Is the “Chicken of Today” the chicken of the future?

Some producers and consumers are looking for bird that tastes better, grows on a more diverse diet and lives in a more “natural” environment. Still others insist that their food be produced under strict “organic” methods.

In the US, a grassroots pastured poultry movement has been growing since the early 1990s. Poultry raised on pasture are processed on-farm, or in state inspected custom slaughter plants and direct marketed to consumers, creating supplemental income on small diversified family farms.

The French Label Rouge, which also started out as a grassroots program, provides an example of what is possible when farmers, consumers and organizations work together.

Label Rouge began 40 years ago as a grassroots movement led by visionary farmers. As poultry became more industrialized after World War II, demand grew in France for the taste of traditionally raised farm chickens. Label Rouge performance has been called ‘stunning’ and now accounts for 30 per cent of poultry sales to the public, in spite of its high price – twice the price of conventional poultry.

The Label Rouge program focuses on high-quality products, mainly meat, with poultry as the flagship product. It emphasizes quality attributes such as taste and food safety and free-range production practices. The average consumer can note a positive difference in taste between Label Rouge and conventional poultry – in fact, regular taste-testing is a certification requirement to prove that these products are ‘vividly distinguishable’ from conventional poultry, according to the program.

The main reason for the superior taste is considered to be the use of slow-growing birds instead of the fast-growing birds used in the conventional industry. The slow-growing birds are from specialty rustic genetic stock and are harvested close to sexual maturity. The meat is flavorsome and firm, but not tough.

Slow-growing birds are key in Label Rouge production – birds grow to five pounds in 12 weeks. (The fast- growing hybrid broilers of the conventional industry reach five pounds in six weeks.) Not only does slow growth allow the organs, muscle and bones to grow in harmony, it also results in a more flavorsome meat. The carcass is generally more elongated and has a smaller breast and larger legs than conventional carcasses. In addition, slower growing breeds are more suited to outdoor production than the white hybrid broiler.