FAQ (Chicken)

1. Are all your chickens organic?
No… some are and some are not. Those that are organic are natural and do not contain antibiotics, steroids or hormones.

2. Why are some chicken or hens different in color?

Skin color of broilers is either white or yellow depending on the natural ingredients in their diet.

3. What is whole chicken leg or quarter (¼) leg?
A whole leg is the drumstick thigh combination. The whole leg differs from the leg quarter in that it does not contain a portion of the back.

5. What is a drumstick?
It is the lower joint of the leg of a chicken

6. What is thigh?
It is the upper part of the leg without the bottom drumsticks from the joint point.

7. What makes white meat white?
Muscle becomes red or “dark meat” when the protein myosin absorbs a lot of oxygen. This happens when the muscles are heavily worked. The breast of a flightless chicken is not exercised, so it remains white.

8. What are giblets?
Giblets are the heart, gizzard and liver of a bird.

9. How does poultry compare to beef nutritionally?
Cooked, a trimmed piece of lean beef has 3 times the fat of a tight-meat skinless piece of chicken. Chicken also provides a good source of niacin and protein. Turkey is the leanest of all meats with less than 1 gram of fat and 135 calories in a 3.5 ounce serving.

10. How is chicken graded?
Chicken is graded by the USDA on appearance, not on fat content. Grade A means the chicken is well formed, free of feathers and has a layer of fat with unblemished skin.

.........................................................

Poultry/Chicken Terms

Red Meat
The result of heavily worked muscles that hold more oxygen, which gives the meat a red color. Chickens are flightless birds, so their breasts are not red, but their legs which they use, are “dark meat”.

White Meat
Refers to animal muscles, or meat, which is pale. A meat’s color is determined by the amount of exercise it does. If the muscle is heavily worked, it will hold more oxygen. Oxygen is what makes meat dark.

Grade
A method of judging meat quality. It is not the same as meat inspection. The United States Department of Agriculture and the manufacturer or the retailer determines grades. Grading is voluntary, except where local laws requires it.

Back to TOP