Free range chickens

Awareness, Diet and Health, Food, My question, prompts

Organic food is supposed to be healthier for us, at least that’s what those in the industry tell us, but there’s a problem with it, it’s at least twice as expensive as ordinary food.

Free-range eggs and chicken are much more costly than caged eggs and chickens but I fail to see what is the actual difference here except for the price.

The same is the story with organic vegetables and fruits, where smaller packaging cost more and they look the same as non-organic produce, especially bananas which are smaller and greener!

People are conflicted when they are given the choice of buying organic or regular produce, but I personally feel that it’s just a marketing gimmick and that there is very little difference between the two.

I feel like it’s a sort of nutritional blackmail, that if we don’t buy organic produce or free-range chicken and eggs, we will be putting the health of our family at risk!

Do you buy the organic produce or regular one?

Written in response to Six Sentence Story- Range, hosted by Denise

#Keepitalive

#SSS

Published by Sadje

I am writing to express my opinion, share my experiences and to maybe provide some insight. My blog is addressing women at 50 ( but men are welcome to read my posts) ,their issues and the questions that come up at this stage in life. I don’t aim to teach, but to learn together.

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138 thoughts on “Free range chickens”

      1. For me it’s worth it on some items, like eggs and produce. I actually taste and see the difference in the yolk. The expiration date is shorter on the produce so I just freeze them before they go bad. I’m not much of a meat eater but do have a large family so I buy the best that I can in that department. Luckily I live in the mountains where we have lots of farmer’s markets so the price isn’t too bad.💕

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  2. No, I avoid “organic” because I think it’s a scam. The stuff is all grown next to each other and is the same thing. There’s no special field in which angels are tending carrots, shooing bugs away with harp music. In fact, I would rather have my produce bug-free than organic, whatever that even means (nothing). I am pro-pesticide! I do pay more for eggs from chickens that are allegedly treated better, though that too is probably a lie. It makes me feel better though…

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  4. Great post.
    I buy both, depending on a few factors. When I do buy organic, it is with hope and trust that the growers/purveyors aren’t lying about the nature of their goods.
    There is a difference in concept, the concept is no scam but a way to avoid poisons and genetic damages.

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    1. Yes, if they are honest then this is worth it. But it’s hard to tell. The funny thing was with bananas; their skin is so thick that pesticides, if sprayed, won’t penetrate it. Even then they are twice the price

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      1. Yes,that peel is one of my factors and I will often buy regularly treated bananas. The leafy things I prefer organic. As far as the chickens, when I can afford eggs from chickens on farms that are uncrowded and naturally tended, that is preferable. But, only in flush times can that be regularly afforded, especially as eggs become a larger part of a meager diet.

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  7. I usually don’t make much of a distinction between the two, just because of the cost, honestly (so I’ll go with the one that happens to be cheaper as long as it is good). But I have heard great things about organic.

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  8. I agree that there’s probably not much — if any — difference in vegetables, but the cruelty involved in the way they had been caging chickens is very significant, at least for the chickens. It has been outlawed completely in this state, so ALL the chickens actually get to walk around for however brief their lives are.

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      1. I don’t know if you actually understand how they were treating the chickens. They were locked in tiny cages. SO small they could not move, open the wings, or even stand up. They lived their entire lives in these tiny cages. Lived AND died in them. It’s still legal in many states, but people were horrified to learn how these birds were treated and at least a few places — Massachusetts is one of them — chickens must now be allowed enough room to at least move and walk on the ground at some point in their awful little lives. So yes, it DOES cost a few cents more for the eggs, but at least the birds are allowed to breathe fresh air before they die in a tight little cage. We treat our farm animals with exceptional cruelty. These laws aren’t just to raise prices. They are to try and make up for all the horrible things we do to them. And these aren’t even chickens for eating — they are just for laying eggs.

        You know they also treat dogs and puppies like that too. When dogs are rescued, many of them don’t know how to walk because they were never allowed outside. Many have to be put down because they are so sick. We adopted Gibbs from one of these places and for the first week we had him, he ran in a circle for days at a time. It was the first time in his life he had ever been allowed to run. And he was comparatively well-treated. He was at least relatively healthy, though terrified of people. He’d never had a kind word or a pat on the head in his 9 years of life. I only wish he had lived longer.

        Humans can be so cruel.

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        1. This is indeed sad and cruel treatment given to these animals. Over here they have proper poultry farms where these chickens are raised. The only issue we have is the feed they are given. A mixture of God knows what. I buy mine from a company where they give them organic feed.

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  11. I’m organic all the way. However, I buy most of my food from a local farm. I do not buy fruit or vegetables out of season and because bananas don’t really grow in the UK they are a rare treat. Supporting and buying from local suppliers takes a huge dent out of the carbon footprint and it tastes better because produce isn’t travelleing for ages to a supermarket then hanging around to be put on a shelfd. In money it may cost a little bit more at point of sale but add on travelling to supermarkets, cost of parking etc, it is probably less.

