How Beck & Bulow Sources Humanely Raised Chicken Nationwide
There's a version of chicken most of us grew up eating, and then there's the version that made me stop and actually look at what I was buying. The first time I stood in one of our partner barns and watched a flock of hens amble across clean straw, unbothered and curious, I understood why Beck & Bulow bothered to carry chicken at all. It would have been easier not to. Chicken is the most scrutinized meat in the country, and getting the sourcing right meant saying no to a lot of farms before we said yes to the right ones.
What Makes Beck & Bulow Chicken Different From the Grocery Store Bird?
Our humanely raised chicken comes from small family farms where the birds are cage-free and given real room to move. They're raised in ventilated barns with soft bedding, natural light, and daily attention from people who actually know chicken behavior, not just chicken output. They're fed a 100% vegetarian diet, and every bird is hand cut by our own local butchers rather than run through an industrial line. That last part matters more than it sounds. A butcher who's paying attention catches the things a machine skips.
How Our Chickens Are Raised, From Barn to Butcher Block
Most of what's sold as "chicken" in a grocery store was raised for size and speed. Ours wasn't. The farms we work with prioritize a slower, calmer life for the birds, which is also, not coincidentally, what makes the meat taste like something. You can read more about how we vet every farm we work with on our sourcing standards page, and about the butchers themselves on our local butchers page. Neither of those pages exist for show. We update them because the sourcing itself keeps getting more specific.
What Cuts of Humanely Raised Chicken Can You Order Online?
We keep the lineup simple on purpose, because a chicken only has so many useful cuts and we'd rather do a few of them exceptionally than pad a menu. Here's what's currently available:
- A full whole chicken, ideal for roasting when you want the whole house to smell like a Sunday.
- boneless skinless chicken breast, the everyday workhorse cut for weeknight dinners.
- bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, which hold their moisture and flavor far better than breast meat under high heat.
- chicken drumsticks, the cut that disappears fastest at our own family dinners.
Why Humanely Raised Chicken Actually Tastes Different
Chicken raised without crowding and without being rushed to slaughter weight develops differently than a bird pushed to grow as fast as possible. The texture holds together better under heat, the fat renders instead of just melting away, and the flavor doesn't need to be masked with brine or seasoning to taste like something. When you order our chicken for home delivery, you're tasting the difference between a bird that had a life and one that didn't.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Beck & Bulow chicken cage-free?
Yes. Every bird is raised cage-free on small family farms with access to natural light and space to move.
What do Beck & Bulow chickens eat?
They're raised on a 100% vegetarian feed, with no animal byproducts.
How is Beck & Bulow chicken cut and packaged?
Every bird is hand cut by our own local butchers, not processed on an industrial line.
Does Beck & Bulow ship chicken nationwide?
Yes, our humanely raised chicken ships nationwide, flash frozen and packed to arrive fresh.
What's the best cut of chicken for a beginner cook?
Bone-in skin-on thighs are the most forgiving cut. They're hard to overcook and stay juicy under most methods.
If you have questions about a specific order, our team is reachable at 800-674-8426.