Organic Chicken

Organic chicken is chicken that has not been treated with antibiotics or other chemicals is the best meat for optimal health.  If you want to and avoid cancer and other illnesses, then raising your own free-range chicken is an absolute must.

Keep in mind two things when considering raising your own organic chicken: your chickens won't be nearly as large as the ones you find in the store - that's because you won't be feeding your chickens growth hormones. 

The other thing to keep in mind is that your own, freshly raised chicken meat will be less rubbery because they are much smaller. And those are two great reasons why you should consider raising your own organic chickens.

Organic Chicken and why you should be raising it.

The Factory Chicken

Most people today have absolutely no concept of where their food comes from. 

Mention the word "chicken," and people may think of chickens strolling happily on a farm until they are brought in for slaughter.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

The chicken that is for sale in most markets comes from a factory.  The chickens are raised in a small space packed together with hundreds of other chickens, who never get to see sunlight, have very little room to move, and are stepping not only in their own fecal matter, but also the fecal matter of countless other birds. 

Is that really the type of meat you want to eat? And even if you don't plan on eating chicken at all, should we really be supporting such industries?

If you spent your life packed in a small area with hundreds of other people with no flushing toilet, no sunlight, and no fresh air, how healthy would you be?  The chickens would normally die under these circumstances, so they must be pumped full of antibiotics to keep them alive long enough to be butchered and delivered to your table.

To try to keep the toxins down, the factories typically spray and inject these birds with bleach and other chemicals to try to kill salmonella and other bacteria.  Even so, there are still cases where people who eat these birds get salmonella poisoning. 

The effects of salmonella can include flu-like symptoms, persistent diarrhea, chronic arthritic pain that can last for months or even years, and even typhoid fever.

Tragically, the chicken industry has found an insidious way to allow even more Salmonella-infected birds into the market by treating their birds with even more toxic chemicals that prevent the Salmonella from being detected.

The only way to be certain that the chicken you eat is safe is to either purchase free-range chickens or raise your own.

Chicken and Antibiotics

Organic chickens and why they are so important for good health.

Because factory-raised chickens are pumped full of antibiotics, you receive doses of antibiotics every time you eat them.  Antibiotics are designed to wipe out bacteria that cause infections.  And while the drug does wipe out most of the bacteria, a few of them will usually survive. 

These surviving bacteria are the most resistant and, over time, produce even more resistant bacteria that are immune to even the strongest antibiotics.  The fact that we are consuming more and more antibiotics as well as taking them for every illness, including those that could be treated naturally, has led to the rise of super bugs, including strains of MRSA, tuberculosis, E. coli, pneumonia, and gonorrhea. 

That's why it's so important to either purchase or raise organic chicken to keep these extra antibiotics out of your diet. That way, you can provide the best possible food for you and your family. 

How Do I Get Organic Chicken?

You can look for and purchase organic chicken online, in many supermarkets, or find a local farmer who has a chicken farm.  Look for farmers who raise organic chickens either through Facebook Marketplace or through organic food buying clubs. 

Better yet, raise chickens in your backyard in a chicken tractor.  They'll have access to fresh grass and bugs and provide you with healthy meat. 

Are you intimidated by the prospect of butchering your own chickens? Don't be. It's simpler than you think. You can learn more about it here. 

Learn more about raising a backyard flock here.

If You Do Raise Your Own Chickens

Make sure they get plenty of greens by either keeping them in a chicken tractor or by feeding them fresh sprouts daily in addition to their chicken feed. 

Learn More About Raising Chickens

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About the Author

My name is Sue Merriam, and I began the journey of self-reliant living more than three decades ago, which enabled me to stay home with my children. Fifteen years ago, I founded Joyful Homesteading to help others save money and face the future without fear. My goal is to give you practical, honest advice so you can save money and experience the joy of simple living. I hope you join me.

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