What does the Nature Select all vegetable diet consist of?
Nature Select chickens are fed the healthiest quality natural grains. The feed consists of a specially-formulated mix that’s about 64% corn and 27% soybean meal. The natural soybean oil provides the protein and energy replacement for animal fats in their strictly vegetarian diet.

Are hormones used during raising the Nature Select chickens?
Chickens produced or sold in the United States contain no added or artificial hormones. The U.S. government strictly regulates all feed additives and they prohibit the use of added hormones or steroids in poultry. Even if it were allowed, we wouldn’t choose this for our chickens. That’s what Nature Select chicken is all about - natural, healthy choices.

Is Nature Select organic chicken?
Nature Select is all natural chicken however it is not certified organic by the USDA. All natural chicken is minimally processed and has no artificial ingredients or preservatives added. Nature Select chickens are fed natural ingredients approved for use by the USDA and formulated into feeds produced to exact standards in our own feed mills.

The USDA has developed strict standards for poultry labeled “organic”. Organic chicken must be raised in qualifying conditions from the second day of life; can be vaccinated but not medicated; must be given feed from organic ingredients; and given suitable access to the outdoors. Organic is not a statement about food safety, nor is it a value judgment about nutrition or quality.

Nature Select principles are in line with organic certification including the humane care and clean, stress-free growing environment we provide for our chickens. The biggest difference is that our chickens eat an all vegetable diet instead of organic feed.

Is Nature Select free-range chicken?
No, due to bio-security and for the additional protection for you and your family, Nature Select chickens are not free-range. To carry the label “free-range chicken” means only that the chickens are allowed access to the outdoors if they choose. Most often if given a choice, chickens stay inside where they have constant access to the healthy food and clean water. To ensure safety, Nature Select chickens are kept inside temperature controlled environments with plenty of room to move about, where they are protected from external contamination.

What does bio-security mean?
Due to possible contamination from wild birds and other external sources, methods have been established to protect the chicken population. For Nature Select chickens, these methods include creating controlled atmospheres to prevent the chickens from exposure to contamination outdoors while still allowing access to plenty of fresh air, ventilation, and an overall comfortable habitat.

How does Nature Select air-chilling work?
This unique chilling process rapidly reduces the temperature of chickens with fresh, filtered cold air so no water is added. Air-chilling is clean, efficient and environmentally friendly. The process takes approximately two hours and chickens are individually suspended as they travel through the cooling chamber. This specialty poultry process dramatically reduces water usage while it locks in flavor, texture, and tenderness, the way nature intended. Click here to learn more about our process.

How does traditional water chilling work?
Traditional water chilling uses water chillers to stabilize the temperature of chickens. Water immersion is the most common poultry processing method used in the United States and continues to be a mainstay approved by the USDA. The air-chilling method allows the chicken to retain its natural juices with no added water, and is simply a different, more sophisticated, cooling process.

What happens if some Nature Select chickens become sick during the growing process?
As part of our commitment to raising substance free chickens and our dedication to humane care, sick chickens are removed from the Nature Select program. Veterinarians provide the chickens with the proper treatment to make them better, but they are never returned to Nature Select farms.

I have additional questions, who can I contact?
For information about Nature Select chicken or preparation techniques, click here to email your requests or comments.