Chicken Choices for Consumers

Click here for a pdf copy of Chicken Farmers of Canada’s Wheel of Chicken.

“Organic” specifications differ by the certifying body but they generally mean that the chicken is:

• Fed only certified organic vegetarian feed.
• Raised without antibiotics
• Free range

“Free Range” is not legally defined in Canada but generally refers to poultry that has access to the outdoors.

“Free Run” chickens are able to move freely within the barn; they are not in cages.  Free-run is cage-free. All chicken raised for meat in Canada are considered free run.

“Halal” is chicken processed in a way that is permissible according to Islamic law and certified by the BC Muslim Association’s Halal Management committee.

“Vegetarian Grain Fed” means that the only sources of protein in the chicken’s diet vegetable sources.

“Raised without Antibiotics” means the chicken is never given any antibiotics in its life.

All chicken in BC are:

• Raised without added hormones or steroids.
• Given feed that consists of over 88% grain and are considered “grain fed”.
• Raised on farms certified by third party auditors for food safety, animal care & biosecurity.