans up mess |
| Customer/producer relationships fostered | Customers alienated from producers |
| Low fat content | High fat content |
| 10% maximum shrinkage in cooking | 20% carcass weight loss in cooking typical |
| Firm, toothsome texture | Soft, fatty texture |
| Rich, delicious flavor | Bland, nearly tasteless |
| * Farm Fresh: Customer knows processing date | "Sell by" date only "suggests" freshness |
| Fresh does not mean "Frozen" | Previously frozen birds legally called "Fresh" |
| Highest value | Lowest value |
| A bargain! | Not a bargain at any price! |
