McDonald's, the meat industry, and chickens (from Food, Inc)

[marmar]

From Food, Inc. The history of McDonald's, how the top meat companies control 80% of the market, and how the chicken has been changed to grow faster and larger.

[fasttense]

1. You don't have to eat McDonald and Tyson monopoly food.

Buy from your local farmer. Go visit his/her place. See how they raise their chickens, beef and pork. And if you approve, buy their food. Don't support monopoly food.

[pipoman]

3. Most local farmers raising meat birds

are raising cornish cross, the same breed the big growers genetically engineered and sell. There are some sources for "heritage breeds" but most people who have been eating the cross don't like them.

[pipoman]

2. "Cornish cross" are the standard meat bird

now days. This is from the hatchery I buy my chickens from. I do not buy cornish cross, I buy good combo (meat/egg) heritage breeds.

"The Cornish Cross Chicken is a cross between the Cornish chicken and a White Rock Chicken. They were developed for the commercial meat chicken market and have been dominating it for the past fifty years. They are a rapid grower and pullets can reach 4 1/2 lbs by 6 wks of age and cockerels 6 lbs by 6 wks of age. They grow so fast that their legs give out from weight and it is not recommended that they be kept for breeding."

http://www.cacklehatchery.com/cornishcrosspage.html