re: This is the largest chicken breast I've ever seen

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yes the organic stuff you buy is better but the other stuff isnt like eating some cyborg chicken

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This couldn't be more wrong.

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The term “supermarket hybrid chicken” is sometimes thrown around and I’d like to devote some time to bringing clarity to actually what is 99% of the chicken you purchase in the store and restaurant.

The majority of modern meat chicken is what the industry calls the “Cornish Cross”. The name originates from a breed of chicken called “Cornish” (more to come on that), and has been cross bred since the 1940/50's.

This bird has been genetically engineered for one purpose, fast growth! What do I mean when I say genetically engineered? The genetics of the breed have been “tampered” with by cross breeding and (I would argue) a lack of ethical standards have been applied to the creation of the crossed bird.

For instance here are some characteristics found in the modern meat chicken. - The chicken goes to processing in 37 days.

To give you an idea, the normal growth rate of a chicken should result in a processing growth rate of 126+ days. Let that sink in a minute. More than likely the chicken on your dinner table hatched and in 37 days was 5 to 6 pounds in meat (or dressed weight).

- They have incredibly weak legs that are unable to support their rapid growth. So it’s not uncommon that these birds have joint problems and broken legs. More often than not, they sit! The short legs and large breasts are a result of the genetic engineering.

- Most are vaccinated for immune deficiency decease. This comes from a variety of reasons, but in large part due to an under-active thyroid that causes much of the weight gain.

- They are nutritionally void and rubbery in taste. For the fast growth you’re basically eating veil. The bird itself is not nutritionally sound because of a poor diet and poor health…of course it’s going to result in less than nutritious poultry.

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Source for above text

I've raised heritage breed broilers and worked with people who raised Cornish Cross. The statements in the quoted article above are consistent with what I observed.

More:

LINK

LINK

The second link here describes a small farmer's experience raising them alongside heritage breeds.

Growing your own food or sourcing from producers you know on a first name basis is a good thing IMO.


YMMV