Organically Reared Vs. Free-Range Chicken – Which One Should You Get?

Organic chickens and free-range chickens are both defined according to the way they are raised. There are a few differences between both, and it can be difficult to decide which one you need to buy. In this post, we will tell you what these two types of chicken are and what are the factors that set them apart.

Organically Reared Chicken:

Organic chickens are the ones that are raised in a completely natural and organic environment. They are even provided time in the fresh air and to roam around in pastures, and given chemical-free organic feed.

Free-Range Chicken:

Any chicken that is raised in a way that it gets to spend even a little part of its life under direct sunlight and an open-air atmosphere can be termed as free-range.

Organic vs. free-range chicken:

As defined above, all organically reared chickens are free-range as well since both of them are given time in the outdoor environment, and this has a healthy impact on the chickens. But still, some factors are different amongst both, and a few of them are listed below:

Outdoor Access:

Although both organic and free-range chickens are given access to the world outside of their sheds, organic chickens usually get more time and have a routine visit to the grasslands, making them healthier.

 Feed:

 Organically reared chickens are provided with an organic feed that is free from any GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms), and any traces of the pesticides and chemicals that may have been sprayed on them, while they are growing. Free-range chickens, on the other hand, don’t get organic feed and so, do pose the danger of those chemicals getting to the consumers.

Shed Capacity:

 Free-range chickens are typically grown in large quantities with numerous chickens stuffed up in a single indoor shed. However, organic chickens are provided with greater free space and a healthier atmosphere as there is a very less number of chickens kept in a single indoor shed. It has a positive impact on the chickens’ health and reduces the risks of transferring any diseases between the chickens.

Medicines:

Poultry can be affected by different diseases, killing off some of the chickens and reducing the overall production. To prevent this from happening and to increase the size of free-range chickens, different synthetic medicines and regular doses of antibiotics are given to these chickens. Organically reared chickens are grown in a natural and healthier environment and so, stay safe from diseases and are never injected with anything artificial.

Now you know the major differences between free-range and organic chickens. Organic chickens grow healthier and in a much more natural way than free-range chickens but this comes with a cost. Organic chickens are more expensive as compared to free-range chickens.

In Europe, you can get a good quality of both (Halal) organic chicken and (Halal) free-range chicken through Halal &Tayyib Foods.