Are free-range chickens definitely safer and more nutritious?

Instant chicken cannot be eaten, and KFC cannot be eaten. Some free-range chickens such as "local chicken" and "Liaoda chicken" immediately became people's favorites. Indeed, for many years, even before the instant chicken news came out, free-range chicken has been particularly popular among people for its good taste and high nutrition. So, are free-range chickens necessarily good? Is it really more nutritious? How should we choose free-range chickens? First of all, free-range chickens are not necessarily safe. Wang Xingguo, chief nutritionist of the Nutrition Department of Dalian Central Hospital, said that we need to correct a misunderstanding in everyone's understanding. The so-called "free range" is relative to cage farming. They are kept in a certain mountainous area with wire cages. Since free-range chickens live in the open air, parasites and bacteria will inevitably attach to the hens' bodies, making them more susceptible to diseases. Therefore, free-range chickens do not need any medicine. Wang Xingguo’s on-the-spot investigation found that free-range chickens also need to be medicated when they develop various intestinal diseases. It's just that it won't be like caged chickens where large doses of drugs are given regardless of whether they are sick or not. The space for raising chickens in cages is small and the density of chickens is high, while the space for free-range chickens is much larger, so respiratory diseases are relatively rare, but they can still suffer from intestinal diseases: such as necrotizing enteritis, ulcerative enteritis, etc. In addition, since grasshoppers, ants, house flies, earthworms, etc. are intermediate hosts of chicken parasites, chickens are also susceptible to parasitic diseases after pecking, such as tapeworms, ascariasis, and histomoniasis. Let’s talk about the nutrition of free-range chickens. Professor Chen Jilan from the Beijing Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said that there is indeed a difference in meat quality and taste between free-range chickens and cage-raised chickens. Free-range chickens exercise more, have good physique, and taste better than cage-raised chickens. It's like the same chicken, chicken wings have better meat texture than chicken breasts. Wang Xingguo said that the flavor of chicken is determined by the "flavor-producing nucleotides" in it, while the "knot" and "chewyness" are determined by the collagen and elastin in the meat. These ingredients that determine flavor and texture are related to the growth period of the chicken. Cage-raised chickens have a short growth time and have a weak "chicken flavor", but the chicken is "tender"; free-range chickens have a strong flavor, but the meat is harder and more woody. Therefore, free-range chickens are more suitable for making soup. In addition, Chinese people often believe that food that tastes delicious must be more nutritious. In fact, in terms of nutritional value, these ingredients that affect flavor and taste have nothing to do with nutrition. From a scientific point of view, there is no difference in the nutritional content of the two. Wang Xingguo said that compared with cage-raised chickens, one advantage is that the free-range chickens sold on the market are all alive. Good free-range chickens generally have four characteristics: small heads, shiny hair, thin feet, and small pores. Observe carefully, you will see that good free-range chickens have a long and narrow body, strong breast and leg muscles, the meat is very strong when touched by hand, and the feathers are compact and shiny. After being put into the pot, the broth of free-range chicken will be transparent and clear, with oil droplets gathering on the surface of the soup, giving it a fragrant aroma; while the broth of feed chicken will be turbid, with less oil droplets gathering on the surface.