healthier than conventional foods, but it’s pretty clear that
organic production is healthier for the birds and the
environment. If these matters concern you, choose Certified
Organic birds at the market or, at the very least, birds that
come from a reputable source that you trust. Many small
and large farms that are both environmentally conscious and
have a humane approach to animal welfare choose not to
join the Organic program because of the fees involved or
because they can’t meet one of the standards (with small
farms, this is often the “no antibiotics” standard, because the
farmers will administer them to sick birds). Birds from such
farms can still be a great choice.
Q: What the heck is an heirloom breed, and why would I
ever want to buy a bird that’s been passed down from
generation to generation?
Heirloom or heritage-breed birds come from pure genetic
lines that can be traced back to a specific breed through
several generations. What are the advantages of heirloom
breeds? Well, the thing is this: we’re a country obsessed
with large breasts, and these days, most chickens and
turkeys are bred for one thing—maximum white meat. If the
breeders and poultry producers had their way, turkeys and
chickens would resemble giant balloons of breast meat
walking around on minuscule toothpick legs (or, better yet,
sitting still and waiting for slaughter). Also, they’d have a
dozen wings each. In the effort to grow an ever-increasing
supply of lean breast meat, flavor has gone by the wayside.
The modern chicken or turkey has extraordinarily large and
extraordinarily bland breasts.