Are store-bought poultry (chicken and turkey) fed medicated chick feed

[scubaforlife]

I think the point that Polyface makes is quite valid. Yes I have seen his operation, he never told me I couldn't go look at something, and yes his eggmobile is moved by a tractor (there are 800 hens in there). His broiler pens aren't moved by anything other than people. His first order of broiler chicks was 3000 this year. He is feeding loads of people. I know I will be eating my chickens well into the summer next year, off of just one run of 60 on my tiny plot of land.

Polyface utilizes something called management intensive grazing, its not for the lazy or faint of heart. You have to mob-stock the cattle, you have to move the pens, you have to be involved in the production. Joel's father's contributions to mob stocking in cattle has taken an acre of land and allowed for 400 cattle to be fed per day, which is about 10X a standard grassfed beef operation. Management is the part people forget, when they learn a cow will fatten on corn. Management is the part that dies when you put chickens in a tunnel house and setup microcontrolled feeders and waterers. Management is the thing we need within our food systems to ensure we don't send ecoli ridden lettuce to 50 states all at once.

I have very strong views on this, and I believe the viewpoints of the creators of Food Inc. If you enjoy eating Tyson chicken, and Smithfield pork, so be it. I just don't believe they have my interest in mind and I have learned alot from the Polyface model. My children read food labels and go with me to the processor on slaughtering day, that's powerful stuff.

I know some of the stuff in the movie is exaggerated, but there is some truth on both sides.


As for the OP's question, yes they get medicated feed. There is no way to avoid it on that scale and with those practices.

 

[mike67909]

Quote:
I think the point was it is a rediculous point to rebuttal.

The chicken tractors themselves were not even what the Agri-Women's group was rebutting....they were rebutting the ability to raise enough chickens that way to provide for the amount of chickens that we consume yearly.

Tractors are sometimes used to move large chicken tractors so I'm not sure what her point was.

I think it is possible but we will never beat big business prices so when people forget about the movie food inc. they will go back to buying the 5 lb bags of frozen chicken breast for $5.99 at the grocery store. Which is why I believe it has to be a regional/ local effort to drive down the cost of feed and increase small hatcheries to supply chickens at lower cost. Also, in my opinion and observation alot of low to middle class people don't care about eatting healthy to begin with so if they hear I am selling a chicken for $10.00 they laugh in your face.

 

[mike67909]

Quote:
The chicken tractors themselves were not even what the Agri-Women's group was rebutting....they were rebutting the ability to raise enough chickens that way to provide for the amount of chickens that we consume yearly.

Tractors are sometimes used to move large chicken tractors so I'm not sure what her point was.

I think it is possible but we will never beat big business prices so when people forget about the movie food inc. they will go back to buying the 5 lb bags of frozen chicken breast for $5.99 at the grocery store. Which is why I believe it has to be a regional/ local effort to drive down the cost of feed and increase small hatcheries to supply chickens at lower cost. Also, in my opinion and observation alot of low to middle class people don't care about eatting healthy to begin with so if they hear I am selling a chicken for $10.00 they laugh in your face.

Oh and I am barely at the middle income level. After paying my student loans each month I think i am below poverty.

 

[Katy]

3000 chickens is a far cry from feeding the world which is what everyone seems to expect from tje American Farmer today.

I have been farming and ranching all my life and am tired of arguing with people who have only an idealistic view of how things should be done instead of a realistic view. I wonder if Polyface farms would continue to do what they do if there wasn't a large amount of money to be made off of it......the skeptic in me doubts that they would.

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
If it's in a movie is must be fact right?

It is also in a good many books, journal articles, and industry practice guides. It might not be universal for all factory farms, but it is certainly established, accepted practice.

I have found Food Inc is a bit hyperbolic in places, but factually sound.

 

[barrybro]

Quote:
I'm not sure what your point is? Chicken tractors big enough to house 75 chickens would indeed need to be towed by a tractor from spot to spot. They would be too large and heavy to move by hand.

what points do you find inaccurate?

Mine hold 75 chickens and I easily pull them by hand. They are made out of PVC.
Barry

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
My guess is they would. Joel grew up in this atmosphere and seems to have a real passion for what he does. I could be wrong, but he seems to have the same hardworking, self sustainable philosophy as many people on here do. This opinion is based on what I have read in his books and the videos I have seen him in and about Polyface. I could be wrong.

 

[bigredfeather]

Quote:
I'm not sure what your point is? Chicken tractors big enough to house 75 chickens would indeed need to be towed by a tractor from spot to spot. They would be too large and heavy to move by hand.

what points do you find inaccurate?

Mine hold 75 chickens and I easily pull them by hand. They are made out of PVC.
Barry

Mine new one holds 100 and I can easily......well I can move it by hand. It will never blow away. The dolly Joel uses to move them is pretty slick. If I get to where I need to build a few more tractors, I will consider making a dolly like his.

 

[barrybro]

Quote:
Is it wrong to make money and make money? Is it only right if you are stricken to a life of poverty? If I don't make money on my chickens I won't continue to do it. I may raise them for myself but I won't raise them for other people.

Barry

 

[vermonster]

To answer the original poster's question (and hopefully avoid the political discussion):

Unless it is labeled as organic, chicken (as well as beef, lamb, pork, etc) that you buy at the grocery store was almost certainly fed various medications throughout most of its life. Same goes for the layers that lay the eggs you buy in the store. That is the reality of industrial farming, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the practice, and regardless of what you want to/don't want to believe about the movie Food, Inc.

The one bag of medicated feed your chicks ate makes them considerably less medicated than the typical store bought chicken/eggs.

On the manure question:
Technically, I think that watermelon that was grown using composted manure from chickens that were fed medicated feed at one point would still qualify as 'organic' because of how far removed the final food product is from the medication. Those that know more about the organic certification process can correct me if I'm wrong on that.