If you’re a big South African Chicken fan and eat chicken meat regularly, then you’re probably aware of the two most common types of chicken meat; country chicken and broiler chicken. But do you know the difference between them?
Here, you’ll find out how both chickens are raised, the nutritional benefits, and the difference of taste between both. Let’s get started.
Country Chicken
Typically, country chickens are bred by local farmers on a small level. These chickens are raised in a natural environment with less intervention from farmers. Farmers raise country chicken for obtaining organic eggs and meat. Some farmers raise country chickens as a small-scale business as well.
Country chickens are raised in a natural environment, and they spend the majority of their time running around finding food. They tend to scratch the dirt, find insects and worms, and eat them. Farmers feed them with household food scrap as well.
Because they eat organic food, it manifests into their taste. Country chickens have a complex flavour and deep meat. As compared to broiler chicken, country chickens have lower fat content. They have higher muscle mass, more rich flavour, and a higher nutritional count. Countryside residents or villagers prefer country chickens, and many people breed and raise their own poultry.
Country chickens are challenging to catch and take more time to cook than broiler chickens.
Broiler Chicken
Broiler chickens are bred and raised for poultry products like eggs, fresh chicken meat, frozen chicken meat, etc. Broiler chickens are raised in a sterile environment where the temperature is maintained through a temperature control system, and a specific amount of feed and medication is given.
All these birds are provided with the same food, and they endure very little movement and are exposed to the same elements at the same level. Broiler chickens are raised in chicken farms with thousands of them. As compared to country chickens, broiler chickens have high-fat content and low muscle mass. It makes their meat even more tender than that of country chickens.
Broiler chickens are fed on corn feed and nutritional supplements, which makes all of them taste the same. Broiler chickens are raised exclusively for commercial purposes, and their meat is more affordable than country chicken meat.
With affordability and tender flavour comes higher health implications. Due to inbreeding and unhygienic breeding environments, broiler chickens tend to develop weak bone structures and are at a high risk of diseases.
Broiler chickens are sold and slaughtered very young. If they are raised on hormones and antibiotics, they might have trace amounts of pesticides in them when consumed, which could have health implications. Antibiotics used to raise broiler chickens can cause antibiotic resistance in people and might pose other health hazards.
Health Benefits: Country Chicken V.S Broiler Chicken
- Typically, country chickens are safer and healthier than broiler chickens. Because country chickens are not raised on antibiotics, they possess fewer toxins and they have less health hazards.
- On the other hand, hormones and other additives are injected into broiler chickens, which increase the risks of cancer and the early onset of puberty.
- Country chickens have deep meat and complex flavour, less fat content, and more muscle mass. Country chickens offer healthier eggs.
- Broiler chickens have more fat content, low muscle mass, and fixed flavour. They have less nutritional value than country chickens.
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