WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
All Natural
| Fili-West Farms |
Conventional Product |
| Unvaccinated |
Vaccinated (immuno-suppressed) |
| Consume natural probiotics & prebiotics (immune-stimulants) |
Consume antibiotics (immuno-depressants) |
| Drug Free |
Receive routine medications |
| Eat only as much as their appetite naturally compels |
Routinely receive appetite stimulants (arsenic) |
| Chicks raised in brooder house with skylights (natural lighting) |
Chicks in brooder house have little or no access to natural lighting* |
| Afforded a natural sleep cycle (lights turned off at night) |
Exposed to artificial lighting 24 hrs a day (unnatural sleep cycle for faster growth) |
| Consume fresh greens, seeds, & insects daily |
No access to green material, seeds, or insects* |
Qualitative / Nutritional
| Fili-West Farms |
Conventional Product |
| Broilers lose only 9% of their weight when cooked |
Broilers lose up to 20% of their weight when cooked |
| Longer shelf life (keeps well in freezer for at least 1 yr) |
Shorter shelf life (recommended to freeze no longer than 6 months) |
| Processed at 8 weeks of age (long life on pasture results in more texture, taste, and nutrition) |
Processed at 6 weeks of age (results in soft chicken with little flavor or nutrition) |
| Low in saturated fat |
Unnaturally high in saturated fat |
| Good source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids |
Unnaturally low levels of Omega-3s (generally less than half the amount found in pastured chicken) |
| Good source of Vitamin E |
Unnaturally low levels of Vitamin E |
Animal Welfare
| Fili-West Farms |
Conventional Product |
| Birds retain their full beak** (the low stress environment reduces risk of pecking related injuries) |
Birds debeaked due to a high risk of pecking/cannibalism |
| No stress from overcrowding
(small groups of 400 or fewer birds) |
High stress from overcrowding (huge groups of 10,000 or more birds)* |
| Receive lots of sunshine |
Raised indoors with virtually no sunshine* |
| Breathe fresh country air |
Breathe air hazy with fecal particulate (damages respiratory tract,leaches vitamins from body, and overloads liver with toxins)* |
| Receive lots of exercise |
Receive limited exercise (no room to roam)* |
| Placed in hospital pen for second chance when
sick (many recover and are returned to pasture) |
Immediately culled (killed) when sick |
| Brooded on composted bedding containing beneficial micro-organisms (sanitized through decomposition) |
Brooded on toxic bedding (sterilized using toxic fumigants and sprays) |
Environmental
| Fili-West Farms |
Conventional Product |
| Manure falls directly on growing forage and biologically active soil for efficient nutrient cycling (converted into plants) |
Manure fed to cattle and/or spread carelessly (resulting ammonia vaporization and nitrate leaching cause air & water pollution) |
| Virtually no ammonia vapor (no foul smell) |
High levels of ammonia (toxic stench travels great distances) |
| Doesn’t create drug-resistant diseases |
Commonly creates and harbors drug resistant diseases (R-Factor Salmonella, etc) |
| Environmentally responsible & sustainable |
Environmentally irresponsible and unsustainable (compounding hidden costs) |
Processing
| Fili-West Farms |
Conventional Product |
| Broiler cavity carefully hand eviscerated |
Mechanically eviscerated (prone to breaking intestines and spilling feces over the product) |
| Air chilled (results in a cleaner product with no retained water) |
Cooled in chill tanks filled with chlorine water which often develops a thick layer of fecal sludge at the bottom (product retains this water) |
| Receive no injections during processing (or at any other time) |
Routinely receive injections during processing (tenderizers, dyes, etc) |
| Not irradiated |
Irradiated (FDA approved. Not required to be revealed on label) |
Societal / Economic Impact
| Fili-West Farms |
Conventional Product |
| Promotes family farming |
Promotes feudal/serf agriculture |
| Promotes a decentralized food system |
Promotes a centralized food system |
| Promotes entrepreneurial spirit |
Promotes low wage/time-clock employment |
| Encourages rural revitalization |
Encourages urban expansion |
| Restores consumer/producer relationships |
Perpetuates consumer/producer alienation |
* Also applies to nearly all "Certified Organic" chicken.
** Our Rescue Rangers are the only exception to this rule (see "Pastured Eggs" for more details).