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    1. Now this odd the right thing to do. Unfortunately we don’t have access to farmer markets here or direct farm produce. You’re lucky that you can buy organic without it make you bankrupt

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      1. To be fair, if I was doing it through supermarkets I’d be busted. It is really quite frustrating when we all know we have to live better for the planet that the big supermarkets make it cost prohibitive. I got involved with Del and his Happy Farming as he calls it when he was just starting out and I had an orphaned kitten who needed goat’s milk. By the time that kitten was weaned I was part of the cooperative and never looked back.

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  12. I try to buy “certified” organic produce and dairy. To me, it indicates that no artificial fertilizers, preservatives, or other chemicals were used in the growing process for produce and that the cattle, chickens, and other animals were free-range and not fed chemically enhanced feed. Am I being duped? I dunno. Maybe. But I feel like I’m doing the right thing for myself and my family. Even my dog’s food is labeled organic and chemical free.

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  14. Price is the defining factor, as I’ve seen free range chickens who are in large sheds with barely enough space to stand. This is just as inhuman as caged

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  15. I’ve heard that free range chickens may have about one foot to move around or less. They aren’t truly free range. I buy fresh organic produce at the farmer’s market, but at the grocery store I buy what looks best.

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  16. There is a huge difference in factory-farmed eggs and free-ranging eggs. The richness/color of the yolks and the consistency of the whites are two big differences. I pay more for the free-ranging eggs. It was cheaper when we had our chickens, but taking care of chickens (including keeping them away from predators) is a lot of work.

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  18. Organic, or chemical-free is what I prefer, and if I can’t afford it, or it’s out of season, I do without.
    However, I’ve worked on many farms, and seeing the amount of chemicals used for everything, and getting sick as a result of working in some of these places, I’m adamantly going to the organic produce, or growing my own.
    All that stuff they put on the produce, on the ground, in the air – it ends up somewhere: in our water, in our soil, in our ocean. And then we drink it, eat it, die from the slow poisoning effects (look up group 1 carcinogens – and their effect on children, adults, etc. – in farm chemicals).
    Thinking small may help chickens walk around with a bit more room (yes, I prefer free-range where they’re moved to new pasture each day and have large, open paddocks to roam – with a dog to keep raptors and foxes at bay), but thinking bigger is about where those poisons will be in a year, ten years, twenty years – and how many other creatures those chemicals have affected, harmed, killed.
    Frogs are a case in point – if you use a weed killer and it rains or a sprinkler washes it off, it drains into waterways, creeks, rivers, etc. Where the frogs live. And it kills the tadpoles.
    It’s the simple things. Thinking of others is more important than lining the pockets of chemical/pharmaceutical companies, in my view.
    My first sentence should include that I do grow some of my own, especially leafy greens that can be grown in a pot, but I’ve had to do my own potting mix (because the stuff I bought loose and packed in re-used old hessian wheat bags) since I found so much contamination (it’s worse in the commercial mixes): plastics, toxins (yes, I had it tested when I had a reaction to touching it).
    There may be scammers out there who want to make a buck from the organics trade, but it’s always been buyer beware, and scammers are everywhere. We don’t stop using computers because scammers use them.
    Thanks for letting me vent. It’s a big subject for me.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Cage. I fully agree with you that the chemicals are harming our planet, environment and us all. We should grow our own as that’s the best choice.

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    2. Thank you for sharing! My Dad gave me a hard time last year because I bought him a book on how to grow his own food. I thought he was already doing that, apparently its too “new age” for him. Tried explaining it’s not “new age” it just makes sense. The joy you get from growing your own things too.

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  19. Now I tend to go with how the farmers are treated, so fair trade rather than organic. Also, because of bird flu, its currently more difficult as birds aren’t allowed outdoors in parts of the UK

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  22. The southern California farms – there is a reason the workers are covered from head to toe and still have a high rate of terrible sicknesses. I buy organic as much as I can and the farmers I know who claim “organic” jump through many hoops to make their soil “organic”. I figure pay now, or pay later with one’s health. You can google and find out just the difference easily enough. And the eggs – total difference in the yolk – and the taste.

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  23. My goal is to eat as local as possible…our local farmer’s market is a great source. Not everything is organic, but a lot is…plus you can see the face behind the labor and care in their products. It has helped me shop more intentionally and seasonally. I see a huge difference in the eggs especially, the difference between them ( I think) says a LOT about the health of the chickens. 💞

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  27. i never realized there were so many differrent types of chickens until i went to the living farm in Staunton, VA they had blue ones….blew my mind…good job on te sss

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  28. I have no opinion afa the vegetables, but for the chickens it makes a huge difference. It bothers me eating anything that had eyes, and yet if I had to be a vegetarian I’d starve, so I remind myself (frequently) that I didn’t set up this predator planet, I just woke up in it, and must eat if I want to stay in it. I do draw the line at lamb, veal and calf’s liver; I’m not eating babies, no no no no no.

