BBQ CONNECTION LLC

Why Does "Free-Range" and "Antibiotic-Free" Matter So Much with Chicken?

These free-range organic chickens are raised Hilldale Farm in Fluvanna Va. on a family farm. The mass-produced chicken you'll find in grocery stores, meanwhile, are raised in extremely cramped quarters where they can barely move. That creates stress in the commercial chickens that can lead to disease (driving, in part, their need for extensive antibiotics) and "stunted" meat devoid of taste and total health value (driving the need for chemicals that create an artificial moisture in the meat).

These organic chickens, though, have plenty of room to roam and eat their entirely natural diets and grow and live free of stress. This makes all the difference in the world in terms of their health and taste value to you.

Another crucial reason this free-ranged organic chicken is an exceptional source of protein in your diet is because it is free of antibiotics. Over half of the antibiotics fed to mass-produced farm animals including chickens are identical to the ones administered to humans. As has been well publicized in the media, overuse of such antibiotics can lead to strains of bacteria resistance to the antibiotic, opening doors wider to the potential for human disease.*