Frequently Asked Questions: Pasture-Raised Chicken FAQ

We get it: labels can be confusing and the greenwashing doesn’t help (big food loooooves fuzzy definitions!). We’re here to make it simple. In this FAQ, we explain what pasture-raised chicken truly is, how it differs from other claims, and why choosing it can make a real difference in flavor, nutrition, and animal welfare.

Spoiler alert: We only use pasture-raised chicken here at Offcuts Kitchen ;)

What does pasture-raised chicken mean?

“Pasture-raised” refers to chickens that spend the majority of their lives on pasture land covered in rooted vegetation, such as grasses, plants, and soil, instead of being confined indoors. Since March 2025, the USDA has formally defined this term to mean animals live most of their lives outdoors on vegetated pasture, giving it clearer distinction from free-range labels.

How does pasture-raised chicken differ from free-range, organic, or cage-free?

• Cage-Free: Birds roam indoors with no guaranteed outdoor access.
• Free-Range: Birds must have some outdoor access, but regulations don’t specify quality or amount of space.
• Organic: A USDA organic certification for poultry mostly about inputs (aka, their food). Birds must eat 100% certified-organic feed (no GMOs or synthetic pesticides) and can’t be given antibiotics; they must have some outdoor access, but it doesn’t require meaningful pasture time. In practice, the biggest difference between organic and conventional chicken is the size of the grain bill for the farmer. 
• Pasture-Raised: The USDA’s updated standard requires birds to spend most of their lives on vegetated pasture. Third-party certifiers like Certified Humane and Global Animal Partnership now align their labels with this definition.

Is pasture-raised chicken more nutritious?

Generally yes, especially on fat profile and antioxidants, though it depends on breed, feed, and how much real pasture the birds actually eat. Large comparisons and meta-analyses report that pasture-raised systems often yield meat with higher polyunsaturated fats, including omega-3s, than conventional systems. 1) Pub Med 2) Pub Med

However, when pasture intake is minimal, changes in the meat’s nutrients are small; when intake is meaningful, research shows bioactive compounds from forage can transfer into the meat and improve its antioxidant profile. 3) Pub Med 4) Pub Med

Ultimately, research shows that pasture-raised chicken often delivers a better fat profile and, in some systems, higher antioxidant vitamins, but the advantage is largest when birds truly graze vegetated pasture and are fed diets that support omega-3s! 5) Science Direct

What about taste and texture?

We may be biased, but we absolutely believe pasture-raised birds develop a richer flavor and more tender meat, thanks to their varied diet and more active lifestyle. Their varied forage shows up on the plate as a deeper meat color (a nice, golden yellow), a clean, savory finish, skin that crisps beautifully, and– our personal favorite– a stock that sets into a jiggly gel with body and spunk.

How is pasture-raised chicken produced?

Ultimately, the key is that the birds spend the majority of their lives out on pasture versus in a barn or cage. There are two primary production models for raising poultry outside as nature intended. Farms either:

1. Use stationary barns with pasture access, where birds can go outside but often stick close to the barn (which if not managed correctly can lead to degraded land near the barn), or
2. Use mobile coops—like chicken tractors—that move across pasture daily or weekly, ensuring fresh forage for the birds, and healthy soil by spreading manure.
   
   

What’s the difference between stationary and mobile pasture-raised systems?

Stationary Barn-Based Systems

• Birds live in a central barn with outdoor access. There is no USDA minimum square-footage requirement so different farms will have different standards.
• In this method, the land near the barn may become overgrazed and nutrient-saturated if the birds are not moved constantly.
• The best stationary farms employ a ‘wagon wheel’ production method where the barn is the hub of the wheel, and they set up temporary fence to make pie-slice paddocks radiating out from it. Birds sleep in the barn, and on a set schedule (every few days or weekly) the farmer opens a different door to a fresh slice of pasture. The prior day’s pasture can rest and recover while manure is spread evenly around the barn. Not all farms employ this method, so a barn-based system may deliver limited ecological benefit.

Mobile Coop Systems

• Coops are moved regularly across fresh pasture and never stay in one place for too long.
• Birds access diverse forage in the pasture, spread manure naturally through their pecking and scratching behaviors, and prevent overgrazing.
• Moving chickens through pasture improves soil structure, biodiversity, and water retention.
• Mobile coop systems are considered the gold standard for regenerative poultry farming.

What are the animal welfare and environmental benefits of raising pasture-raised chicken?

• Chickens live healthier, less stressed lives with space to roam and forage and exhibit natural chicken behaviors.
• Their manure naturally fertilizes soil, while scratching and pecking help with pest control and soil aeration.
• Mobile coop systems maximize these benefits by rotating flocks, allowing pasture to recover, improving biodiversity, and increasing soil fertility.
  
  

Why is pasture-raised chicken more expensive?

Simply put, it costs more to raise chickens this way. Typically the flocks are smaller, more land is required, and more labor is required to manage the rotational systems. But consumers get better flavor, higher nutrition, and the peace of mind of supporting regenerative farming practices that maintain a high animal welfare standard.

Why we care about using pasture-raised chicken at Offcuts Kitchen

Simple: the flavor, the nutritional value, the land benefits and animal welfare. You get a richer depth of flavor from the meat of pasture-raised chickens. That meat also often benefits from more healthy polyunsaturated fats. Pasture-raised chickens also support proper land management that can see chickens greatly helping soil health. Finally, the chickens are able to live less stressful lives, helping their quality of life and further increasing the meat quality. That is why we exclusively use pastured-raised chicken in our demi-glace.