    –Shay/Fireblossom in WP clothing

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    1. Thanks Shay for sharing your thoughts. I am no fan of eating red meat and eat chicken and sometimes fish as a necessity. I love vegetarian and vegan food. No organ meat for me too.

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  29. It is unfortunate that there are such price differences between organic and non organic, as that discourages people from buying organic. There is a difference, it’s in how the animals or produce are raised. The choice to buy organic isn’t just about one’s own health but the health of the soil, water, and air of our planet. Organic growers make that choice and have to be certified to make the claim, but over all their farming practices are more sustainable over time.

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    1. I know, if the prices were just slightly higher, more people would buy them. As it is, their numbers are so low that they don’t have the impact they should have on the overall picture.

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  32. Oh my, Sadje! I will agree with you when it comes to fruits. In such cases, the modified ones are often juicier though one organic orange can contain the concentrated flavour of about 3 modified ones.
    I couldn’t disagree more with the chicken and meats. The stew and taste from an organic/free range chicken/animal is so rich it barely needs seasoning, whereas broilers and croiler breeds are best for fried chicken,and have to be heavily spiced in case of stew. In terms of stew, non-organic is so watered down in comparison to organic that I’m surprised you can’t tell the difference.. Maybe the free range is different overseas

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  33. I agree with you, Sadje.
    It is a question of scale economics, right? There is no way a farmer can make a living while maintaining “organic” conditions when at the opposite side are mass producing big firms.
    I am fortunate enough to still have access to organic products from relatives that grow them.
    Otherwise, the price tag and the green sticker alone does not convince me.

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    1. Thanks Spira. I’ve read a variety of opinions In comments. I think you’re getting the best deal, buying from family and/or friends. Perhaps we have become very cynical that a green tag or a label doesn’t convinces us of the authenticity of the product.

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  36. Pingback: Free range chickens | meyermacha.com

  38. Funny you should have brown eggs in the photo – some believe brown eggs are better and cost more at the store. The truth is there is no difference at all. Some chickens lay brown some white. But all eggs need to be ‘candled’ – to make sure the egg hasn’t been fertilized – I crack each egg seperately and if there is any ‘blood’ in the egg it gets tossed. Though some believe it is OK.

    Organic just means the feilds and feed doesn’t have pestisides in it. Is it better to not bring home fruit and veg with or without bugs. Wash your fruit and veg and check them… Sometimes orgainc just means it doesn’t have any preservatives and won’t last as long in your pantry or fridge.

    To each their own. When in season I support local farm stands too. I don’t ask if they ‘spray’ or not because one should check all the fruit and veg they bring home anyway.

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    1. Yes, I check the eggs too before cooking. I think blood in eggs means it’s gone bad. And I also check for bugs. Washing vegetables and fruits properly before using them is a must. Thanks Jules for these useful tips

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  39. Pingback: Free range chickens – WordPress.com

  44. I do both & lean toward organic and humanely- produced, sustainable practices, despite the price.
    But honestly, also because organic & humane usually tastes better, and cleaner.
    (Shrugs)

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  47. Pingback: Free range chickens – Stay Healthy Weekly

  48. I always have a weird feeling about organic food, to me, it seems to be better food that only the rich (or likely rich) can afford. I am ok with rich eating on silver plates but at least the best quality of food (concerning its health impacts) should be available at a reasonable price to all. Am I too sentimental to feel this way? I just don’t like the kind of segregation it creates. But does this segregation open the gate for the future of better quality food for all (farmers and scientists may find better ways to produce fertilizer/pesticide-free food if we keep growing and thus, benefiting from it)

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  49. Pingback: Free range chickens – Fishers of Men Farms

  51. Organic, free range, antibiotic free, earth friendly… I am not sure there is much of a difference between these and conventional foods. It seems there are so many loopholes in the process. For example antibiotic free doesn’t mean zero antibiotics it means no antibiotics for a specified period before slaughter and packaging. Even more confusing is organic doesn’t mean antibiotic free or free range or non-GMO. Each of those terms has its own meaning and although the definitions may overlap they are not interchangeable. Plus, does anyone know if these certification agencies are on the up and up? It seems to me that they are beholden to the very organizations that they certify and not the consumer. Much like fair trade coffee or certified fair labour practices in the clothing/footwear industry. These certifications are murky at best and I am not sure anyone has proven beyond a doubt that organic anything is better than conventional nutritionally. Then there is the packaging that twists language to appear to be one of the above. No different than using the term light on your product to look like a health conscious decision when really the reference is to colour. Total legal but completely misleading. The best practice is to buy locally and buy in season. Being able to talk to your local farmer at farmers’ markets and making informed decisions is the best way to go in this field of questionable business practices. Beyond that, I hope to have my own chicken coop in my backyard soon. Can’t get any fresher or more organic than that!!!

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