Why is grocery store chicken from Perdue and Tyson inferior to pasture raised poultry?

In general, grocery store chicken may be considered inferior to pasture raised chicken for a number of reasons. Pasture raised refers to chickens that are raised on pasture land, where they are free to roam and forage for food. This type of farming allows the chickens to engage in natural behaviors and may result in a more nutritious and flavorful product. In contrast, grocery store chicken is often raised in crowded, confined conditions where they are not able to roam freely. Factory farming may result in less flavorful and less nutritious meat, as the chickens are typically fed a diet of grains and are not able to forage for their own food in sunlight.

If you are concerned about the conditions under which chickens are raised and want to support more humane practices, you may want to consider purchasing your chicken from a local farmer you have come to trust.  Transparent farming practices can provide some assurance that the chickens were raised in more humane conditions.  Perdue and Tyson are anything but transparent about how chickens are raised in their factories.

It is worth noting that not all pastured poultry farms are created equal, and it is important to do your own investigating and ask questions about how the chickens were raised if you are concerned about the quality of the meat.