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Baby Chickens for Sale in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Baby Chickens for Sale in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Chicken, Why Art Thou So Mediocre?

Chicken, Why Art Thou So Mediocre?

Posted by on January 22, 2013 (125)

Chicken is the most popular meat in the United States; in 2010, to provide Americans with 37.2 billion pounds of chicken, compared to 26.4 billion pounds of beef, 22.5 billlion pounds of pork, 5.8 billion pounds of turkey, and only 0.3 billion pounds of veal, lamb, and mutton.

The popularity of chicken has grown steadily over the last century. Here is a chart from the :

Increasing chicken consumption followed the development of cheaper chickens in the 1940s, which led to greater use of chicken into prepared and fast foods. It was further encouraged in the 1970s by the widely promulgated idea that red meat might be unhealthful and that chickens were comparatively healthful.

Yet in fact chicken may be the least healthful of the popular meats!

In our book (p 171) we give industrially raised chickens and their eggs a grade of C, eggs and meat from organically raised heritage chickens a B+/B. By comparison, beef gets an A. Why the difference?

Unhealthy Chickens

The methods that created cheaper chicken meat do not produce healthy chickens. Chickens were bred for rapid growth, but the modern Cornish Rock hens develop arthritis around age ten weeks, are often infertile, and prefer not to walk. (See “,” October 25, 2011.)

Factory farmed chickens are also fed arsenic, antibiotics, antihistamines, and, in China, antidepressants. [] [] (See Chapter 23 of the book.) It has recently been realized that these compounds . UPDATE: In the comments, points out flaws in the studies cited above; chicken meat may be more healthful than these studies would suggest.

Omega-6 Fats and Obesity

Chicken have a moderately high omega-6 content; provides about 13% of all calories (about 20% of fat calories) as omega-6 fats. Because omega-6 toxicity begins at about 4% of energy (see chapter 11 of the book), replacing low-omega-6 foods like beef and seafood with chicken can help generate toxic levels of omega-6 in the body.

This has a variety of unfortunate consequences, including obesity. In my recent , I gave six reasons why omega-6 fats promote weight gain. The last reason was that “omega-6 fats are precursors to endocannibinoids which increase appetite ().”

The article in question shows an interesting figure which notes that chicken consumption is, after vegetable oils and with pork, the major contributor of omega-6 fats to the American diet, and is correlated with obesity prevalence ():

Omega-6 Fats and Cancer

Omega-6 fats promote cancer growth and metastasis, and so we might expect that chicken consumption will also promote cancer.

It may. A study of men in remission from prostate cancer found that, “Intakes of processed and unprocessed red meat, fish, … and skinless poultry were not associated with prostate cancer recurrence or progression.” [] However, the fatty parts of chickens – the skin and the eggs – were:

Greater consumption of eggs and poultry with skin was associated with 2-fold increases in risk in a comparison of extreme quantiles: eggs [hazard ratio (HR): 2.02; 95% CI: 1.10, 3.72; P for trend = 0.05] and poultry with skin (HR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.36, 3.76; P for trend = 0.003)…. Men with high prognostic risk and a high poultry intake had a 4-fold increased risk of recurrence or progression compared with men with low/intermediate prognostic risk and a low poultry intake (P for interaction = 0.003).

Our results suggest that the postdiagnostic consumption of processed or unprocessed red meat, fish, or skinless poultry is not associated with prostate cancer recurrence or progression, whereas consumption of eggs and poultry with skin may increase the risk. []

We recommend three egg yolks per day for their nutrition, but the poor quality of industrial chickens is a real concern. If you can find a place in your budget for only one naturally raised food, make it your eggs.

Badly Cooked Chicken

Much chicken is bought in industrially produced forms or as fried chicken cooked in vegetable oils at high temperatures. High temperatures and peroxidizable vegetable oils are not a good way to treat any meat; as we note in the book (Chap 23), harsh cooking methods increase the toxicity of foods.

It seems to work that way with chicken. Another cancer study found that fried chicken consumption was associated with higher prostate cancer risk. They write:

Potential mechanisms include the formation of potentially carcinogenic agents such as aldehydes, acrolein, heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and acrylamide. []

Conclusion

I think most of the health problems with chicken are probably attributable to its omega-6 content, and in the context of a low omega-6 diet there is probably little harm to consuming gently cooked chicken or eggs. So I think most of the known concerns with chicken consumption should not frighten Perfect Health Dieters. Ironically, what makes chicken healthful is consuming red meat or seafood most of the week!

