Benefits Of Free Range Chicken
As the years have progressed, more and more individuals are trying to eat healthier. The term “eating healthy” can refer to lots of things from consuming more fruits and vegetables to vowing to not eat animal products to anything in between. A term that has become more and more popular is “free range”. We now have free range eggs, free range meats, and free range chicken. Free range chicken is extremely popular. But what exactly is free range? How did free range begin? What are the benefits of eating free range? The information here will answer all these questions and let you decide for yourself if free range is something you’d like to pursue further.
The way free range is defined will depend greatly on where you live. In the United States then free range only applies to poultry. This would include free range turkey, ducks and chicken; they are animals that have access to the outside. In the US the amount of time these animals can be outside is not specified nor is the size of the outside area. Meaning that is a free range chicken wants to sit in the coup all day or in a small cage, it will. For those that live outside the United States, free range animals are animals that are allowed to roam anywhere and they are never caged. Chickens then have easy access to the green grass and sun.
Surprisingly, free range farming used to be the only way to farm. Looking back to before the 20th century, all most farmers knew about raising animals was that they needed a varied diet and plenty of sunshine. There were ranchers that found it difficult to keep cattle in one place and carry around heavy feed bags so ranchers would try to keep the cattle on their land. Chickens were free range up until 1920. The discovery of the vitamins A and D in 1920 brought an end to free range chickens. This is the time that farmers found out that they could market their chickens commercially if they were confined. Once the chickens were confined it was only a matter of time before all other farm animals were confined as well.
The debate if free range is better for us continues on. It seems as if everyone has an opinion for or against. Those who think free range chicken and free range meats are better for us have many valid points. One of them is that when we consume confined animals we have a higher chance of contracting disease. This is because free range animals have a lower chance of contracting illnesses and disease than those who are in such close quarters with each other. Another valid point is that the free range animals get a large amount of vitamins from the bugs and green grass they consume. These particular animals are then very good for us. Animals that are confined do not have access to these things thus making then void of nutrients. Chickens and other animals that are confined are given just enough food to survive. Included in this regime is a steady stream of antibiotics. They give them the antibiotics to attempt to keep them free of disease when living in these kinds of close quarters. We then consume antibiotic ridden animals. These are extremely detrimental to our health. Free range chickens and other free range animals are not given antibiotics, only the things they need to keep them healthy and thriving. This of course is another great reason why free range is so much better for us.
It is important that you take the time to do the research to determine if eating free range products is best for you. Here you found relevant information on free range animals; you can also find pertinent information on just about every other health subject. Remember the more informed decision you make the more likely you are to stick with it.
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