Pastured and vegetarian fed? page

[GuineaPigQueen]

So I bought some chicken at Whole Foods and they have a pretty nice labeling system. However, I'm confused at two things on the pack of meat. It says they were fed a vegetarian diet *and* were pasture centered. If they were allowed adequate time outside it seems they'd eat insects and not be vegetarian.

This is the company website: Draper Valley Farms

It's kind of frustrating! I'm also having issues with finding quality eggs and pork products. I can't find absolutely any pasture raised pork or eggs that weren't laid by hens being stuffed with corn and soy. I purchased the omega enriched eggs to offset this a little, but I'm not sure how helpful it is. You'd think Seattle would have better options!

Not finding any nice backyard chicken coops at the moment.

[noodletoy]

best i can guess is yeah, the chickens do grub about, but their primary feed is corn and soy, i.e.: vegetarian.

i finally found a regular source for all-the-way pastured, organic hens, and am thrilled. i had been making do with the cage-free, organic omega-3 eggs too. better than a battery hen's eggs, by far.

have you tried mail-order for pastured pork? or looked into meat csa's? having watched portlandia, i'd think you'd have no trouble finding that stuff out thatta way. :0 (yeah! i know, different state, but to a crusty new englander, same mindset, tyvm.)

[GuineaPigQueen]

Yeah, I think I'll start combing Craigslist and such for chest freezers so I can do larger online orders! I should also probably visit co-ops more often so I can figure out where people are hiding the good stuff! I am determined....

Thanks Noodle! Seattle and Portland folks do have similar mentalities.

[ChocoTaco369]

Chickens are pretty much always supplemented with some type of feed. Farmers can't supply buckets of live worms (it's not just cost prohibitive but unrealistic), so they have to supplement with some type of vegetarian feed. We surely don't want to feed chickens raw animal parts. The unfortunate thing is that the vegetarian feed is typically corn and soy feed. I believe Tropical Traditions sells chickens that are soy-free and given coconut-based feed, but they're astronomical in cost. Unfortunately, the only way to get really good chickens is to raise them yourself or pay ridiculous prices over the internet. The only way to avoid it is to just not eat chicken and go all ruminant meat. It's much easier to get cow and lamb that are fed their natural diet. Good pig and chicken is very hard to find. 90% of my meat is CAFO meat and I'll admit to that.

[Apex Predator]

Chickens are pretty much always supplemented with some type of feed. Farmers can't supply buckets of live worms (it's not just cost prohibitive but unrealistic), so they have to supplement with some type of vegetarian feed. We surely don't want to feed chickens raw animal parts. The unfortunate thing is that the vegetarian feed is typically corn and soy feed. I believe Tropical Traditions sells chickens that are soy-free and given coconut-based feed, but they're astronomical in cost. Unfortunately, the only way to get really good chickens is to raise them yourself or pay ridiculous prices over the internet. The only way to avoid it is to just not eat chicken and go all ruminant meat. It's much easier to get cow and lamb that are fed their natural diet. Good pig and chicken is very hard to find. 90% of my meat is CAFO meat and I'll admit to that.

Why? It's common practice on farm like Polyface.

[noodletoy]

Yeah, I think I'll start combing Craigslist and such for chest freezers so I can do larger online orders! I should also probably visit co-ops more often so I can figure out where people are hiding the good stuff! I am determined....

Thanks Noodle! Seattle and Portland folks do have similar mentalities.

i was browsing sites for farmers' markets recently and found an organic beef farmer within 1/2-hour drive. he will happily sell me "off-cuts" and bones for $4 per pound!! WOOT! 15 pounds of bones will make lots of bone broth and we really like stuff like tongue and shank. as long as you're not set on filet mignon, you should be able to find some deals. we're on the hunt for a chest freezer too.

as for chicken, honestly, i just don't eat it much anymore. free-range organic birds are ridiculously expensive and so scrawny!! too often i found myself hungry after a "serving" of even 6 or so oz. so it just doesn't agree with me, i guess. i do not have that problem with duck, fish or anything on 4 legs.

[ChocoTaco369]

Why? It's common practice on farm like Polyface.

You want your chickens eating pieces of other dead chickens, pigs and cows? It's practices like that that has led to mad cow disease and bird flu. I don't want my chickens being fed corn and soy but I'd take that any day over pieces of other chickens.

[Apex Predator]

You want your chickens eating pieces of other dead chickens, pigs and cows? It's practices like that that has led to mad cow disease and bird flu. I don't want my chickens being fed corn and soy but I'd take that any day over pieces of other chickens.

I think at Polyface they use rabbit organs, mostly. Anyway, AFAIK, they are proper and improper ways of doing it.

[ChocoTaco369]

I think at Polyface they use rabbit organs, mostly. Anyway, AFAIK, they are proper and improper ways of doing it.

I'm sure there are, and if it is a very specialized operation like you're probably referencing, I bet it's not only fine but could have benefits. However, I'd stay far away from any supermarket eggs fed animal parts. God only knows what they're giving them.

[Legbiter]

So feeding your chickens vegans is right out?