However, because eggs are such a significant part of our micronutrient recommendations, I think it is desirable to find an egg producer who lets the hens roam and eat insects and other natural chicken foods. Healthy chickens produce more healthful eggs; healthful eggs produce healthy people.

References

[1] Nachman KE et al. Arsenic species in poultry feather meal. Science of the Total Environment 2012 Feb 15;417–418:183–8, .

[2] Love DC et al. Feather meal: a previously unrecognized route for reentry into the food supply of multiple pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Environmental Science & Technology 2012 Apr 3;46(7):3795–802, .

[3] Richman EL et al. Intakes of meat, fish, poultry, and eggs and risk of prostate cancer progression. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar;91(3):712-21. .

[4] Stott-Miller M et al. Consumption of deep-fried foods and risk of prostate cancer. Prostate. 2013 Jan 17. doi: 10.1002/pros.22643. [Epub ahead of print]  .

 

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Baby Chickens for Sale in Grand Rapids 
MI

Baby Chickens Food in Grand Rapids, Michigan

We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Grand Rapids Michigan, including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more. Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Grand Rapids Michigan also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in Grand Rapids Michigan, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale, turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale, chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of baby chicks for sale in Grand Rapids MI.

Baby Chickens Care in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Grand Rapids Michigan catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to their site and request one if you are interested. Baby Chickens for Sale in Grand Rapids 
MITypically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2 pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in Grand Rapids Michigan * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Grand Rapids Michigan * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall before their orders sell out.

Baby Chickens Coop in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in Grand Rapids Michigan is easy and has always been a very pleasant experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Grand Rapids, Michigan Baby chicks are quite cute and tough to resist, however it's ideal to plan for their arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially by compiling not just the correct products, yet additionally the appropriate expertise to take care of them. Raising baby chicks is relatively straightforward, you just should offer them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable environment Lots of food and water Focus and love Habitat Your habitat could be a straightforward box, fish tank, pet cat provider, or guinea porker cage. Line it with old towels and coverings (with no loosened strings!) to begin, as well as after a couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper. Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only newspaper or various other slipper surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow misshapen. You also need something to provide food as well as water in, such as a chicken feeder and water dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container cover for food and also a family pet bird water dispenser from a pet dog shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch right into the habitat to obtain them trained on perching. Warmth To keep your chicks warm you should give them with a warmth resource. This could be as simple as a 100 watt light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat light bulb additionally work extremely well (my referral). Chicks need this heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is changed with feathers (which could take up to two months). The freshly hatched need a temperature between 90 and 100 levels, and also each week this could be minimized by roughly 5 levels or so. The warmth resource need to be on merely one side of the cage to permit chicks a variety of temperatures. The chicks are your finest thermostat- if they are concealing in the other edge of your heat light, you should lower the temperature level. If they are surrounding each other under the heat (not merely curling up), you should put some warmth. Home cleaning Cleanliness is key as well as it keeps your chicks healthy and balanced. Be sure to change the bed linen often and constantly supply clean food as well as water Food and also water. Chicks grow very fast which needs a lot of clean food and also water. Offer sufficient whatsoever times and also inspect typically to avoid parched and also starving chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it comes in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the first 2 months, then switch to a grower food (~ 17 % healthy protein) for an additional 2 months, and then to a slightly reduced protein feed or a level feed (if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking filth baths, while others won't occupy that activity up until they are older. If you have the area in your chick unit, introduce a tray of sand or dust for them to bathe in. Focus and also love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will most likely bond with you as well as not escape as adults. Second, if you examine your chicks daily as well as enjoy their behavior, you could capture illness or various other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or various other undesirable indications. Make sure to also look at their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers as well as clogged cloaca. Lastly, it is essential to look out for social problems, such as the tiniest chick getting picked on. Empty nest disorder So your chicks are now totally feathered and also its time for them to leave the safety and security of your home as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Have a look at our area on chicken cages to get more information concerning cages as well as correct cage environments.
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