Broilers have been bred by conventional hybridisation not genetic
modification. They only reach killing weight in 7 weeks if their movement
is restricted. As soon as you put them on pasture (at four to six weeks
depending on weather conditions) they start to take exercise and you can't
get fat fast if you exercise. In an organic system they will have had
sufficient space indoors to take exercise before they go out onto the
grass.In my experience such strains take at least 12 weeks of good weather
and up to 14 in winter to reach the same weights. They eat up to 5 time as
much food ration during the process as well as grass, insects etc. And boy
can you taste the difference. Though given the recent discussions on this
list on beef that tastes of grass and lamb that tastes of hillside pastures
and the reaction of the american consumer maybe american customers wouldn't
like to have their chicken taste like chicken.
Something that has fascinated me of recent years is the american love
affair with large quantities of herbs when cooking meats. In Europe we tend
to use smaller amounts to point up the natural flavour but one american
friend has suggested that americans like to have their meats as a "blank
canvas" with a pretty neutral taste - in which I concur. I'm not saying you
can't get good meats in America, I know you can, but I also know you have
to look much harder to find them than the European consumer does. I've been
fascinated watching people who want mild flavoured meats go searching for
wildcrafted salads. Strange. Though some supermarket chains here in Ireland
are doing their level best to persuade their customers to eat basically
tasteless food with additives for flavour - and succeed pretty well if they
can get the price down far enough
Guess I'd better get my head below the parapet
kathryn
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