Glossary
| Common Poultry Terminology | |
|---|---|
| Broiler | A chicken bred for meat production |
| Flock | A group of chickens feeding, resting, and living together |
| Fryer | A young, tender-meated bird, typically 7 to 10 weeks old |
| Hen | A mature female chicken, frequently known for consistent egg production |
| Pullet | A female chicken under the age of 1 year |
| Roaster | A young chicken, typically 8 to 12 weeks old, weighing over 5 pounds |
| Food Labeling Terms | |
|---|---|
| 100% U.S. Grown Grains | The U.S. supply of Organic grains is limited, and Bell & Evans is one of the largest purchasers of these grains. Other producers may use Organic grains that are imported from other countries. Bell & Evans takes pride in sourcing grains domestically. |
| Bakery by-products | Some commodity producers still use expired bakery goods to supplement feed. |
| “Cage Free” Claim | This term is relevant only to Egg Laying chickens. If this appears on your fresh chicken label, it’s most likely just an advertisement that producers are already employing anyway. |
| Chicken meal by-products | Leftover parts of a chicken, rendered down to a powder, to use in pet food. |
| DDGS or Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles | Distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are the nutrient rich co-product of dry-milled ethanol production. This by-product is sometimes used as a poultry feed ingredient due to claims that it acts as an energy and a protein supplement. |
| Expeller-pressed Soybean Meal | Bell & Evans soybean meal is extruded and expeller-pressed. This means heat and pressure separate the soybean protein from the oil. This allows us to retain valuable Vitamin E and choline while avoiding the use of toxic chemicals. |
| Hexane in Soybean Meal | Most commodity producers use soybean meal in their chicken feed that is produced through hexane solvent extraction – soaking whole soybeans in hexane to separate the protein from the oil. Hexane is a toxic chemical distilled from petroleum that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) categorizes it as a hazardous air pollutant. |
| Male Chick Culling | Male chick culling is more common in the egg-laying chicken industry, rather than the broiler industry where chickens are grown for meat. Male chicks may be culled in the egg-laying industry because males cannot produce eggs and generally would not grow efficiently enough to be economically raised as a broiler. At Bell & Evans, we raise both male and female chicks for broiler production. |
| “No Hormones” packaging claim | Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in poultry, however, USDA allows the “no hormones” claim on packaging with this disclaimer. |
| Poultry Labeling Terms | |
|---|---|
| Fresh Poultry | Whole poultry and cuts that have never been below 26°F and should always bear a ˝keep refrigerated” statement |
| Frozen Poultry | Whole poultry and cuts that have been stored at or below 0°F |
| No Hormones | Hormones are already banned in all U.S. poultry by federal law, so this label must read, “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones” |
| No Antibiotics | “No antibiotics added” may be used on labeling if chickens were raised without any antibiotics, and the claim has been verified by documentation submitted to the USDA |
| Organic | Starting from the second day of life, chickens were raised on 100% organic, non-GMO feed with no antibiotics, continuous outdoor access, and processed using only USDA-approved methods |
| Free Range | Simply means chickens had some access to the outdoors, though the USDA sets no minimum requirements on how much time or space is required |
