Naked vs. Heritage - What's the Difference?

Here at Joyce Farms, we offer two product lines — our Naked products and our Heritage products. What's the difference? Here's a quick comparison:

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Now, as an example, let's take look at our chicken products, since chicken is offered in both product lines (Naked Chicken vs. Heritage Poulet Rouge^® Chicken).

How They’re Alike

Our Naked Chicken and Heritage Poulet Rouge^® Chicken both start out Naked, which we use to mean raised with nothing added EVER  – no growth stimulants, no hormones, no antibiotics or other drugs, no pesticides, and no preservatives. Here are some other qualities they share:

• They are both raised on small family farms where they are fed a natural, all-vegetable diet and given only fresh water that is regularly tested for purity.
• They are both raised in low-stress surroundings with no over-crowding and no cages.
• They mature comfortably and naturally, growing happy and healthy at their own pace. 
• They are both humanely processed and are hand-sized and cut here at our plant for consistency.

How They're Different

• Our Heritage Poulet Rouge^® Chicken is a slow-growing heritage "Cou Nu," or naked neck chicken breed that is grown for 84 days (compared to 42 days for commercial chickens). Our Naked Chicken is a domestic, white-feathered chicken breed.
• Our Heritage Poulet Rouge^® Chickens are raised free-range. After 6 weeks of age, they are able to come and go as they please between heated or cooled barns and an outdoor pasture. Heritage breed chickens are heartier and more resistant to disease, making them more suitable for pasture-centered life. Our Naked Chickens are raised free-roaming with plenty of space in heated or cooled barns, but do not have outdoor access.
• Our Heritage Poulet Rouge^® Chickens are certified GAP Step 4 by the Global Animal Partnership Animal Welfare program. They are also raised according to some of the same standards used in the prestigious French Label Rouge program.
• Our Heritage Poulet Rouge^® Chicken is air-chilled for flavor and quality. Our Naked Chicken is water chilled.

We look at our Naked and Heritage products as "Better" and "Best" as compared with other meat and poultry products on the market today. The Naked Chicken products are "Better" than other commercial and all-natural options from a flavor and culinary perspective, but our Heritage products are a step above that in terms of quality. Many fine-dining chefs consider our Heritage Poulet Rouge^® Chickens to be the best-tasting chicken in the world.

Whether you choose Joyce Farms Naked or Heritage products, be assured you will enjoy the finest, healthiest meat and poultry products that you will ever eat. That is the Joyce Farms difference.

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