Organic Chickens
Eat corn grown without the use of chemicals and no antibiotics are used.
Free Range Chickens
Run on free range in small houses moved on to new grass on a regular basis-no pesticides used.
I've looked everywhere I could think of without using sources that have a personal gain...and even those say basically the same thing. I was just wondering what the differences were and why one would be better than the other, and I do believe that laws may be a bit different in different states?-I'm just not sure. So for those of you with allergies to perhaps what is added to the chickens...I keep wondering if it's the food they are given??
Here are some more descriptive types of chicken! tongue
Organic: Chickens are fed only certified organic feed and have outside access. May or may not be processed organically. Check label.
Chemical-free: Chickens are raised on non-medicated feed. If ranged outside, the pasture is also free of all chemicals. May or may not range outside.
Vegetarian fed hens: Hens that are fed strictly vegetarian diet. These birds cannot go outside on pasture since foraging for "bugs" is not considered a vegetarian diet. Cage-free: Chickens housed in large poultry barns with open floor.
"Free range" are free to range inside and have access to the outside, where they can range also. Poultry can "free-range" on sand, dirt or even concrete!
Pastured Poultry: Pastured poultry are housed and/or ranged on pasture, with grass, legumes and insects comprising a significant portion of their diet. They may or may not be organic. Check label.
Day Range Pastured Poultry: Chickens are free to range outside in large rotating fenced pasture during daytime and housed inside a permanent or semi-permanent coop at night, with an open floor (no cages).
Pasture Pens: Chickens are housed in outdoor moveable shelters. The pens have no floors, so the birds live right on the ground. The pens have covers at one end so the chickens have refuge from the hot sun or rain.
http://www.2silos.com/content/pastured_poultry.php
Organic: Chickens are fed only certified organic feed and have outside access. May or may not be processed organically. Check label.
Chemical-free: Chickens are raised on non-medicated feed. If ranged outside, the pasture is also free of all chemicals. May or may not range outside.
Vegetarian fed hens: Hens that are fed strictly vegetarian diet. These birds cannot go outside on pasture since foraging for "bugs" is not considered a vegetarian diet. Cage-free: Chickens housed in large poultry barns with open floor.
"Free range" are free to range inside and have access to the outside, where they can range also. Poultry can "free-range" on sand, dirt or even concrete!
Pastured Poultry: Pastured poultry are housed and/or ranged on pasture, with grass, legumes and insects comprising a significant portion of their diet. They may or may not be organic. Check label.
Day Range Pastured Poultry: Chickens are free to range outside in large rotating fenced pasture during daytime and housed inside a permanent or semi-permanent coop at night, with an open floor (no cages).
Pasture Pens: Chickens are housed in outdoor moveable shelters. The pens have no floors, so the birds live right on the ground. The pens have covers at one end so the chickens have refuge from the hot sun or rain.
http://www.2silos.com/content/pastured_poultry.php
Hey Teri :)
I have been pondering this for a while aswell, it is very interesting and a bit confusing. But how I think it is, if you are allergic to what the chicken is being fed (i.e. grains and corn) then you should of had a positive RAST or skin prick test, or any other test for those specific foods. Then again when we eat chicken we don't eat there intestines.. do we?? .... anyways, we are eating the meat (muscle) not sure how much of there food is going into us. The same idea is for the antibiotics ... if you are allergic to the antibiotics then you should be aware of which things have antibiotics. However if you are not allergic to the medication then there should be no worries or ideas of that being the part that is causing reactions. When someones is allergic to something it is the protein that they are allergic too. I believe reactions to medications are actually called an 'anaphylactoid' reaction. These reactions are not IgE responsible. So when people have a positive skin prick test or RAST test then they are allergic to the protein within the chicken. Also when someone is allergic to chicken they are advised to stay away from all fowl. ... as the cross reactivity is very high.
The part about free range vs. organic, from my experience it is all chicken. Didn't matter where they were from, how they were raised, I still had anaphylactic reactions.
Take care :)
I have been pondering this for a while aswell, it is very interesting and a bit confusing. But how I think it is, if you are allergic to what the chicken is being fed (i.e. grains and corn) then you should of had a positive RAST or skin prick test, or any other test for those specific foods. Then again when we eat chicken we don't eat there intestines.. do we?? .... anyways, we are eating the meat (muscle) not sure how much of there food is going into us. The same idea is for the antibiotics ... if you are allergic to the antibiotics then you should be aware of which things have antibiotics. However if you are not allergic to the medication then there should be no worries or ideas of that being the part that is causing reactions. When someones is allergic to something it is the protein that they are allergic too. I believe reactions to medications are actually called an 'anaphylactoid' reaction. These reactions are not IgE responsible. So when people have a positive skin prick test or RAST test then they are allergic to the protein within the chicken. Also when someone is allergic to chicken they are advised to stay away from all fowl. ... as the cross reactivity is very high.
The part about free range vs. organic, from my experience it is all chicken. Didn't matter where they were from, how they were raised, I still had anaphylactic reactions.
Take care :)
Post Edited (firemt) : 6/29/2005 11:59:37 AM (GMT-6)
Thanks firemt!! It's good to see you... 
I certainly appreciate your thoughts on this question that seems to keep coming up - I often wondered how someone could eat certain chicken and not another, though? So that's why I put the above up there for people to see.
Please come around more often - you are missed!!
Hugs, Teri
I certainly appreciate your thoughts on this question that seems to keep coming up - I often wondered how someone could eat certain chicken and not another, though? So that's why I put the above up there for people to see.Please come around more often - you are missed!!
Hugs, Teri
Yes, it's a very good question! ... I would also like to see what others think, experience? I find this super interesting and plan on doing a bit of studying on it.
Thanks, I missed this place as well. I have been super busy, just finished my last exam for this semester :D.
I have been wondering about another question. Those with the chicken allergy, are you able to eat other fowl, especially turkey, and how about fish.. specifically tuna. I have been on another allergy forum where there are alot of other people saying that those three allergies are what they have. Those three (chicken, turkey, tuna) are my allergies. I am wondering if there is a connection (similar protein) between the fowl and tuna.