HEALTH CONCERNS

Are you aware of the potentially harmful antibiotics and growth stimulants that are given to poultry, pork and beef that are raised in "factories" or sent to Feed Lots? Are you aware of the health hazards these same medications may pose to humans? One of Science's biggest concerns is what will happen to the human population if germs ever become tolerant to antibiotics. Are you aware that the human body also becomes resistant to certain things if given in small dosages over time? Antibiotics are our first line of defense against infectious diseases. Commercially produced poultry, pork and beef is normally raised in confinement or finished at feed lots where 1000's of birds, pigs and cattle are literally jammed together, barely able to move around. Infectious diseases spread quickly as the animals co-mingle in unclean conditions. To combat diseases, the producer adds antibiotics to the feed (called "medicated") from the day they are born. These antibiotics are then passed onto the consumer - you - in the meat tissues. Growth stimulants (hormones) may also be a regular part of the factory animal's diet. These are passed along to the consumer as well. The long-term effects? I don't want my friends or family to be the ones to find out. A "factory" confinement-raised bird grows so fast that they are often times crippled by the time they are 5 weeks old. Their movement is so restricted that they get virtually no exercise which is critical to the health of all living creatures. Food in - waste out. Nothing in between except standing around jammed together and growing fat. Doesn't sound very humane or healthy.

Simple Fact!!!

Good, healthy poultry, pigs and cattle DO NOT - again - DO NOT need to be fed antibiotics and growth hormones!!!!!

We conducted a simple experiment which we encourage others to validate. We wanted to see if the claims we had heard regarding chicken fat were indeed true. It is claimed that a naturally raised, pastured chicken's fat is mostly unsaturated and that a factory raised chicken's fat is mostly  saturated. We all know that one is healthy and one is not.  We started with 2 chickens (one natural and raised on our pasture and one from a major producer that was raised in factory conditions) of equal weight (5.5 pounds) and boiled each of them separately in a pot of water until the meat fell off the bones. We then removed the meat and bones and poured the remaining broth into glass jars and let cool. The results are startling, as you can see from the photographs below. The naturally raised pastured chicken's fat remains in solution, completely and uniformly mixed with the water. There is little or no fat that has solidified. The factory raised chicken's fat, on the other hand, solidified and rose to the top into a hard layer of grease. We are simple farmers and not scientists, but it doesn't take a scientist to look at these photographs and decide which product we would choose to consume and feed to our family.

The photo on the right shows a thick, solid layer of fat. We were able to remove this fat in one solid chunk with a fork. We strained the solution on the left and nothing remained behind - it was totally held in solution.	Here is a close-up view of the two products. Which would you feel is safe and healthy?

Paul's Pastured Poultry, Pork and Beef is raised the natural way - the way Nature intended. Come to our farm and see for yourself. Our pastures have been fallow for more than 5 years which qualifies us for an organic certification. Our feed is locally grown and ground to our specifications and delivered fresh - NO ADDITIVES! Our birds have ample room to exercise while in the brooder and fresh pasture to forage once they are old enough to stay outdoors. Our birds are moved to fresh pasture daily so the risks of coming in contact with any harmful fecal bacteria are virtually eliminated - also ELIMINATING the need for antibiotics. This also encourages the birds to forage - the way they were intended - assuring they will receive the minerals, vitamins and proteins they need for good health. Our birds receive fresh air, pure water, sunlight, rain and all the other wonderful things Nature has to offer - all while in the safety of a predator-proof, stress-free environment.

Our pigs are also raised on pasture after spending time snug in a brooder until old enough. Here they have the freedom to do what they like - root around looking for food and playing. They have a nice dry shelter to return to when hot, cold or tired. They have created a wallow to lounge in and are supplemented with locally grown and ground all-natural feed. Our piglets are wormed at birth only. We have not experienced the need for subsequent worming or medicating of any kind. When an animal is raised naturally in a clean, outdoors environment, nature seems to take care of itself.

Our Highland Beef Cattle are all grass fed and finished. Highland Beef is naturally lean and high in Omega 3 anti-oxidants. The following link will download an article published by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in March, 2006. Greener Pastures regarding the benefits of Omega 3 and Omega 6 as well as the effects of feeding cattle grain.

Eat healthy - Eat Paul's Pastured Poultry.

Follow this link to an article that appeared in the Yahoo News Headlines April 10, 2005. It addresses additional concerns regarding confinement raised poultry.